Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this edition:
Exro’s CEO steps down
The Founder Mindset kicks off season 3
A local AI startup is tackling the mortgage process
Have a great day. We'll see you again next week.
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Toast Summit lineup challenges tech's status quo
Calgary's Toast Summit is back for year three on September 25, and this year's speaker lineup promises to shake up some conventional thinking about how decisions get made in tech. Google's Anna Baird will lead a panel exploring when gut instinct beats data analysis, bringing together leaders from ATB, PwC, and Helcim who've made big calls based on intuition rather than spreadsheets. The summit will also put a spotlight on women who are literally rewriting the rules in their industries—think Stathletes co-founder Meghan Chayka turning sports analytics on its head, and Barbet's Andrea Grand building a beverage brand that's become a cultural movement.
Another compelling conversation will feature Farkhunda Muhtaj, the former Afghanistan women's national team captain who helped evacuate the country's youth players during the 2021 Taliban takeover and now plays for Calgary Wild FC. She'll sit down with The51's Courtney Dragani to talk about leading through impossible situations. But perhaps the day's most eye-opening moment will be the return of "Men in Tech: Dad Edition"—a panel that flips the script by asking male executives from Redbrick and Platform Calgary the kind of personal, irrelevant questions that women routinely face in professional settings.
The summit wraps up with a formal gala celebrating the Toast Top 25 Women in Tech winners from across Canada. Throughout the day, sessions will dig into everything from why purpose-driven companies are crushing their competition to how leaders can actually walk the talk on inclusion. With its signature gender pay gap pricing still in place, the event continues to practice what it preaches about creating more equitable workplaces in Canada's tech scene.
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🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships
Ultimarii secures $5.2M to speed Canada’s major project approvals. Co-founded by technology entrepreneur Josh Malate, formerly of Athennian, and Doug Schweitzer, Alberta’s former Minister of Justice and Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation, Ultimarii is tackling one of the country’s toughest challenges: the slow pace of regulatory approval. Calgary.Tech
Tetra secures $10M from banks and fintechs to launch Canadian stablecoin. With an aim to launch the stablecoin in 2026, Tetra’s move marks a first in Canada. Fintech.ca
Cellar Insights raises seed to save potatoes. Calgary’s AgTech scene notched another win this week as Cellar Insights announced the close of an oversubscribed seed round to scale its AI-powered storage platform. Calgary.Tech
📰 Need To Know
Exro Technologies CEO resigns as stock price plummets. Sue Ozdemir has resigned as CEO of the Calgary-based electric vehicle (EV) tech firm Exro Technologies shortly after laying off 60 employees to save cash. Betakit
The Founder Mindset is set to launch Season 3 on September 16. This season we’re featuring conversations with founders from Vancouver to Halifax. The theme remains the same… what is it REALLY like to build a company from that first big idea? Thin Air Labs
BDO Canada’s VC Pitch Day is here. This premiere event is your chance to gain targeted feedback about your business, connect with other entrepreneurs in the ecosystem, and potentially raise the capital needed to grow your company. BDO Canada
Calgary AI startup launches tech to solve ‘document chaos’ for the mortgage industry. The most painful part of the mortgage process—document review—hasn’t changed in decades, with brokers and lenders wasting time on paperwork. Calgary.Tech
Digitizing homeownership: Virtuo tackles housing challenges with OCIF support. Calgary-based Virtuo is making it easier for people to get into their homes by leveraging smart technology and strategic partnerships to streamline the home purchasing and ownership journey. Calgary Economic Development
Alberta Innovates supports Aqua-Cell as startup advances saltwater battery tech. As global electricity demand increases, vast volumes of energy storage will be needed to support grid infrastructure to maintain stable supply. Calgary.Tech
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