TechDay Canada

Nvidia is adding a GeForce RTX 5080-powered GeForce NOW server in Toronto, expanding its cloud gaming infrastructure in Canada. The server is set to roll out within days, bringing GeForce NOW closer to users in the region. Ultimate members will be able to access the service on PCs, Macs, handheld devices, mobile phones and televisions. The Toronto expansion marks another step in Nvidia's effort to broaden the reach of its subscription cloud gaming platform.

Lumber has launched in Canada, expanding its construction workforce management software into a market facing skilled labour shortages. The company is targeting Canadian contractors with tools for payroll, human resources, time tracking, compliance and site productivity. The system is designed around Canadian federal and provincial employment rules, as well as union requirements common in the construction sector.

BCIT has launched the Digital Twin Innovation Hub, a new applied research facility designed to support testing of infrastructure technologies in a simulated environment. Operated by the BCIT Smart Microgrid Applied Research Team, the hub is intended to let industry partners, researchers, and students assess technologies before they are introduced into live systems.

FintechWerx has agreed to acquire the Ruby Loans lending platform from 1431575 B.C. Ltd. in a deal valued at up to CAD $825,000. The technology is aimed at small and medium-sized business lending. It is designed to let borrowers initiate credit enquiries while automating parts of the loan origination process.

AHOY has formed a strategic partnership with Will Be Live to expand its presence in North America. Will Be Live will work with AHOY's leadership team on enterprise engagement, strategic partnerships, channel development, and the creation of a reseller network for AHOY's Physical AI and sovereign infrastructure products. Based in Montreal, AHOY says its technology is already used in transportation, aviation, utilities, government, logistics, and enterprise settings across dozens of countries.

Lightworks, Scotiabank, Sun Life and Telus have launched the AI Consortium, a group of large regulated organisations in Canada. The consortium is designed to enable members to jointly build and govern AI infrastructure they would otherwise build separately, while each participant retains perpetual use and ownership rights over the resulting intellectual property for its own deployment.

Wagepoint and Xero have introduced an enhanced payroll and accounting integration for Canadian small businesses, building on their existing partnership. The update allows payroll data from Wagepoint, including wages, taxes, deductions and benefits, to flow automatically into Xero. It also adds single sign-on, letting users access Wagepoint with their Xero credentials and move between the two systems more easily.

TD Asset Management and iCapital Canada have launched a Canadian investment vehicle tied to a global real estate strategy for eligible accredited investors. It is the second TD Asset Management private markets strategy introduced in Canada through iCapital Canada. The vehicle gives Canadian accredited investors access to a real estate strategy managed by TD Asset Management and extends the firm's existing private markets distribution partnership.

Haventree Bank has launched a direct-to-consumer digital bank in Canada, adding deposit products to a business previously known for alternative mortgages distributed through brokers. The new offering includes an Everyday Growth Account and guaranteed investment certificates, or GICs. The account pays 2.50% interest, has no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirement. The bank is entering the consumer deposit market as households face pressure on budgets and savings plans.

Canadians are spending more on groceries and increasingly using pay-later services to manage those costs, according to KOHO's latest Grocery Gap Report, based on spending data from more than 173,000 members across Canada. Average grocery spending per user rose about 5% year on year to $275 a month from $261, reflecting both larger basket sizes and more frequent trips to food shops.