Canada’s tech sector saw momentum this week, with announcements spanning venture capital and quantum computing, as well as global policy leadership news out of the G7 summit.
Axl on a mission to retain Canadian innovation
On Tuesday (June 17), Axl, a newly founded Canadian venture studio, announced plans to help launch 50 artificial intelligence (AI) companies in Canada over the next five years, supported by a C$15 million fund led by co-founder Daniel Wigdor, a computer science professor at the University of Toronto.
The venture’s other founders are Tovi Grossman, another University of Toronto professor, entrepreneur Ray Sharma and former Telus (TSX:T,NYSE:TU) executive David Sharma. Mining magnate Rob McEwen of McEwen Mining (TSX:MUX,NYSE:MUX) and Smart Technologies co-founder David Martin are also investors.
According to Wigdor, Axl will tackle practical business problems and connect them with promising academic research in a bid to keep Canadian innovation at home. “The social contract academics believe we have with society is that we invent these technologies and inspire people,” he told the Globe and Mail on Tuesday. “The tragedy is that the foundational technologies we’re inventing in Canada are not accruing capital for Canada.’
Wigdor pointed to his own career as a cautionary tale, explaining that the iPhone’s multi-touch interface was presaged by research he conducted in the early 2000s for his University of Toronto thesis, which itself built on concepts pioneered by University of Toronto professor Bill Buxton in the 1980s.
Other University of Toronto AI breakthroughs fueled the international rise of figures like Geoffrey Hinton, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and xAI’s Jimmy Ba, all of whom took their expertise to US-based companies.
Carney talks tech leadership at G7 summit
Initiatives like Axl’s signal a proactive approach to Canada’s challenge of retaining tech talent and capitalizing on its world-class research; however, its success will hinge on broader public support.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled that fostering tech innovation at home is a priority. He told G7 leaders that driving the digital transition, led by AI and quantum computing, would be one of his top goals at the summit.
Quantum technology was reportedly discussed at length during the two day meeting, which took place in Kananaskis, Alberta. In addition, a joint statement from members released by the prime minister’s office indicates that Canada will launch the G7 GovAI Grand Challenge and host a series of Rapid Solution Labs “to develop innovative and scalable solutions to the barriers we face in adopting AI in the public sector.”
That emphasis echoes longstanding concerns from the research community.
A 2024 letter acquired by the Logic and sent to then-innovation minister François-Philippe Champagne by the Quantum Advisory Council cites the significant sums that other countries have invested in quantum technology.
“The cost of inaction is tremendous,” the group wrote at the time, pointing to Canada’s history of “inventing core technologies,” but letting other countries “grow industries around our inventions.”
The council proposed a C$1 billion program that would mirror the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), which fosters domestic quantum computing in the US. The QBI has selected 18 companies for its first phase, including three from Canada; firms that demonstrate the ability to build a functional quantum computer by 2033 will be eligible to receive up to US$316 million, making it a potential “kingmaker” program.
The second phase of the program is set to launch in August 2025. While no relocation demands have been made, concerns exist that later-stage QBI terms could force Canadian winners to the US.
The Quantum Advisory Council said its proposed program would be run by the National Research Council, which would independently assess firms to accelerate the development of competitive domestic quantum companies.
It would build on a C$360 million national quantum strategy announced in April 2021.
The council’s recommendations include increased grants for scientific and social science research into quantum technologies, and a new federal clusters program to foster regional quantum ecosystems encompassing research, development and training, alongside ethical and secure use. It also calls for significant investment in quantum-safe software certification and the development of other security systems.
In a speech at the Quantum Now conference in Montreal on Thursday (June 19), Canada’s AI minister, Evan Solomon, emphasized the need to protect Canada’s talent pipeline. “We cannot allow short-term funding opportunities to hollow out our domestic capabilities or transfer generations of Canadian innovation outside our borders,” he said.
Earlier this month, the minister said he would move away from “over-indexing on warnings and regulation” and instead focus on finding ways to unleash the economic potential of AI. The ongoing collaboration between government initiatives and private ventures will be key to unlocking Canada’s full potential in the new digital era.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.