The BetaKit Podcast Channel

Is BDC too big to change?

The BetaKit Podcast Channel

Show Notes

"BDC is powerful in the sense that it can make or break a fund… And a lot of people are trying to close funds right now." In 2022, the federal government commissioned a report asking Canada's VCs what they thought about Crown corporation BDC. The report was effectively forgotten, and the feedback was never actioned. Why? What did the report have to say about Canada's largest venture investor? And with Canadian VC in a multi-year lull, is BDC's "steady hand" approach preferred or simply necessary? BetaKit reporter Madison McLauchlan joins to discuss. Related Links: The feds asked investors for candid feedback on BDC. It was never actioned BDC head says bank pulled back from life sciences "too early" as it preps new VC fund BDC unveils $4-billion defence technology platform Another fund partner leaves BDC "A perfect storm": 2025 was the worst year for Canadian VC fundraising since 2016

More from The BetaKit Podcast Channel

Oct 19, 2026

"The United States economy definitely has a cold right now. And when the US sneezes, the whole world catches a cold." Economic commentator and New York Times bestselling author Kyla Scanlon joins to discuss the concerning connection between debt and the AI data centre buildout, how AI companies drive the US economy with impunity, and the impacts of AI adoption on the labour market. Related Links: Waving the AI bubble red flags Religious Scholars Met With Anthropic. What They Heard Stunned Them. -- Amid global uncertainty, the path forward is clear: Canada's moment to build is now. Presented by Uber Canada, DMZ, and National Bank of Canada, BetaKit Most Ambitious is back, telling stories of nearly 100 Canadian innovators strengthening our nation's autonomy, security, and prosperity. Read BetaKit Most Ambitious now.

Oct 12, 2026

"I think that we will look back on prediction markets the same way we look back on altcoins and … NFTs." Canada's newest FinTech unicorn also seems poised to become Canada's newest bank. In a wide-ranging interview, Koho CEO Daniel Eberhard discusses what both milestones mean for the company, the impact of international competition flooding into Canada, the possibilities of launching a telecom (!), and why Koho won't touch prediction markets. Let's dig in. -- Amid global uncertainty, the path forward is clear: Canada's moment to build is now. Presented by Uber Canada, DMZ, and National Bank of Canada, BetaKit Most Ambitious is back, telling stories of nearly 100 Canadian innovators strengthening our nation's autonomy, security, and prosperity. Read BetaKit Most Ambitious now.

Oct 5, 2026

"Transformative technology doesn't become transformative when we invent it. It becomes transformative when we adopt it." AI and quantum are two potentially transformative technologies at very different stages of development. Leaders from Xanadu (Nikki Bhatia), Nord Quantique (Marc-Antoine Lemonde), IonQ (Lisa Lambert), and CGI (Chris Juryn) discuss where they intersect live on stage at ALL IN 2026. -- Amid global uncertainty, the path forward is clear: Canada's moment to build is now. Presented by Uber Canada, DMZ, and National Bank of Canada, BetaKit Most Ambitious is back, telling stories of nearly 100 Canadian innovators strengthening our nation's autonomy, security, and prosperity. Read BetaKit Most Ambitious now.

Sep 28, 2026

"I think—and I hope I'm right—that we can build the next OpenAI, or Anthropic, or world model here in Canada." Mila entrepreneur-in-residence Alex Shee joins to explain the cultural shift among academic institutions toward supporting the entrepreneurial journeys of locally trained AI scientists and the "generational opportunity" it could create for Canada. Recorded live at ALL IN 2026. -- Amid global uncertainty, the path forward is clear: Canada's moment to build is now. Presented by Uber Canada, DMZ, and National Bank of Canada, BetaKit Most Ambitious is back, telling stories of nearly 100 Canadian innovators strengthening our nation's autonomy, security, and prosperity. Read BetaKit Most Ambitious now.

Sep 18, 2026

"We're focused on 'the future of', so that gives us a lot more liberty of the type of speakers we can book." Elevate is the type of tech festival that plays host to everyone from Akon to Al Gore to Michelle Obama. This year, Kyle Lowry—The Greatest Raptor of All Time—will take the stage. CEO and co-founder Lisa Zarzeczny joins to share lessons learned and funny stories from a near-decade of Elevate, alongside how she has modified the program to address the pressing questions facing Canada today. -- Amid global uncertainty, the path forward is clear: Canada's moment to build is now. Presented by Uber Canada, DMZ, and National Bank of Canada, BetaKit Most Ambitious is back, telling stories of nearly 100 Canadian innovators strengthening our nation's autonomy, security, and prosperity. Read BetaKit Most Ambitious now.

See all episodes →