This week Canada Drives announced plans to restructure its business operations to better prepare the company for success. Since 2020, Canadians have been able to buy their car completely online through the Vancouver-based car dealership. While the response from customers was strong, the rising costs of holding inventory, amongst other headwinds, has made this specific […]
Canada Drives
How Innovative Startups Are Using Artificial Intelligence Across Sectors in BC
The Artificial Intelligence Network of British Columbia launched in 2019 to “unify, organize, and catalyze the AI and Machine Learning communities in British Columbia.” The institution’s founding vision was to make B.C. a worldwide hub for Artificial Intelligence by 2022. Did it happen? If not quite yet, the province is surely close. Given the recent permeation […]
Canada Drives Secures $10 Million To Continue Expansion Into New Markets
Since launching its online car shopping and to-your-door delivery platform in 2020, Canada Drives has expanded from British Columbia to Ontario, Alberta, and most recently, Saskatchewan in May. To continue on their expansion journey into new markets across Canada, Canada Drives has raised $10 million in equity funding from existing strategic investors. This additional funding […]
The BC Guide to Buying and Selling Your Car Online
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 […]
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 […]