Published: June 28th, 2021
Global financial platform company Intuit, along with venture studio and venture capital firm Highline Beta, recently announced the launch of a new accelerator for artificial intelligence (AI)-focused startups.
Intuit Prosperity Accelerator: AI is an equity-free and challenge-based virtual five-month accelerator program designed for high-potential seed-stage startups based in North America, who have AI-driven solutions with products in the market that aim to solve financial challenges.
Applications are open until August 31, 2021, and the company says it will be selecting six to eight startups this year. Applicants who have an AI-driven solution that fits into at least one of the following three challenge areas specified by Intuit are eligible to apply:
Aifred Health among top three finalists in IBM Watson AI XPRIZE competition
Aifred Health, a Montréal-based startup that offers clinical solutions for mental health treatments using artificial intelligence (AI), has been selected as one of three finalists for the IBM Watson AI XPRIZE.
AI XPrize is a five-year competition with three judging rounds. Montréal-based Aifred Health was one of more than 700 applicants for the competition, which is aimed at encouraging the use of AI to solve challenges faced around the world.
“To be named as one of the top three global AI teams in the world is an incredible accomplishment and endorsement.”
Opinion: Before venture capital can have its full impact, it must fix its own equity issues theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Pilots over pitches: how to accelerate growth through corporate-startup collaboration
“Always be pitching” has been the startup mantra for years, and for good reason. Pitching helps improve and validate ideas, understand customers, and accelerate learning on a consistent basis, so your company can build the right product.
But over-investing in pitches has a dark side. The obsession with the perfect pitch has led to countless pitch nights, competitions, and award ceremonies, but when pitches turn into a shiny object designed to win competitions, they’re no longer focused on growth. Successful companies don’t build for the pitch; they build for traction.
Today in Funding: Potloc, Aifred Health, Kenota Health, Indiegraf
Four Canadian startups have recently announced new funding to fuel their growth. Here’s the latest on who raised, how much, from whom, and what they’ll be putting the new funds toward.
Potloc closes additional $7 million in Series A funding
Montreal-based Potloc has closed an additional $7 million CAD in Series A funding.
The startup announced the funding this week, presenting it as a total Series A investment of $20 million. The majority, $13 million of the round, was originally secured in summer 2019. A spokesperson for the company explained to BetaKit that the Series A round was done in two tranches, the $7 million, closed recently, being the second.