Madison McLauchlan
@madisonmcla.bsky.social
📤 85
📥 126
📝 39
Reporter at
@betakit.com
/ Tiohtià:ke/Montréal / Views are my own
reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
11 days ago
#CDNTech
startup Toothpod is trying to reimagine dental care with a chewable tablet that can clean teeth without needing any water. Co-founder and
@utoronto.ca
alumna Vishar Yaghoubian claims the tablet kills bacteria connected to tooth decay and bad breath.
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Floss, brush, chew? Toothpod launches a chewable tablet for dental hygiene | BetaKit
University of Toronto founder wants her product to be an essential part of the dental routine.
https://betakit.com/floss-brush-chew-toothpod-launches-a-chewable-tablet-for-dental-hygiene/
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Canada's division of Coinbase wants blockchain tech to be part of AI minister Evan Solomon's portfolio. Plus: updates on the feds' Stablecoin Act.
betakit.com/crypto-advoc...
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Crypto advocates want blockchain tech added to Canadian AI minister’s portfolio | BetaKit
The Canadian government's new Stablecoin Act responds to some of the industry's demands.
https://betakit.com/crypto-advocates-want-blockchain-tech-added-to-canadian-ai-ministers-portfolio/
12 days ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
15 days ago
A high-level Swedish delegation visited Montréal’s Mila this week to deepen
#AI
research ties. Attendees included Mila's Hugo Larochelle, Québec’s economy minister Christine Fréchette, Cohere chief AI officer Joelle Pineau, and AI safety organization LawZero CEO Sam Ramadori.
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Sweden brings urgency—and royalty—to Montreal as it seeks AI research partnership | BetaKit
Swedish deputy PM says countries must be “risk aware, not risk averse” as royal delegation visits Mila.
https://betakit.com/sweden-brings-urgency-and-royalty-to-montreal-as-it-seeks-ai-research-partnership/
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What is the economic promise of a Canadian
#sovereign
cloud?
betakit.com/what-is-the-...
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What is the economic promise of a Canadian sovereign cloud? | BetaKit
A data centre CEO and an academic say Canadian-owned digital infrastructure could unlock an AI industry.
https://betakit.com/what-is-the-economic-promise-of-a-canadian-sovereign-cloud/
18 days ago
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NEW from me: Shopify's shuttered Indigenous entrepreneurship program Build Native will relaunch in a new form led by the Centre for Native Nation Builders and Tracy Ridler:
betakit.com/shopifys-shu...
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Shopify’s shuttered Indigenous entrepreneurship program will relaunch, says program cofounder | BetaKit
Build Native program was quietly cut in January alongside layoffs of Shopify’s Equitable Commerce team.
https://betakit.com/shopifys-shuttered-indigenous-entrepreneurship-program-will-relaunch-says-program-cofounder/
22 days ago
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Soooo pumped 🚀@sarahcrgr.bsky.social (bluesky gets more emoji energy)
add a skeleton here at some point
24 days ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
André Picard @picardonhealth
26 days ago
It's official: Canada has lost its measles elimination status because of an outbreak that has persisted for more than 12 months. Country can regain status only if on-going spread is of measles interrupted for more than a year.
www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
via
@cbcnews.ca
add a skeleton here at some point
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Canadian tech policy wonks react to
#Budget2025
. Also I make my ad read debut....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=39VQ...
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Budget 2025: “cautiously optimistic”
YouTube video by BetaKit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39VQ2w6V6kc
26 days ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
about 1 month ago
#Budget2025
has dropped, promising $1 trillion in new investments over 5 years and a $78.3-billion deficit for 2025-26. Major commitments across
#AI
and quantum, VC, financial services innovation, and defence. We've got a comprehensive look up now:
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What’s in #Budget2025 for Canadian tech? | BetaKit
Feds make huge spending commitments, but finally get competitive on defence, taxes, and financial services.
https://betakit.com/canada-budget-2025-ai-defence-open-banking/
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A “huge budget for FinTechs,” according to Fintechs Canada’s Adriana Vega:
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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Grammarly has rebranded to Superhuman, completing its shift to an AI productivity platform
betakit.com/grammarly-re...
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Grammarly rebrands to Superhuman as it expands from catching typos to AI productivity | BetaKit
Superhuman houses writing assistant, email, collaboration tools, and AI agents in a unified platform.
https://betakit.com/grammarly-rebrands-to-superhuman-as-it-expands-from-catching-typos-to-ai-productivity/
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
Techmeme
about 1 month ago
Toronto-based Wealthsimple, an online investment management service, raised CA$750M co-led by Dragoneer and GIC at a post-money valuation of CA$10B (Josh Scott/BetaKit)
Main Link
|
Techmeme Permalink
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
ArtButMakeItSports
about 2 months ago
The Assumption of the Virgin, by Guido Reni, 1597, 📸 via @RoysEnergy
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NEW: Canadian
#FinTech
leaders told to expect open banking movement in the federal
#Budget2025
. Some hope for stablecoin, too.
betakit.com/canadian-fin...
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Canadian FinTech leaders told to finally expect open banking progress in fall budget | BetaKit
Sources say the federal government is poised to deliver on long-delayed financial data-sharing legislation.
https://betakit.com/canadian-fintech-leaders-told-to-finally-expect-open-banking-progress-in-fall-budget/
about 2 months ago
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The planet has entered a ‘new reality’ as it hits its first climate tipping point, landmark report finds https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/13/climate/tipping-points-coral-reef-ice-amoc
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The planet has entered a ‘new reality’ as it hits its first climate tipping point, report finds | CNN
The widespread death of coral reefs is the first in a series of catastrophic and potentially irreversible tipping points the world may hit, according to a landmark report produced by 160 scientists ac...
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/13/climate/tipping-points-coral-reef-ice-amoc
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
The Narwhal
about 2 months ago
Plans to expand the Port of Montreal threaten an endangered fish found only in Quebec. Advocates for the copper redhorse fear the project — now on Mark Carney's major projects list — will deal a critical blow to a species already on life support.
thenarwhal.ca/copper-redho...
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Endangered Quebec fish at risk from Port of Montreal expansion | The Narwhal
A planned expansion of the Port of Montreal in Contrecoeur, one of Mark Carney’s priority projects, threatens the endangered copper redhorse
https://thenarwhal.ca/copper-redhorse-port-of-montreal-expansion/
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
about 2 months ago
What does the future look like for a company like Cohere as Large-language models start to show their limitations?
#ElevateFest25
#AI
#CDNTech
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
Alex Spiers
2 months ago
New Merriam-Webster LLM
youtu.be/RvQnl3O0D3c?...
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LLM
YouTube video by Merriam-Webster
https://youtu.be/RvQnl3O0D3c?si=lr048Tjw2iAMSK5h
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The Stark Reality Ten Years after the Truth and Reconciliation Report
thewalrus.ca/trc-introduc...
via @thewalrus
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The Stark Reality Ten Years after the Truth and Reconciliation Report | The Walrus
“We have to wonder: should we just abandon ‘reconciliation’ altogether?”
https://thewalrus.ca/trc-introduction/
2 months ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
genna
3 months ago
New episode of the podcast with
@annetheriault.bsky.social
! Come sit on a beached whale (that’s what people did for fun in medieval Scotland) and listen to us talk about plucky heroines, actually scary witches, and a little light regicide!
pod.link/1753505445/e...
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
Alex Riehl
4 months ago
We’re a Canadian business-focused publication, but my talented colleague
@madisonmcla.bsky.social
has found a way to take that angle and shed a little light on how hostile the US has become for queer people.
add a skeleton here at some point
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
4 months ago
A “reverse brain drain” of queer tech talent could be a silver lining for Canada as the US abandons
#DEI
.
#CDNtech
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Queer tech founders explore move to Canada as US abandons DEI
Misfit Ventures co-founders say “reverse brain drain” of talent could be a silver lining for Canada.
https://betakit.com/queer-tech-founders-explore-move-to-canada-as-us-abandons-dei/
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7
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NEW: Some 2SLGBTQIA+ American tech founders are weighing a move to Canada as the US administration targets
#DEI
programs and large corporations follow suit.
4 months ago
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"For now, it's all mushrooms." 4AG Robotics CEO Sean O'Connor told me the BC
#AgTech
company is on track to reach $7 million in revenue this year as it secures $40 million to expand its fleet of mushroom-harvesting robots.
betakit.com/4ag-robotics...
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4AG Robotics looks to grow fleet of mushroom-harvesting robots with $40-million Series B round
AgTech startup says it’s on track to hit $7 million in annual revenue amid high demand for agricultural labour.
https://betakit.com/4ag-robotics-looks-to-grow-fleet-of-mushroom-harvesting-robots-with-40-million-series-b-round/
4 months ago
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@alexriehl.com
digs into AI productivity promises for this week's newsletter 👀
add a skeleton here at some point
4 months ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
Douglas Soltys
5 months ago
Big
@betakit.com
scoop on changes at
@omersventures.bsky.social
. One
#CDNtech
#VC
just told me that the "pensions are all retreating back to Canada."
@madisonmcla.bsky.social
has a first file with more coming from her and Josh Scott.
add a skeleton here at some point
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
Tu Thanh Ha
5 months ago
A Globe and Mail reporter investigating allegations of political interference in Alberta healthcare has been targeted by an anonymous X account, which posted surreptitiously obtained photographs of her in public settings and described her private movements.
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
5 months ago
Dig Insights acquires OneCliq to beef up market research tools with social media analysis.
#CDNtech
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Dig Insights acquires OneCliq to beef up market research tools with social media analysis
Toronto-based OneCliq says it gleans consumer sentiment from activity on Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok.
https://betakit.com/dig-insights-acquires-onecliq-to-beef-up-market-research-tools-with-social-media-analysis/
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"There are lots of parts of creativity that are traumatic, just like building a company." Read my chat with Canadian rockstar (and entrepreneur!) David Usher:
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What making music taught David Usher about running an AI startup | BetaKit
Four-time Juno winner taps into digital immortality with his startup Reimagine AI.
https://betakit.com/what-making-music-taught-david-usher-about-running-an-ai-startup/
5 months ago
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With
#quantum
chemistry and
#AI
algorithms, Toronto-based
#Xatoms
develops technology that rids water of pollutants. The majority-women team has now launched three pilot projects and secured $3 million in funding.
6 months ago
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Remember when
@mark-carney.bsky.social
said the government must deploy
#AI
at scale? Cohere heeding the call:
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Cohere bringing AI into public sector through partnerships with Canadian, UK governments
AI startup says it will heed Prime Minister’s call to make government “more productive and efficient.”
https://betakit.com/cohere-bringing-ai-into-public-sector-through-partnerships-with-canadian-uk-governments/
6 months ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
Investigative Journalism Foundation
6 months ago
As Canada moves to build more energy intensive AI infrastructure, farmers are concerned data centres pose a threat to farmland and water resources. Find out why.
#ai
#agriculture
#cdnpoli
theijf.org/datacentres-...
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As Ottawa pushes AI boom, experts warn of risks to farmland and resources
In the race to grow AI infrastructure, farmers are urging governments not to sideline farmland and food security.
https://theijf.org/datacentres-farmland-risks
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Phoenix pay, ArriveCan, and now, Benefits Delivery Modernization. Beyond their problems, these contracts have each funnelled millions to US tech companies (whether directly, like with IBM, or indirectly through cloud services). Wonder what
#CDNtech
thinks about this?
thewalrus.ca/ottawa-tech-...
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Ottawa’s Tech Strategy Is So Broken, Even Consultants Are Begging Us to Fix It | The Walrus
How the country became a cautionary tale in building government software
https://thewalrus.ca/ottawa-tech-strategy-is-broken/
6 months ago
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Did Gottesman, Kitaev, and Preskill walk so
#Xanadu
could run? (only quantum nerds will get this one. story in thread!)
6 months ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
6 months ago
#WebSummitVancouver
was worth "every penny." Plus: BetaKit repeats as General Excellence winner at SABEW Canada Awards; Jim Balsillie calls on Ottawa to prioritize
#stablecoins
; Cohere's Ivan Zhang urges customers to focus on ROI; and more Canadian
#VC
conversations.
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Web Summit Vancouver was worth “every penny”
Plus: BetaKit is SABEW Canada's Best in Business (again).
https://betakit.com/web-summit-vancouver-was-worth-every-penny/
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
6 months ago
A new BDC Capital (
@bdc-ca.bsky.social
) report urges a "collective wake-up call" for domestic
#VC
investment as CVCA conference Invest Canada kicks off in Calgary.
#CDNtech
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Canadian VCs arrive at annual industry gathering in need of a “wake-up call”
Venture leaders publicly grapple with weak performance and uncertain future ahead of CVCA Invest Canada conference.
https://betakit.com/canadian-vcs-arrive-at-annual-industry-gathering-in-need-of-a-wake-up-call/
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BetaKit (
@betakit.com
) bopped around Alberta this week, hitting up Inventures in Calgary and Upper Bound in Edmonton.
7 months ago
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More news out of
#KW
: Velocity Fund II, the first
#VC
fund with backing from a Canadian university endowment, has secured a first close of $10 million USD of its $25 million USD target.
7 months ago
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I spoke with Adrien Côté about his tenure at
@uwaterloo.ca
's Velocity incubator, and how students are revitalizing the KW ecosystem. “This is the most energy and the most engagement that we’ve had—ever—in Velocity’s history."
betakit.com/outgoing-vel...
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Outgoing Velocity incubator head Adrien Côté is bullish on Waterloo’s tech future
Velocity’s interim director says the university’s emerging startup community is “growing exponentially.”
https://betakit.com/outgoing-velocity-incubator-head-adrien-cote-is-bullish-on-waterloos-tech-future/
7 months ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
genna
7 months ago
I've been looking forward to this story since Miles posted about working on it. This is one reason why it's incredibly dangerous and irresponsible to put turn AI on by default in products people use every day
www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
add a skeleton here at some point
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
7 months ago
Cleantech company Exterra hopes to open Québec asbestos mitigation plant by 2027.
#MTLtech
#CDNtech
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Exterra secures $20-million Series A to turn mining byproducts into decarbonization gold
Cleantech company hopes to open Québec asbestos mitigation plant by 2027.
https://betakit.com/exterra-secures-20-million-series-a-to-turn-mining-byproducts-into-decarbonization-gold/
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OpenText is the latest Canadian tech company to make
#AI
use a baseline expectation for all employees. As part of an expanded optimization plan, it's also cutting 1,600 roles.
7 months ago
1
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
Alex Riehl
7 months ago
Why is cooler shit happening in the Habs-Caps series than the battle of Ontario
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
7 months ago
In the aftermath of a Liberal victory,
#CDNtech
leaders are pushing for follow-through on innovation promises.
#CDNpoli
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“Hard work lies ahead”: Canadian tech leaders strike urgent tone on policy asks following Liberal victory
Domestic procurement, boosting business investment key issues for Carney government, industry groups say.
https://betakit.com/hard-work-lies-ahead-canadian-tech-leaders-strike-urgent-tone-on-policy-asks-following-liberal-victory/
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Google for Startups is going all-in on
#AI
, from the focus of its accelerators to a rebrand of its Founder Fridays events.
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Latest Google for Startups Accelerator cohort makes AI de facto entry requirement
Montréal-based companies lead the pack of B2B SaaS startups selected for 10-week program.
https://betakit.com/latest-google-for-startup-accelerator-cohort-makes-ai-de-facto-entry-requirement/
8 months ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
8 months ago
Yoshua Bengio's fellow Turing Award winner Geoffrey Hinton said big tech companies should pay more for their AI training data at
#DiscoveryX
in Toronto.
#CDNtech
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Yoshua Bengio warns of “catastrophic risks” of agentic AI at World Summit AI
Deep neural networks trailblazer recommends building non-agentic AI programs without goals of their own.
https://betakit.com/yoshua-bengio-warns-of-catastrophic-risks-of-agentic-ai-at-world-summit-ai/
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Microsoft's CEO thinks Copilot + AI agents will broaden entrepreneurs' ambition. Nadella’s ambition, of course, is that this generation’s startups continue using Microsoft products and justify its exorbitant investments in AI...read more in my first newsletter for BetaKit.
add a skeleton here at some point
8 months ago
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
8 months ago
Canadian founders face rising costs, wasted time ahead of trade war escalation
#CDNtech
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Canadian founders face rising costs, wasted time ahead of trade war escalation
Entrepreneurs share biggest sources of uncertainty, from supply chain change-ups to currency fluctuations.
https://betakit.com/canadian-founders-face-rising-costs-wasted-time-ahead-of-trade-war-escalation/
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reposted by
Madison McLauchlan
BetaKit
9 months ago
Is it Canada’s turn for a
#DeepSeek
moment?
@Cohere.com
says its latest model offers maximum performance with minimal compute.
#CDNtech
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Cohere says Command A model edges out LLM competition in speed and energy efficiency
New enterprise AI model outperforms DeepSeek, ChatGPT on several enterprise-specific tasks, company says.
https://betakit.com/cohere-says-command-a-model-edges-out-llm-competition-in-speed-and-energy-efficiency/
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