āIf youāre a founder in Canada, you have a playbook, which is: try to get outside of the country as soon as possible. Try to sell outside of the country.ā Raymond Luk thinks the ācultural belief weāre not good enoughā creates a homecourt disadvantage for Canadian tech. Heās trying to kickstart a solution to our nationās procurement woes with a new summit called Source Canada, so buyers and sellers can speed date. Is a cultural kick in the pants enough to get Canada to buy Canadian tech? Letās dig in. This episode of The BetaKit Podcast is brought to you by The Cyber Challenge, powered by Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and CCTXāyour startupās pathway to sales, industry connections, and non-dilutive funding. Ontarioās critical sectors depend on operational technology systems that werenāt designed for todayās cyber threats. Unlike IT, operational technology environments demand specialized solutions ā and startups can lead the way. Join our free webinar on October 24 to learn about the risks critical sectors face, and how startups can seize this opportunity. When: Friday, October 24, 2025 Time: 12 - 1PM EST | Where: Virtual (Zoom) | Cost: Free Register today at thecyberchallenge.ca. -- The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Xero: the global small businesses platform, designed to make life easier for small businessesāanywhere, any time. Running a business is demanding enough without the burden of bookkeeping. Xeroās global platform is designed to take accounting off your plate, giving you the freedom to focus on what you do best. By unifying essential tools like accounting, payroll, and payments, Xero helps you automate tasks and gain the clarity you need to make smarter decisions. Join a global community of forward-thinking businesses. Discover what Xero can do for you at:Ā https://bit.ly/42AT8iV.
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49:59
Can Canada build its own social network?
āItās one thing to say āletās do this in a sovereign way.ā It is a whole other to actually do it.ā Gander Social is attempting to do something that seemed inconceivable six months ago: build a Canadian social network. What does sovereign social media look like? And what will prevent Gander from devolving into every other social network? CEO Ben Waldman joins to answer these questions and many more. This episode of the BetaKit Podcast is brought to you by The Cyber Challengeāyour pathway to new sales, industry connections, and non-dilutive funding. The Cyber Challenge, powered by Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and CCTX, helps Ontario-based tech startups tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges. You will gain direct access to major industry players, test your solutions in real-world settings, and unlock new market opportunitiesāall at no cost. Thatās right, there is no equity required.Ā If you're ready to scale, refine, and be a leader in cybersecurity innovation, apply today atĀ www.thecyberchallenge.ca. -- The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Xero: the global small businesses platform, designed to make life easier for small businessesāanywhere, any time. Running a business is demanding enough without the burden of bookkeeping. Xeroās global platform is designed to take accounting off your plate, giving you the freedom to focus on what you do best. By unifying essential tools like accounting, payroll, and payments, Xero helps you automate tasks and gain the clarity you need to make smarter decisions. Join a global community of forward-thinking businesses. Discover what Xero can do for you at: https://bit.ly/42AT8iV.
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59:00
Are Canadian entrepreneurs willing to let their old companies die?
āDonāt talk to your customers because your customers will keep you in the place that you used to be.ā AI adoption is now an industry-wide mandate. Itās putting a lot of pressure on Canadian entrepreneurs: to scale with customer demand (safely and responsibly); to reskill employees; even to kill their old company to let the new AI-first version live. What are the challenges and opportunities? Featuring Michael Buhr (C100), Aydin Mirzaee (Fellow AI), Avery Pennarun (Tailscale), and Amanda Arciero (Airudi). Recorded live at ALL IN 2025. This episode of the BetaKit Podcast is brought to you by The Cyber Challengeāyour pathway to new sales, industry connections, and non-dilutive funding. The Cyber Challenge, powered by Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and CCTX, helps Ontario-based tech startups tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges. You will gain direct access to major industry players, test your solutions in real-world settings, and unlock new market opportunitiesāall at no cost. Thatās right, there is no equity required.Ā If you're ready to scale, refine, and be a leader in cybersecurity innovation, apply today at www.thecyberchallenge.ca.
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48:14
Tailscaleās CEO has an idea āworth billionsā for AI startups
āThatās the literal term several CISOs have used with me unprompted: āticking time bomb.ā Thereās no world in which this doesnāt explode the way itās done right now.ā Tailscale CEO Avery Pennarun thinks the AI revolution has put a gun to the head of CISOs: embrace unsafe data practices or get fired. Theyāve told him the cybersecurity risks are a āticking time bomb.ā Pennarun joins The BetaKit Podcast to explain how his company has evolved from a programmable mesh network to air traffic control for AI agents, and why he needs other startups to build new tools to make sure the planes land safely. Recorded live at ALL IN 2025. The BetaKit Podcast is presented by CADSI: the national voice of Canadaās defence, security, and emerging technology sectors, representing more than 1,000 companies from innovative SMBs to global primes.Ā CADSI advocates for a resilient and sustainable defence and security sector by engaging government, shaping policy, and strengthening Canadaās role with global partners. We create platforms that connect industry with decision-makers, foster collaboration, and reinforce Canadaās position as a reliable partner in international security. VisitĀ defenceandsecurity.caĀ to grow your defence business with CADSI.
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Why Canadaās defence tech sector is suddenly exploding
āIt actually allows us an opportunity to build sovereign capability and leapfrog to get our armed forces where they need to be by taking advantage of leapfrog Canadian technologies.ā US President Donald Trump opened his mouth and suddenly Canada needed a defence tech sector. The Icebreakerās Matthew Lombardi was conscripted by the federal government to help map that sector; he joins to explain why many of the technologies Canada currently develops have a dual use in defence. The BetaKit Podcast is presented by CADSI: the national voice of Canadaās defence, security, and emerging technology sectors, representing more than 1,000 companies from innovative SMBs to global primes.Ā CADSI advocates for a resilient and sustainable defence and security sector by engaging government, shaping policy, and strengthening Canadaās role with global partners. We create platforms that connect industry with decision-makers, foster collaboration, and reinforce Canadaās position as a reliable partner in international security. Visit defenceandsecurity.ca to grow your defence business with CADSI. Related links: āMission is a goā for Canadian defence tech Ottawaās industrial benefits policy plagued by inefficiencies, contractors say Isabelle Hudon says BDC is getting ready to support Canadaās defence tech sector in āa more aggressive wayā Ā