Nobody likes car dealerships. Technology is finally addressing this issue as a slew of Canadian startups are disrupting the space through digitization. If you’d rather do your car shopping online, there are options. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell—and even if you require financing—there are platforms available today determined to meet your needs. Some […]
Canada Drives
SCALE AI Invests $50 Million Across 12 Projects Using Artificial Intelligence to Optimize Supply Chain and More
SCALE AI this week announced a combined $50 million being invested across 12 projects in Canada, including multiple in BC. The investment and innovation hub, which accelerates adoption and integration of artificial intelligence, is designed to contribute to the development of a world-class AI ecosystem right here in Canada. Based in Montreal, the federally and […]
Vancouver Startup MintList Launches Two-Sided Online Vehicle Marketplace in BC
MintList this week officially launched “Canada’s first two-sided online vehicle marketplace.” The Vancouver startup’s platform enables consumers to sell their privately owned vehicles at auction and also buy a new or used vehicle from inventory across a network of pre-approved dealers. From start to finish, “it takes only 10 minutes for a seller to list their […]
Vancouver’s MintList Wins Software Award for ‘Tech Startup of the Year’
MintList has won a Stevie Award for Tech Startup of the Year in the Software category, marking the first Canadian company to win this award, now in its 19th annual edition. Unlike competitors Canada Drives and Clutch, MintList does not have any inventory. They have over half a billion dollars of cars waitlisted on their […]
BC-Based CEOs on How Young Entrepreneurs Can Navigate Volatile Markets
Turbulent times have arrived: A storm comprised of pandemic hysteria, inflation and recession fears, supply chain issues, spiralling housing costs, widespread layoffs—the list goes on. By 2025, half the workforce is expected to consist of Gen Z and Millennials, most of whom have never dealt with such cumulative chaos. To navigate such a volatile market, […]
Canada Drives Secures $40 Million to Expand Market, Grow Inventory
Canada Drives has raised $40 million in equity funding from Mississauga-based goeasy. The Vancouver-based online car marketplace says it will use the funding for several purposes, including: expand into new provincial markets, grow available inventory, and enhance its digital platform. In addition, Canada Drives says it will partner with goeasy to further integrate automotive financing […]
Canada Drives Launches in Saskatchewan
The average price of a used car in Canada has jumped nearly 50 per cent as brick-and-mortar dealerships struggle to maintain inventories due to the global chip shortage. This has opened it up for a new direct-to-consumer class of dealerships to stake their claim–online car dealerships. This week Canada Drives increased its lead as Canada’s […]
Canada Drives Launches New Feature to Buy Canadians’ Vehicles
Vancouver’s Canada Drives has launched a new “Sell My Car” feature. The platform provides a quote within minutes, customers can sell directly to Canada Drives or trade in their vehicle and have it picked up from their front door. Historically, Canadians would be limited online to receiving a price range for trading in their vehicle […]
Osler Venture Capital Report Shows Strong Ecosystem in Canada as Vancouver Thrives
This week National law firm Osler released its inaugural tech financings report, which combs through more than 300 technology-based venture capital equity financings from 2019 through 2021 to deliver a range of information and insight into Canada’s ecosystem. According to Osler’s Deal Points Report, Canada’s ecosystem “continues to create jobs, innovation and economic growth across […]
Technology Has Changed The Way We Shop, And The Automotive Market Needs To Keep Up
We live in an age of disruptions, and sometimes those unforeseen interruptions to our regularly scheduled program converge in curious ways. The biggest disruption in recent memory is, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a major public health crisis the world over, and its impact has been felt in just about every area […]