Canadian lawmakers prepare to pursue internet-related legislation next week, a Canadian Google executive has cautioned that such proposals could dramatically worsen people’s online experiences, per The Globe and Mail. Toronto-based startup BenchSci raised US$50 million to expand its AI-enabled platform that makes drug research less of a hassle. activist investors that have built stakes in consumer goods giant Unilever, Kohls and Peloton are now pushing for corporate changes to improve performanc...
Jan 25, 2022•11 min
Desperate for cattle feed, Canadian farmers are importing record amounts of corn from the US. Prices of bitcoin and ethereum, the two largest cryptocurrencies by market cap, have dropped by 23% and around 35% since the start of the year. Intel announced it would spend US$20 billion to build a new semiconductor manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio as part of a broader industry-wide effort to alleviate a chip shortage that has disrupted swathes of the economy (and made it such a pain to get a new...
Jan 24, 2022•10 min
Canadian and US trucking industries are grappling with driver shortages, straining already-fragile supply chains. Facebook’s parent company Meta could be making its first foray into the non-fungible token (NFT) market. Amazon will open its first physical clothing store in Los Angeles later this year. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Jan 21, 2022•10 min
Show Notes: Toronto-based password manager 1Password raised US$620 million round, marking the largest round raised by a Canadian company. In another effort to rein in the US’ biggest tech companies, the White House is weighing support for the bipartisan American Innovation and Choice Online Act, a bill designed to stop big tech companies from stifling competition. Energy consumption around bitcoin mining is gaining more attention, with a top EU financial regulator calling for an outright ban on ...
Jan 20, 2022•10 min
Pen maker Bic has announced a deal to buy Toronto-based temporary tattoo startup Inkbox for US$65 million. Microsoft has agreed to acquire game publisher Activision Blizzard, bringing together the two video game forces to create the world’s third-biggest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and PlayStation maker Sony. Canadians’ confidence in their personal finances has dropped to a record-low, per the latest MNP Consumer Price Index. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: ...
Jan 19, 2022•10 min
Canada’ busiest airport and airlines are calling on the federal government to drop the requirement for an arrival test for vaccinated air travellers. Major brands, such as Coca-Cola and Walmart, signed a joint statement that calls for the formation of a global pact to cut down plastic waste. Stripe is helping Ford scale its e-commerce strategy, signing a five-year deal to strengthen the carmaker’s online payment process. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typ...
Jan 18, 2022•10 min
What goes up must come down, unless we’re talking about Canadian housing prices. At least that’s the conclusion we’re reached after reviewing new reports on our overheated housing market that predict rising prices well into 2022. Zara’s billionaire owner Amancio Ortega is buying Toronto skyscraper Royal Bank Plaza for over CA$1 billion. Bausch & Lomb, the Quebec-based maker of contact lenses and other eye health products filed to go public on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges.
Jan 17, 2022•9 min
The Canadian government extended the deadline for small businesses to pay back emergency loans—one of the most widely used pandemic programs for businesses. Insurers will pay over CA$2 billion to settle climate-related claims from last year. TikTok star, Charli D’Amelio makes more than top CEOs, according to Forbes’ ranking. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang a...
Jan 14, 2022•10 min
US oil prices peaked to $81 a barrel for the first time in two months, reflecting stronger consumption than many observers had expected. Saskatoon-based Vendasta Technologies announced its second acquisition since the software company dropped plans to go public in favour of financing, per The Globe and Mail. Canada’s annual pace of inflation has been hanging at around 5% in recent months, levels not seen 2003, with RBC’s CEO Dave McKay telling Bloomberg that the Bank of Canada needs to take quic...
Jan 13, 2022•9 min
Canada and Taiwan have begun trade talks in an attempt to reduce both countries’ economic dependence on China. It all started with a butt-dial... Rogers officially named Tony Staffieri CEO after a six-month interim stint in the role. Cryptocurrency exchanges that are playing by the rules are upset that Singapore-based Crypto.com is advertising in Canada, despite not being registered here. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Da...
Jan 12, 2022•10 min
BMO is tapping into pension funds for its Bank of West takeover, the largest acquisition deal led by a Canadian bank. Gaming company Take Two Interactive is buying FarmVille maker Zynga for US$12.7 billion in one of the world’s biggest gaming mergers. Taco Bell said its piloting a subscription service to order one taco a day for $10 a month. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted...
Jan 11, 2022•10 min
PM Justin Trudeau is proceeding with a vaccine mandate for truckers entering Canada, a requirement that some say will drive up prices of certain goods. Disney’s upcoming Pixar flick Turning Red will premiere on Disney Plus, instead of theatres, on March 11th. Vinyl sales overtook CD sales for the first time last year since 1991. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Cha...
Jan 10, 2022•8 min
Our housing market is heating up: Toronto and Vancouver home sales shot up 7% and 28%, respectively. The New York Times (NYT) has agreed to buy subscription-based sports site The Athletic for $550 million, helping expand the NYT’s digital offerings. France hit Google and Facebook with over $216 million in fines for flouting privacy rules. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by...
Jan 07, 2022•9 min
The world’s biggest NFT marketplace OpenSea raised $300 million to a $13.3 billion valuation. Staffing shortages from Omicron are straining supply chains across Canada. 2021 was a strong run for the oil and gas bulls. And looking ahead to 2022, some of the sector’s biggest backers are already happy with what they’re seeing. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang an...
Jan 06, 2022•11 min
Apple became the first $3 trillion company on Monday. Canada took an L in the first ever ruling by a USMCA panel. Volkswagen, GM, and Mercedes are drawing up plans to compete with Tesla. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Jan 05, 2022•10 min
Ontario’s heading back into lockdown again to fight the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Say it ain’t so but today, many of BlackBerry’s phones will stop working as the company decommissions a number of devices. Over two thirds of Norwegian car sales in last year were electric. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Jan 04, 2022•10 min
According to a lab study in South Africa, people who recover from the Omicron variant are better able to fight future infections from the Delta variant. Amazon made it easier for their workers to unionize through a deal with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Canada’s COVID Alert App is looking like a bit of a flop. It was only used 869 times in November, a period in which Ontario alone had 18,900 confirmed cases. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepe...
Jan 03, 2022•9 min
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rejected Apple’s pleas to block three activist shareholder resolutions. The feds expanded benefits for workers and businesses, after provinces re-introduced tougher restrictions to combat the omicron variant of COVID. Companies and governments are growing concerned over the Log4j security vulnerability. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. ...
Dec 23, 2021•10 min
NASA will launch the James Webb Space Telescope from South America on Friday. One of the biggest challenges to the EV boom will be building enough charging stations. The NHL became the first major American sports league to temporarily shutdown because of COVID. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Dec 22, 2021•10 min
TikTok is pilot testing a delivery service in the U.S. for some its most popular recipes. Montreal-based Bombardier’s stock is dropping, as a Swedish corruption investigation into the plane maker continues. Moderna’s confirmed that its booster dose offers protection against the omicron variant. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Dec 21, 2021•8 min
It may be the season of giving but it sure looks like PM Justin Trudeau is readying his government for a multi-front trade fight with the United States. Airbus ended production of the world’s largest commercial airliner, the A380, with a final delivery to Emirates. Canada’s current ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, is rumoured to be next in line to chair global mining giant Rio Tinto. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Dai...
Dec 20, 2021•10 min
The U.S. is prepared to take retaliatory action if Canada moves forward with the Digital Services Tax. Netflix cut its prices in India, its largest non-US market, by 60% in a bid to attract more users. Reddit filed to go public yesterday. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Dec 17, 2021•10 min
Former President Donald Trump's social media platform is teaming up with Toronto-based Rumble. The feds are reintroducing an advisory against non-essential travel to stop the spread of Omicron. Montreal-based biotech company Valence Discovery raised ~$11 million. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Dec 16, 2021•11 min
Pfizer released new results on their COVID-19 pills, and researchers are still concerned that Merck's pills could be too risky to administer. Winnipeg-based Skip The Dishes is expanding its grocery delivery business. Toyota is invested US-$35 billion in its electric vehicle (EV) plans. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Dec 15, 2021•10 min
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have escalated over the past week as Russian troops mobilize at the border. A tornado ripped through an Amazon warehouse over the weekend, killing six people. Vancouver-based Dapper Labs debuted a new NFT marketplace called The Warehouse with "avatar technology" company Genies. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosen...
Dec 14, 2021•12 min
Top executives and founders are selling shares in their companies at levels never before seen. U.S. data showed inflation reaching the highest level in almost 40 years. NASA launched an X-ray telescope into space last week to study black holes. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Dec 13, 2021•11 min
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) struck a US-$1 billion deal to invest in single-family homes in the U.S, the pension fund's first entry into the market. A recent report found that the average grocery bill for a family of four will jump by $966 in 2022. Credit rating firm Fitch Ratings declared Evergrande is in default after it missed deadlines for coupon payments, or the interest it owes on bonds. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/t...
Dec 10, 2021•10 min
The Ontario government is proposing changes to how it consults with Indigenous groups in the North to accelerate building a road to the Ring of Fire. Amazon Web Services (AWS) suffered an outage earlier this week, taking down thousands of Amazon's own services and other websites. Cryptocurrency executives testified before Congress yesterday. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted...
Dec 09, 2021•10 min
Canada's trade surplus jumped to $2.09 billion in October, the biggest jump since 2011. Quebec-based Medicago's COVID-19 vaccine showed promising results in its tests. Canada is expanding its federal vaccine mandates to more businesses next year. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Dec 08, 2021•11 min
Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, is stepping down from his role at the end of December. Over 60% of Canadians don't think our central bank can tame inflation. And the SEC is investigating Tesla over claims that their solar panels are defective. Celebrating something? Let us know for a shoutout here: https://thepeak.typeform.com/to/GuHjLDoa The Peak Daily is produced by 306 Media Productions. Hosted by Brett Chang and Jay Rosenthal.
Dec 07, 2021•11 min
