Here’s what happened in tech yesterday.
1. Ontario will allow over-the-counter hearing aids
Ontario plans to let adults with mild hearing loss buy hearing aids without a prescription, which opens the door to earbuds like AirPods Pro being used as hearing aids. Read the full story
Why it matters: Earbuds people already own could stand in for an expensive first hearing aid.
2. Ottawa details its $750 million in VC money
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said $675 million of the envelope targets later-stage companies and $75 million goes to pre-seed and seed, BetaKit reports. A separate $1-billion fund-of-funds program opened for applications.
Why it matters: It’s aimed squarely at the Series B gap, where Canadian startups tend to stall or sell.
3. 1Password passes $500 million USD in annual revenue
Toronto’s 1Password says its annual recurring revenue topped $500 million USD (about $702 million CAD), with demand for securing AI agents driving faster growth, BetaKit reports.
Why it matters: “Passwords for AI agents” is turning into a real business.
4. Neo Financial lines up $185 million
ATB Financial and four credit unions are backing a $185-million credit line for Neo’s card lending. Read the full story
Why it matters: It’s a vote of confidence from Canadian lenders after a rough year for Neo.
5. CRTC approves Bell’s new roaming rules
The updated wholesale tariff adds negotiation and arbitration terms for smaller carriers that roam on Bell’s network. Read the full story
Why it matters: Cheaper roaming deals help regional carriers compete on price.
6. Freedom Mobile boosts Manitoba plans
New Manitoba plans start at $40 for 125GB, ahead of Freedom building its own network there, starting in Winnipeg. Read the full story
Why it matters: A carrier with its own towers competes harder on price.
One more thing: Two e-commerce companies that sold furniture online, Burnaby’s Cymax and Toronto’s CommerceBear, have reportedly shut down. Read the full story
