Tech Replace: A plan to plant 1,000,000 bushes, the DMZ heads to NYC, and accident-preventing AI -

The federal authorities is aiming to plant two billion bushes throughout Canada within the subsequent 10 years — and it’s turning to drones to assist do it.

Ottawa has tapped Flash Forest, a reforestation firm that makes use of aerial mapping software program and drones that embed seed pods.

The Toronto-based firm secured $1.3 million from the federal government to plant at the least a million bushes over the following two years.

Previous to this, Flash Forest discovered itself shut off from authorities initiatives, as a result of restrictive wording in procurement agreements that stipulates solely planting seedlings counted towards the purpose, and seed pods didn’t.

“Lots of authorities contracts aren’t written in a manner that permits for consideration of recent innovation,” says Tyler Hamilton, MaRS’ cleantech lead who has labored intently with Flash Forest. “They’re based mostly on previous examples, and it actually limits their considering.”

It’s doable to beat these hurdles, nevertheless, by educating governments and different commissioning our bodies on know-how, says Hamilton.

“It’s actually about partaking them and permitting them to take part quite than have them studying from a distance.”

The DMZ returns to N.Y.C.

Toronto Metropolitan College’s tech incubator, the DMZ, is reopening its New York Metropolis location, which shuttered throughout the pandemic. Situated in Manhattan’s monetary district, DMZ NYC will present workspace and assist companies for startups which are prepared for U.S. enlargement and seeking to meet with prospects, companions and traders. The swanky house contains a lounge, espresso bar and health studio.

Tech hub the DMZ has reopened offices in New York City to help support Canadian startups looking to expand stateside.

Digital staff are value billions to Canada — if we are able to rent them

Employees with superior digital expertise, corresponding to software program growth and cloud structure, enhance Canada’s GDP by $257 billion (U.S.)annually, in line with a new report. The draw back: 67 per cent of Canadian companies discover it tough to rent the digital staff they want. And spare a thought for firms attempting to rent expert staff in Alberta; the province’s affiliation of engineers is reportedly attempting to cease native startups from promoting job titles corresponding to “software program engineer.”

Miovision eyes U.S. enlargement

Miovision, a Kitchener, Ont. startup that makes know-how to scale back congestion in cities, has acquired Pittsburg-based Fast Circulate Applied sciences. Based in 2005, Miovision’s tech, which presents units and software program to investigate the movement of site visitors, is now in near 60 nations worldwide. That is Miovision’s second acquisition of a traffic-management software program supplier and follows its buy of Arizona-based Traffop final 12 months. Fast Circulate’s Pittsburgh workplace will change into Miovision’s fifth international location.

AI can spot accidents ready to occur

Two Ontario firms have created an AI (synthetic intelligence) platform that would assist minimize office accidents. The tech, code-named Overwatch, analyzes video feeds and flags something that enters a protecting buffer zone round harmful equipment. It might probably mechanically alert human supervisors or flip equipment off. This system was created by Kingston’s Distributive Company and Honeyvision, an Ottawa startup, working with NGen, the non-profit group main Canada’s International Innovation Cluster for Superior Manufacturing.

Cash for mortgages

The housing market could also be cooling quick, however mortgage startup Perch is sitting fairly. The Toronto-based firm has secured $4 million in Sequence A funding from traders, together with the venture-funding arm of America’s Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors. Perch permits customers to use for a house mortgage on-line and says it has facilitated greater than $100 million in mortgages so far.

Office monitoring transparency is regulation in Ontario

It’s now somewhat simpler for staff in Ontario to know whether or not their employers are protecting tabs on their computer systems. A brand new regulation has come into impact that requires firms with 25 workers or extra to have a written digital monitoring coverage. The coverage should state whether or not employers are monitoring worker computer systems, cellphones or GPS, and to what extent.

By the numbers

34 per cent: International enterprise capital funding slid by 34 per cent within the third quarter of this 12 months, in contrast with the earlier three months. Information agency CB Insights says that’s the most important quarterly drop in a decade. Ouch!

100: Ecopia, a Toronto-based startup that makes use of AI to create ultra-accurate maps, can be offering its tech to 100 Canadian cities to help in planning sustainability efforts like rooftop photo voltaic installations and enhanced flood-mapping.

$340 million: Telecommunications firm Nokia is investing $340 million to develop its new Canadian headquarters close to Ottawa. The funding will create new analysis and growth amenities and translate into greater than 340 new jobs.

Rebecca Gao writes about know-how for MaRS. Torstar, the guardian firm of the Toronto Star, has partnered with MaRS to focus on innovation in Canadian firms.

Disclaimer This content material was produced as a part of a partnership and subsequently it might not meet the requirements of neutral or impartial journalism.