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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Boast</title> <atom:link href="https://boast.ai/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://boast.ai/</link> <description>R&D Tax Credits, R&D Intelligence | Boast</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 11:16:43 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2</generator> <image> <url>https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Logo-Mark-Color-WEB-150x150.png</url> <title>Boast</title> <link>https://boast.ai/</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height></image> <item> <title>Canada’s Budget 2024: The highs ($600 million to SR&ED) and lows (Capital Gains, open banking)</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/canadas-budget-2024-the-highs-600-million-to-sred-and-lows-capital-gains-open-banking/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:32:14 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SR&ED]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Capital Gains]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[open banking]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ottawa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sr&ed]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[tax credits]]></category> <category><![CDATA[txes]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=323398</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Canada’s Budget 2024 was met with what can diplomatically be described as a mixed bag of reactions when it dropped last Tuesday.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/canadas-budget-2024-the-highs-600-million-to-sred-and-lows-capital-gains-open-banking/">Canada’s Budget 2024: The highs ($600 million to SR&ED) and lows (Capital Gains, open banking)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Canada’s Budget 2024 was met with what can diplomatically be described as a mixed bag of reactions when it <a href="https://budget.canada.ca/2024/report-rapport/toc-tdm-en.html">dropped last Tuesday</a>.</p> <p>While many of the spending commitments outlined were as expected—$23 billion towards housing and infrastructure, and even $2.4 billion toward boosting homegrown AI innovation—policy changes (or a lack thereof) drew ire across the tech community. </p> <p>For starters, the news landed at the height of the <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/boast-at-innovatewest-2024-funding-and-fun-on-the-floor-in-vancouver/">INNOVATEwest conference in Vancouver</a>, where many of the founders, funders and ecosystem partners on hand were baffled by both the continued delays to open banking as well as new Capital Gains taxes. </p> <p>But buried within much of the disappointment were a few bright spots, including more than $600 million committed toward enhancing Canada’s banner Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program over the next four years.</p> <p>In addition to that, The Department of Finance also included $3.5 billion in new strategic research grants and more than $2 billion in scholarships targeting cutting-edge technologies—features the government has been <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2024/04/budget-2024-empowering-young-entrepreneurs.html">touting with a string of news releases</a> to combat the bad press in response to last week’s announcement. </p> <p>Still, potential SR&ED recipients remain frustrated with the pace of consultations, which will enter a second phase as part of the Budget 2024. This comes as the first phase of SR&ED consultations wrapped last week, a process that had already been delayed following Budget 2022.</p> <p>We’ll unpack what the line items of the latest budget mean for funding innovation, how leaders in our own innovation community are parsing the news, and strategies for driving innovation in any market. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" alt="About: Canada’s Budget 2024: The highs ($600 million to SR&ED) and lows (Capital Gains, open banking)" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1675779757-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-323414" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1675779757-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1675779757-300x200.jpg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1675779757-768x512.jpg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1675779757.jpg 1254w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Canadian Flag flies in full in front of the Parliament of Canada, the Peace Tower is seen in the background on a cloudy day in Ottawa.</figcaption></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Will delays to open banking hurt Canada’s global standing?</h2> <p>Despite being one of the strongest economies in the world, Canada remains the only G7 nation yet to establish a formal open banking system as of Budget 2024. While the budget allocated $1 million to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) to oversee the creation of an open banking framework, there were no clear deadlines on when new policies could come into effect. </p> <p>Implementing open banking has been a budget priority for the Liberal government since <a href="https://betakit.com/federal-fall-economic-statement-promises-to-expand-payments-canada-eligibility-introduce-open-banking-legislation-in-2024/">at least Budget 2018</a> when it was first promised, with many hoping Budget 2024 would finally signal a course change. </p> <p>This was a serious pain point during the Unlocking a Data Driven Economy breakout session at INNOVATEwest, where moderator Michelle Beyo, CEO & Founder of Finavator Inc., emphasized that Canada is notably behind other economies in launching open banking in particular. </p> <p>“Brazil even has us beat; they launched their own open banking framework in one year back in 2021 and hit 5 million connected accounts in less than 12 months,” Beyo explained, before listing other nations that have seen success adopting open banking. </p> <figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323402" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3985-1024x768.jpg" alt="Panel of finance experts at InnovateWest 2024 discussing the recent Budget 2024 announcement." class="wp-image-323402" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3985-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3985-300x225.jpg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3985-768x576.jpg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3985-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3985-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323406" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3982-1024x768.jpg" alt="Slide share of Panel of finance experts at InnovateWest 2024 discussing the recent Budget 2024 announcement." class="wp-image-323406" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3982-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3982-300x225.jpg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3982-768x576.jpg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3982-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3982-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323399" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3994-1024x768.jpg" alt="Miriam Dong from Boast AI joining Panel of finance experts at InnovateWest 2024 discussing the recent Budget 2024 announcement." class="wp-image-323399" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3994-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3994-300x225.jpg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3994-768x576.jpg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3994-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3994-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></figure> <p>The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) <a href="https://www.canadianinnovators.org/content/cci-response-to-the-2024-federal-budget">were optimistic by the steps taken in the budget</a>, however, and despite there being no firm timeline defined by Budget 2024 for an open banking launch, Nick Schiavo, CCI Director of Federal Affairs saw the announcement as welcome news.</p> <p>“Taking tangible steps forward on open banking is welcome news. Canada has incredible financial innovators, and with the appropriate regulatory framework in place, the sky’s the limit for improved financial services for citizens. The devil is in the details, but in today’s announcement we see a government tangibly moving forward with open banking, and that’s good news,” Schiavo said in a statement.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Capital Gains tax riles Canadian tech leaders</h2> <p>There were far fewer silver linings in immediate response to the new Capital Gains tax rules outlined by Budget 2024, however. </p> <p>Effective June 25, 2024, individuals earning more than $250,000 CAD will see the inclusion rate on capital gains jump from 50 percent to 66 percent.</p> <p>ALL capital gains from businesses and trust will similarly be increased from one-half to two-thirds, while the lifetime capital gains exemption will be raised from $1 million CAD to $1.25 million CAD.</p> <p>The budget also included a new Canadian Entrepreneurs’ Incentive, which reduces the inclusion rate to 33 percent on a lifetime maximum of $2 million CAD worth of eligible capital gains. To achieve this, the model will increase by $200,000 annually (beginning in 2024) until topping out at $2 million in 10 years (2034). </p> <p>While the new measures are estimated to immediately bring in almost $20 million in revenue for the government over the next 5 years, many leaders in the Canadian tech community fear the costs will be too high. </p> <p>One such consequence of the increase in Capital Gains taxation is that VCs may ultimately choose to invest outside of Canada where Capital Gains taxes are lower—which would have a disastrous impact on the innovation community across the country.</p> <p>This could cause a cascading “brain drain” into the United States with less VC funding to go around in Canada, as founders instead seek <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/why-where-you-incorporate-your-startup-matters-for-funding/">incorporation in places like Delaware</a> to take advantage of the more favorable business tax landscape.</p> <p>“This measure, which effectively taxes innovation and risk-taking, will significantly dampen Canada’s entrepreneurial spirit, stifle economic growth in critical sectors of our economy, and impact job creation. Such policy change undermines Canada’s position to attract the talent needed to grow and scale companies here,” <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/kim-furlong-capital-gains-tax-hike-signals-canadas-lack-of-business-ambition">Kim Furlong</a>, CEO of the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kimfurlong_todays-2024-federal-budget-announcement-activity-7186116084998062081-ck7b?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop">said on LinkedIn.</a> </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Support for VCs and renewed interest in AI</h2> <p>While the VC community is understandably upset by the Capital Gains tax news, Budget 2024 did include $200 million over two years toward the <a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/sme-research-statistics/en/venture-capital-catalyst-initiative">Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative</a> (VCCI), a Covid-era initiative aimed at helping entrepreneurs, startups and scale ups “become the next generation of Canadian anchor companies.”</p> <p>Although the VCCI targets emerging businesses, however, there are fears that it will do little to support growth-phase businesses as they increase their capital gains and enter new tax brackets.</p> <p>Ben Bergen, president of <a href="https://www.canadianinnovators.org/">Council of Canadian Innovators</a>, echoes these concerns in his own statements responding to Budget 2024, emphasizing that capital gains will do “irreparable harm” to Canada’s innovation ecosystem by ultimately penalizing success. </p> <p>“The fact of the matter is that the best way to boost revenue for the government is to drive economic growth and productivity gains, and the best possible way to do that is by championing the success of Canada’s homegrown innovators,” Bergen’s statement reads.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Funding your growth at any stage</h2> <p>As a team of innovators, founders and technologists in our own right, we at Boast strive to give members of our global tech community as much access to the innovation capital they deserve to see their ideas take lift.</p> <p>This includes working with business leaders at all stages of their journey to tap into non-dilutive funding programs—including SR&ED—to stretch the investments their already making into R&D and product development further than ever before. </p> <p>So when storm clouds seem to be gathering in response to news around the federal government’s stance on funding innovation, your partners and friends at Boast are here to help you navigate (and capitalize on) whatever the market has in store.</p> <p>Fortunately, the latest budget didn’t substantially impact the generosity of the SR&ED program, which enables any CCPC driving truly unique innovation to recoup a share of their research and development investments and continue driving market differentiation—and ultimately achieving growth. </p> <p>Best of all? Boast makes it easier than any other tax credit solution to maximize your claim values without putting a heavy burden on your team. We’ve helped more than 1,500 companies across North America complete more than 4,500+ successful claims—all with an industry-leading audit rate and only 5 hours of commitment from customers on average. </p> <p>To learn more about what sets Boast apart, <a href="https://boast.ai/talktous/">talk to an expert</a> on our team today. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Budget 2024 FAQ</h2> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>What?</strong></td><td><strong>Why?</strong></td><td><strong>Who is impacted?</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Capital Gains tax adjustment</strong><br><br><strong><em>Individuals</em></strong> earning more than $250,000 CAD will see the inclusion rate on capital gains jump from half to two-thirds.<br><br><strong><em>Businesses </em></strong>and trust will similarly be increased from 50% to roughly 66%, while the lifetime capital gains exemption will be increased from $1 million CAD to $1.25 million CAD.</td><td>Arguably, the new framework makes Canada’s tax system “more fair” for startups, while bringing in almost $20 billion in revenue over the next 5 years. </td><td>According to the tech community, innovators and investors who are willing to put capital into new businesses. <br><br>VCs may also ultimately choose to invest outside of Canada where Capital Gains taxes are lower—impacting the innovation community across the country.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Open banking launch date still not defined. </strong><br></td><td>Despite being one of the strongest economies in the world, Canada remains the only G7 nation yet to establish a formal open banking system as of Budget 2024.<br><br>$1 million was granted to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) to oversee the creation of an open banking framework.</td><td>Canada and Canadians, as the country continues to lag behind global peers in supporting payments, fintech and innovative banking practices. </td></tr><tr><td><strong>$600 million to SR&ED </strong>over the next 4 years. This includes the launch of Phase 2 of SR&ED consultations. </td><td>The government has continued to seek guidance from business leaders on how to enhance the banner R&D tax credit, but remains non-specific on actual action items. </td><td>The consultations should be a boon for all CCPCs, assuming funding continues to be offered at least commensurate with current levels. <br><br>Still, timelines for changes and learnings to date haven’t been shared by federal leaders running consultations so far. </td></tr><tr><td><strong>$200 million to VCCI</strong></td><td>The government will continue to support it’s Covid-era VC fund to help startups and scaleups bring their innovations to reality, despite otherwise tight lending or funding markets. </td><td>Canada’s VC ecosystem, as well as startups, who will all benefit from the capital injection through funds-of-funds and direct investments. </td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/canadas-budget-2024-the-highs-600-million-to-sred-and-lows-capital-gains-open-banking/">Canada’s Budget 2024: The highs ($600 million to SR&ED) and lows (Capital Gains, open banking)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>What The Tech Episode 43: “Collaborative Commerce” with Daryl Hatton of ConnectionPoint</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-43-collaborative-commerce-with-daryl-hatton-of-connectionpoint/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 21:04:37 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Customer Success Stories]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Podcasts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[collaborative commerce]]></category> <category><![CDATA[crowdfunding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[entrepreneurs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[financing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[philanthropy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category> <category><![CDATA[quickfund]]></category> <category><![CDATA[R&D]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[tax credits]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=323381</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>ConnectionPoint Founder and CEO Daryl Hatton joins to discuss how his team creates a positive impact in the world through collaborative fundraising.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-43-collaborative-commerce-with-daryl-hatton-of-connectionpoint/">What The Tech Episode 43: “Collaborative Commerce” with Daryl Hatton of ConnectionPoint</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><iframe src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2167365/14935414-collaborative-commerce-with-daryl-hatton-of-connectionpoint?client_source=small_player&iframe=true" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title='What The Tech?, “Collaborative Commerce” with Daryl Hatton of ConnectionPoint'></iframe></p> <p>Crowdfunding plays a critical role in modern society, helping people drive creativity and innovation, support social causes and even provide healthcare to individuals and their families—including pets.</p> <p>But not all digital fundraising platforms are created equal. In fact, many fundraising solutions put barriers between users on both sides of the crowdfunding equation that actually limits how much control they have over funds raised—to say nothing of the capability for users to build community around their cause. </p> <p>That’s where the <a href="https://connectionpoint.com/">team at ConnectionPoint comes in</a>, providing a suite of <strong><em>Federated Fundraising</em></strong> platforms that take out the unnecessary middle men and encourage individuals and organizations to <em>take full ownership of their fundraising journeys</em>. </p> <p>We welcome ConnectionPoint <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/darylhatton/">Founder and CEO Daryl Hatton</a> onto the show to discuss how his team has built the next-generation technology helping organizations, businesses, and individuals create a positive impact in the world through collaborative fundraising. Their solutions ease the process of crowdfunding to be more engaging and socially integrated, offering a rare balance of powerful crowdfunding paired with affordability and effortless usability. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Funding positive outcomes during any economy</h2> <p>Building this innovative solution has called on Daryl’s impressive experience within the crowdfunding, tech and startup communities. He continues to be an active advisor and partner for an array of innovative social funding and commerce initiatives, and he knows firsthand what it takes to build a successful business by tapping into a wealth of non-dilutive resources.</p> <p>This includes partnering with Boast to help finance the development of his solution during the height of the pandemic, when venture capital toward philanthropic missions had largely dried up. By leveraging our Quickfund program to advance his SR&ED funding on a quarterly basis as opposed to EOY, for instance, Daryl could keep driving positive outcomes and re-fuel his R&D, ultimately stretching his project development event further. </p> <p>Darryl explains in this episode how Boast helped him retain ownership and not have to compromise in creating the “collaborative commerce” platform that today has helped raise more than $275 million across 200,000 campaigns. </p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Episode 43: "Factoring SR&ED has been a lifesaver"" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZTI5ctLP9qU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Using QuickFund from Boast to weather the worst</h2> <p>As Daryl explains, the funding landscape in Vancouver—and really across Canada—is significantly more generous compared to what’s on offer in the United States. </p> <p>But tapping into the wealth of innovation funding that’s available in the Canadian ecosystem still hinges on having partners who can help navigate the hurdles that are inherent to government-backed financing. </p> <p>That’s because as generous as programs like SR&ED tax credits are, it takes a combination of both technological and tax expertise to craft a narrative that fully delivers. </p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Episode 43: "Canada's advantage IS unfair—too bad!"" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dOygQKc8j5M?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>Daryl and the ConnectionPoint team are the perfect example of what it means to be a team player in the innovation ecosystem, both in Canada and across the Globe. By helping him build a solution that allows other creators to give their team lift, we’re able to share in the pride Daryl feels every day funding innovation and world-changing ideas.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Check out the full interview with Daryl on <a href="https://youtu.be/qKinSs9XYps">Boast’s YouTube here</a>.</h2><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-43-collaborative-commerce-with-daryl-hatton-of-connectionpoint/">What The Tech Episode 43: “Collaborative Commerce” with Daryl Hatton of ConnectionPoint</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Boast at INNOVATEwest 2024: Funding (and fun) on the floor in Vancouver</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/boast-at-innovatewest-2024-funding-and-fun-on-the-floor-in-vancouver/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:15:18 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Innovation Insights]]></category> <category><![CDATA[British Columbia]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category> <category><![CDATA[conference]]></category> <category><![CDATA[events]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[innovate]]></category> <category><![CDATA[InnovateWest]]></category> <category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[tech]]></category> <category><![CDATA[tech expo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[vancouver]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=323236</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Boast team took to INNOVATEwest in Vancouver to discuss innovation capital and non-dilutive funding.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/boast-at-innovatewest-2024-funding-and-fun-on-the-floor-in-vancouver/">Boast at INNOVATEwest 2024: Funding (and fun) on the floor in Vancouver</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Boast team took to Vancouver for the <a href="https://innovatewest.tech/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first-ever INNOVATEwest</a>, where tech leaders and members of Canada’s innovation ecosystem came out in full force to celebrate BC-based tech excellence. </p> <p>Along with catching up with some of our favorite innovators on the floor, the Boast crew was all over the Breakout Sessions and attending each keynote, spreading the word about non-dilutive funding to drive growth across Canada.</p> <figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323237" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate3-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Dawson Drolet and Ilya Brotzky at InnovateWest in Vancouver 2024" class="wp-image-323237" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate3-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate3-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate3-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate3.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323242" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-4-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Miriam Dong, Paul Davenport and Reporters from Betakit on the floor at InnovateWest in Vancouver 2024." class="wp-image-323242" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-4-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-4-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-4-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-4.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323238" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-2-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Boast customers and partners at InnovateWest in Vancouver 2024." class="wp-image-323238" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-2-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-2-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-2.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323239" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-1-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Boast CEO Imad Jebara and the Vancouver team at InnovateWest 2024. " class="wp-image-323239" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-1.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323250" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image1-2-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Miriam Dong and the Vancouver VC team at their Breakout Session during InnovateWest 2024." class="wp-image-323250" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image1-2-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image1-2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image1-2-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image1-2-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image1-2-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323247" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image0-1-1024x768.jpeg" alt="The Boast Vancouver team at the end of InnovateWest 2024 in Vancouver. " class="wp-image-323247" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image0-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image0-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image0-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image0-1-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/image0-1-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></figure> <p>One early highlight on Day 1 was<strong><em> </em></strong><a href="https://innovatewest.tech/event/control-freak-how-to-raise-growth-capital-without-giving-up-your-company/"><strong><em>Control Freak: How to Raise Growth Capital Without Giving Up Your Company</em></strong></a>, where our VP of Finance <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgill1/">Sonny Gill</a> was joined by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonthompson/">Devon Thompson</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-shipman-80b8294/">Noah Shipman</a>, and moderator <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamilhargovan/">Shamil Hargovan</a>.</p> <p>While the group had different perspectives on how businesses can achieve growth across industries and specific markets, a resounding theme included <em>the need for founders to be realistic about runways</em>, and ready to make hard decisions about their partners—including funders.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Control Freak</em> with Boast’s VP of Finance Sonny Gill</h2> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Sonny Gill at InnovateWest 2024: Find the right partners to unlock non-dilutive funding" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qfhH6kEjHcc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>Specifically, companies need to find financing partners who have experience working in both their industries and target markets that can share relevant expertise, helping tackle some of the hardest challenges at any stage of your business evolution.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Sonny Gill at InnovateWest 2024: Really understand your runway" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wGT8qxIvc-Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>Part of Boast VP of Finance Sonny Gill’s discussion of non-dilutive funding in 2024 at INNOVATEwest was the topic of runway, and the realities of how founders should budget to drive innovation without over-leveraging equity. </p> <p>As Sonny explains, many companies only seek out non-dilutive funding as a last-resort, when it should be playing a role in your capital strategy from the start. </p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Sonny Gill at InnovteWest 2024: Staffing Through The Stages of Business" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W81JtXKYwPA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>It’s not uncommon for founders to see the teams around them evolve as their business grows. In fact, finding new talent that is best equipped to help you achieve your goals is a healthy part of the startup lifecycle. This applies to both the people on your team as well as the different partners you seek out to develop and even fund your innovation. </p> <p>These were just a few of the nuggets of wisdom shared by our fearless finance leader Sonny during INNOVATEwest 2024 in Vancouver.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Driving meaningful outcomes with Miriam Dong</h2> <p>Miriam Dong was also on hand to share her expertise throughout the event and at her Breakout Session on <strong><em>Unlocking a Data Driven Economy</em></strong>, where she and her fellow panelists discussed how some of the buzziest new tech can be used as powerful solutions.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Miram Dong on Tech Enablement at InnovateWest 2024" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M_EGMKLZlG0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>Miriam put it perfectly: <em>Innovation is rooted in problem solving</em>, not just deploying the latest, buzzy tech or hopping on the AI bandwagon. </p> <p>Generative AI continues to be all the buzz, for instance, but as the panel made clear, companies that deliver meaningful outcomes (and value) will stand apart when it comes to funding. </p> <p>At Boast we’re incredibly proud to help some of Canada’s most innovative businesses seamlessly access the capital they need to achieve growth and solve bigger problems, helping them stand apart from others seeking their own piece of the booming market. </p> <p>Our tech-enabled services make tapping into SR&ED easier and less time-consuming so teams can focus on R&D while we handle tax credits.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Neighboring innovators on the expo floor in Vancouver</h2> <p>Back on the expo floor, our team was thrilled to be elbow-to-elbow with fellow innovators who embraced Boast’s ethos: <em>Deliver true value with our tech-enabled services</em>.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Lisa Westlund from seoplus+ visits Boast at InnovateWest 2024" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AKbi_MDVG-4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>Our INNOVATEwest neighbors seoplus+ are a perfect example of innovation in action, applying new techniques and tech to solve legacy problems.</p> <p>Taking a unique approach to addressing technological uncertainty is at the heart of non-dilutive funding programs like SRED tax credits, which reward innovators for taking risks.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Daphne? Poirier Goupil from BDC joins Boast at InnovateWest 2024" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-vUdGUgf_fo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>No matter what route you go for funding innovation, there are a wealth of resources on hand at INNOVATEwest to guide you through.</p> <p>Daphné Poirier-Goupil of BDC joined Paul Davenport to discuss what they’re most excited about as this first-ever conference takes off.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Danielle Brewin Graham of The Firehood meets Boast at InnovateWest 2024" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-kIjcxj5GZQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>We were boasting about Boast with The Firehood at INNOVATEwest Day 1!</p> <p>Danielle Brewin Graham and Paul Davenport linked up to discuss the funding opportunities for founders at all stages during last week’s event.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Gideon Mentie of Goodlawyer at InnovateWest 2024" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oBqJVdRUVeE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>When folks at INNOVATEwest think of SR&ED, they think Boast. </p> <p>That’s because so many members of the Vancouver tech community have come to us this week to learn more about non-dilutive funding—or they already work with us to help accelerate their innovation.</p> <p>This includes the team at Goodlawyer who continue to be amazing partners helping support innovators across North America. </p> <p>Gideon Mentie joined Paul Davenport to chat about his experience at the event so far and the amazing collaboration between our two teams.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Chris Hobbs from TTT Studios visits Boast at InnovateWest 2024" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-RqlLk2eKwY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>As our pal Chris Hobbs of TTT Studios puts it, INNOVATEwest has felt “like running into family members we haven’t seen in a while.”</p> <p>The community of innovators on the floor during Day 2 was impressive, as we’re spreading the word about leveraging non-dilutive funding to drive even more world-changing ideas.</p> <p>Chris was the MC over at the AWS Hackathon where he saw some of the amazing tech talent Vancouver has to offer firsthand.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">An amazing kickoff for INNOVATEwest 2024</h2> <p>All said, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the great connections we made throughout the event, and we hope to see even more friends and partners next year.</p> <figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323268" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Sonny-1-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Boast VP of Finance Sonny Gill at InnovateWest in Vancouver 2024" class="wp-image-323268" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Sonny-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Sonny-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Sonny-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Sonny-1.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323277" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-3-1-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Laura Fortey of Reitium at InnovateWest 2024 in Vancouver. " class="wp-image-323277" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-3-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-3-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-3-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-3-1.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323274" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-2-1-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Chikei Young and Katy Yam at InnovateWest 2024 in Vancouver. " class="wp-image-323274" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-2-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-2-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-2-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/InnovateWest-Round-2-1.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323278" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Roundup-4-1-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Friends of Boast and the Vancouver team at InnovateWest 2024. " class="wp-image-323278" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Roundup-4-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Roundup-4-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Roundup-4-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Roundup-4-1.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="323269" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Keynote-1-1-1024x768.jpeg" alt="Scenes from the Betakit Keynote Stage at InnovateWest 2024 in Vancouver. " class="wp-image-323269" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Keynote-1-1-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Keynote-1-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Keynote-1-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Innovate-Keynote-1-1.jpeg 1284w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></figure> <p>But it doesn’t take an expo for the team at Boast to connect with our favorite innovators across North America. Everyday, we thrive when we get to hear about the innovation driving global change at some of the businesses we work with every day to tap into non-dilutive funding. </p> <p>To learn more about what sets us apart, <strong><a href="https://boast.ai/talk-to-us/">talk to an expert</a></strong> with the Boast team today.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/boast-at-innovatewest-2024-funding-and-fun-on-the-floor-in-vancouver/">Boast at INNOVATEwest 2024: Funding (and fun) on the floor in Vancouver</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>What The Tech Episode 42: “Every job is a climate job” with Sophia Wennstedt of Blip Energy</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-42-every-job-is-a-climate-job-with-sophia-wennstedt-of-blip-energy/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:31:18 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Podcasts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[United States]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=322808</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>This week we welcome onto the show Sophia Wennstedt, Co-Founder & CEO of Blip Energy. </p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-42-every-job-is-a-climate-job-with-sophia-wennstedt-of-blip-energy/">What The Tech Episode 42: “Every job is a climate job” with Sophia Wennstedt of Blip Energy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><iframe src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2167365/14855592-every-job-is-a-climate-job-with-sophia-wennstedt-of-blip-energy?client_source=small_player&iframe=true" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title='What The Tech?, "Every job is a climate job" with Sophia Wennstedt of Blip Energy'></iframe></p> <p>This week we welcome onto the show <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-wennstedt/">Sophia Wennstedt</a>, Co-Founder & CEO of <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blipone/blipone-the-greenest-and-most-affordable-smart-home-battery?ref=axa3nv&token=70cbbfad">Blip Energy</a>. At Blip, Sophia and her team are on a mission to redefine home batteries to increase energy resilience for both individuals and communities. </p> <p>By designing a product to work without typical installation constraints, Blip Energy is able to add millions of otherwise-inaccessible homes to the smart grid network. Sophia’s team is set on finding new ways to manage energy demand, while ensuring that energy stability is an option for all of us, not just folks who can afford a luxury system. </p> <p>It’s a lofty mission, but Sophia and her team have the background to make it happen, drawing on experience working as a Mechanical Engineer and later as Program Manager at iRobot, before pivoting into the energy space with work at Exelon and Tesla. </p> <p>All of this is rooted in Sophia’s passion for climate justice and energy equity, which she’s demonstrated through active involvement driving STEM education outreach. It’s a field that’s rife with innovation and opportunity, and I can’t wait to pick Sophia’s brain on what’s in store for her team and the industry in the new year.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title=""Every job is a climate job" with Sophia Wennstedt of Blip Energy" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M3qTP3Pb7z8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-42-every-job-is-a-climate-job-with-sophia-wennstedt-of-blip-energy/">What The Tech Episode 42: “Every job is a climate job” with Sophia Wennstedt of Blip Energy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>U.S and UK partner on AI safety: What does this mean for businesses—and the world?</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/u-s-and-uk-partner-on-ai-safety-what-does-this-mean-for-businesses-and-the-world/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:41:41 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[AI]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Machine Learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[tech]]></category> <category><![CDATA[technology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[United States]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=321731</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Officials from the US and UK announced an agreement this week to cooperate on testing AI safety and risks. </p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/u-s-and-uk-partner-on-ai-safety-what-does-this-mean-for-businesses-and-the-world/">U.S and UK partner on AI safety: What does this mean for businesses—and the world?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Officials from the United States and United Kingdom <a href="https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2024/04/us-and-uk-announce-partnership-science-ai-safety">announced a landmark agreement</a> this week to formally cooperate on testing and assessing the risks of artificial intelligence (AI). </p> <p>You’d be forgiven for thinking that the latest news around politicians coming together—which landed on 4/1—was an April Fool’s joke. </p> <p>But given the rapid growth of AI in virtually every business sector and industry, alongside the rise of AI businesses within both the US and UK, it’s actually more surprising that such an agreement hadn’t been formalized earlier. </p> <p>Signed by US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo and UK science minister Michelle Donelan, this agreement lays the groundwork for how the two governments will pool expertise and technical talent to put guardrails on this rapidly-evolving tech arena.</p> <p>“The U.K. and the United States have always been clear that ensuring the safe development of AI is a shared global issue,” said Secretary Raimondo in a press release. “Reflecting the importance of ongoing international collaboration, today’s announcement will also see both countries sharing vital information about the capabilities and risks associated with AI models and systems, as well as fundamental technical research on AI safety and security.” </p> <p>The announcement follows <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65438d159e05fd0014be7bd9/introducing-ai-safety-institute-web-accessible.pdf">the establishment of AI Safety Institutes (AISIs)</a> established back in November for both the US and UK, which will see “secondments of researchers” from both countries as well as an exchange of data from private sector participants. Private AI models built by the likes of OpenAI and Google, for instance, as well as published reports from Anthropic and others that detail how safety tests inform product development, will all be open to vetting by the new AISIs under the agreement. </p> <p>While this partnership is a new frontier for AI, it’s modeled on existing collaborations between the NSA in the US and the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), which have worked closely together for decades on national and global security issues.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>So the big question remains: </strong><em>What will this mean for private businesses, or even non-US- or UK-based companies dealing with AI?</em></h3> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1366" height="768" alt="About: U.S and UK partner on AI safety: What does this mean for businesses—and the world?" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1249865563.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-322633" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1249865563.jpg 1366w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1249865563-300x169.jpg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1249865563-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1249865563-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A robot hand with the letter AI and a lady justice statue on the wooden table with law books. 3d illustration.</figcaption></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Developing a “common approach” for testing AI safety</h2> <p>The safety tests developed by the US and UK as part of their AISI collaboration will inevitably have a global impact, as many leading AI businesses were born or are based in the United States before gaining global attention. </p> <p>That’s not to say that these are the only major economies hoping to put safeguards in place around nascent AI. </p> <p>While the <a href="https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/the-act/">European Union’s AI Act </a>and <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/white-house-executive-order-for-ai-explained/">U.S. President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI</a> both came out last year, pressuring businesses to disclose the results of safety tests, Canada has also drafted guidelines around the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/digital-government-innovations/responsible-use-ai.html">responsible use of AI in government</a> that have laid the groundwork for research into private sector AI locally. </p> <p>Canada also has both the US and UK beat in finalizing <a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/innovation-better-canada/en/artificial-intelligence-and-data-act">data protections around AI</a> dating back to September 2023—to say nothing of the fact that Canada has the <a href="https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/canada-a-global-leader-in-ai-technology#:~:text=As%20of%202023%2C%20Canada%20has,applications%2C%20training%2C%20and%20jobs.">third largest number of AI researchers</a> and investments into new AI companies in the world.</p> <p>In fact, <a href="https://www.educanada.ca/start-commencez/ai-ia.aspx?lang=eng">recent research from EDUCanada</a> shows that more than 35,000 innovative jobs in the field of AI and machine learning will be coming online over the next 5 years, as major cities across Canada—namely Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa—all rank highly in CBRE’s <a href="https://www.cbre.com/insights/reports/scoring-tech-talent-in-north-america-2021#top-talent-markets">top talent markets in North America.</a> </p> <p>All of that is to say that <strong><em>businesses on both sides of the border are going to be impacted by the work being done by the US</em></strong> and UK AISIs—and they should <strong>seize the opportunity to turn these “safeguards” into truly unique innovation</strong>. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Using R&D to drive safer AI (and a stronger capital strategy)</h2> <p>While the lack of regulation around AI today can be scary, it presents an opportunity for new businesses to “stake their claim” on the new markets around AI safety that are poised to emerge as more governments partner to understand safe AI deployments. </p> <p>In that same vein, governments will continue to prioritize innovation funding programs like R&D tax credits or research grants toward businesses in fields where innovation isn’t just an opportunity, but an imperative—as has become the case with AI. </p> <p>If you’re an AI business, whether you’re working in the US or Canada, there are a wealth of non-dilutive funding opportunities that can help you cover the costs of R&D that’s driving groundbreaking innovation, while carving out a unique space in this growing market. </p> <p>Despite there being more than more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits available in North America today, only about 5 percent of eligible businesses (that is 1 out of 20) are tapping into this readily-available resource. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">A partner for financing innovative R&D</h2> <p>At Boast, our tech industry experts are among the most talented in North America, leveraging a knowledge of both government tax code and technology to truly speak your business’ “language of innovation.”</p> <p>This makes the process of communicating the unique and valuable work your R&D teams do every day easy, significantly streamlining the time it takes to create a compelling R&D tax credit or grant claim compared to executing in-house or even working with an accounting firm.</p> <p>The results? Teams that work with Boast save upwards of 60 hours on average working with our team, who deliver 35 percent more accurate claims on average.</p> <p>To learn more about how our team can help you stretch your investments into R&D further, <a href="https://boast.ai/talktous/">talk to an expert today</a>.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/u-s-and-uk-partner-on-ai-safety-what-does-this-mean-for-businesses-and-the-world/">U.S and UK partner on AI safety: What does this mean for businesses—and the world?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Boast Time Evidence Engine: How it works</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/boast-time-evidence-engine-how-it-works/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2024 20:17:29 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Product]]></category> <category><![CDATA[AI]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[integrations]]></category> <category><![CDATA[time evidence engine]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=321716</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Boast Time Evidence Engine elevates R&D project management by delivering a detailed, cohesive analysis of time and resource allocation. </p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/boast-time-evidence-engine-how-it-works/">Boast Time Evidence Engine: How it works</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Boast Time Evidence Engine elevates R&D project management by delivering a detailed, cohesive analysis of time and resource allocation during innovation processes. This system allows for precise tracking of each R&D employee’s contributions, enabling the calculation of time spent </p> <p>By providing a clear, singular perspective on R&D efforts, the Boast Time Evidence Engine empowers organizations to accurately assess performance and make informed decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of their innovation efforts. This tool is not just for managing projects; it allows you to harness data to drive effective, evidence-based innovation strategies.</p> <p>This latest feature simplifies the preparation of comprehensive SR&ED claims by organizing essential <strong>technical</strong>, <strong>project</strong>, and <strong>payroll</strong> information into detailed <strong>Daily Time Evidence</strong> reports. These reports are submitted with your SR&ED claim, enhancing its credibility and defensibility in a way unparalleled by other SR&ED services. </p> <p>To begin leveraging this capability, you need access to three types of customer data that effortlessly integrate with the Boast platform.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1. Collecting Technical Data (Jira, Github, etc.)</h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="276" alt="About: Boast Time Evidence Engine: How it works" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Technical-Data-1024x276.png" alt="" class="wp-image-322640" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Technical-Data-1024x276.png 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Technical-Data-300x81.png 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Technical-Data-768x207.png 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Technical-Data.png 1125w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>To begin, simply integrate your chosen project management software with the Boast platform, either through <strong>direct integration</strong> or by <strong>uploading a CSV file</strong>. </p> <p>For direct integrations, the platform automatically maps all relevant fields, while CSV uploads may require your input for mapping. The platform then analyzes user assignees, change logs, and timestamps from the technical data to create individual worklogs, detailing who did what and when.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Project Information for Classification</h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="204" alt="About: Boast Time Evidence Engine: How it works" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Claim-Project-Information-1024x204.png" alt="" class="wp-image-322644" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Claim-Project-Information-1024x204.png 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Claim-Project-Information-300x60.png 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Claim-Project-Information-768x153.png 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Claim-Project-Information.png 1125w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>Next, our SR&ED specialists collaborate with our customers to establish the project strategy through a comprehensive technical interview. The critical project information gathered in these sessions helps Boast accurately classify worklogs in alignment with eligible and non-eligible projects.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Collecting Payroll Data</h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="270" alt="About: Boast Time Evidence Engine: How it works" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Employee-Payroll-Data-1024x270.png" alt="" class="wp-image-322647" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Employee-Payroll-Data-1024x270.png 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Employee-Payroll-Data-300x79.png 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Employee-Payroll-Data-768x203.png 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Boast-Time-Evidence-Engine-Input-Employee-Payroll-Data.png 1125w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>Finally, the Payroll data supplied by our customers assists in determining the employment duration of all project stakeholders.</p> <p>After processing all three data sets (Technical Data, Project Information, and Payroll Data) with the assistance of our SR&ED specialists, our platform analyzes and generates comprehensive time evidence. </p> <p>This not only supports claim submissions but also benefits the entire R&D department by arming teams with industry-leading insights.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" alt="About: Boast Time Evidence Engine: How it works" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Slide-16_9-6-1-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-322653" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Slide-16_9-6-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Slide-16_9-6-1-300x169.png 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Slide-16_9-6-1-768x432.png 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Slide-16_9-6-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Slide-16_9-6-1.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p>To learn more about how Boast leverages the latest technology to maximize our customers’ access to innovation tax credits, check out details for our recent <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/introducing-boasts-financial-data-hub/">Financial Data Hub</a> and <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/meet-the-enhanced-ai-classifier-from-boast-ai/">Enhanced AI Classifier</a> feature releases.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/boast-time-evidence-engine-how-it-works/">Boast Time Evidence Engine: How it works</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Introducing Boast’s Time Evidence Engine</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/introducing-boasts-time-evidence-engine/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2024 19:51:27 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Product]]></category> <category><![CDATA[AI]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[integrations]]></category> <category><![CDATA[new features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[time evidence engine]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=321703</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Introducing the Boast Time Evidence Engine, which enables customers to track, document, and validate the time spent on your R&D projects. </p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/introducing-boasts-time-evidence-engine/">Introducing Boast’s Time Evidence Engine</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Creating a successful SR&ED or R&D tax credit claim hinges on being able to “tell the story” behind your innovation. This goes beyond just understanding outcomes, but also detailing the role each player on your team had in pulling your project together and executing R&D. </p> <p>One of the biggest roadblocks to crafting this narrative is having a single source of truth to capture, understand, and analyze each team member’s contributions. </p> <p>Until now. </p> <p>We’re thrilled to launch our latest platform feature, the Boast Time Evidence Engine (BTEE), which enables customers to <strong>track</strong>, <strong>document,</strong> and <strong>validate</strong> the time spent by all stakeholders contributing to your R&D projects. </p> <p>By working with the systems your R&D teams are already using today, the Boast Time Evidence Engine provides a <strong><em>single source of truth</em></strong>—as opposed to an array of siloed data and tracking systems—to tell the complete story of your innovation.</p> <p>This goes beyond maximizing your potential access to the innovation capital to extend your product runway. Boast’s Time Evidence Engine also allows you to visualize and optimize your entire R&D operation from a <strong><em>single system of intelligence</em></strong>. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is the <strong><em>Boast Time Evidence Engine</em></strong> exactly?</h2> <p>At the heart of this latest product feature are key integrations designed to effortlessly capture and analyze project time-tracking data alongside essential context related to investments This holistic view then unlocks opportunities to transform your approach to R&D project management and optimize your practices, stretching your investments further. </p> <ul><li><strong>Seamless Integration:</strong> BTEE connects directly with Jira/Github or any preferred project management tools through export/import, ensuring a smooth data flow from your preferred tools into our platform.</li> <li><strong>Detailed Worklogs</strong>: Automatically generated worklogs offer granular insights into the contributions of each team member, detailing the <strong><em>who</em></strong><strong>, </strong><strong><em>what</em></strong><strong>, and </strong><strong><em>when</em></strong> of project involvement.</li> <li><strong>Expert Classification:</strong> Our in-house experts meticulously classify worklogs to identify projects and activities eligible for specific benefits, ensuring that every qualifying effort is accurately accounted for.</li> <li><strong>Accurate Time Allocation:</strong> Incorporating payroll data, our system precisely calculates the available working hours of each employee, providing a solid foundation for exact project time evidence.</li> <li><strong>Streamlined Process:</strong> By automating data matching and processing, the BTEE eliminates the need for manual entry and tracking, offering a more efficient way to manage project time.</li></ul> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why <strong>Boast Time Evidence Engine</strong>?</h2> <p>Beyond taking your tax claim preparation to the next level, the Boast Time Evidence Engine sets a new standard in project time tracking and management. </p> <p>So often teams are either bogged down by too much, disorganized data or fail to find the connections between investments and outcomes due to data siloes. The BTEE breaks down those barriers to passively and actively apply the necessary context to the activities your team is executing. </p> <p>This is all done with unmatched accuracy. But here’s what really sets us apart:</p> <ul><li><strong>Unmatched Accuracy in Time Tracking</strong>: Our engine captures every project minute with precision, ensuring reliable data for analysis and reporting.</li> <li><strong>User-Friendly Interface</strong>: We’ve designed our platform to be intuitive and easy to navigate, streamlining the user experience for efficiency and simplicity.</li> <li><strong>Comprehensive Integration Capabilities:</strong> The Boast Time Evidence Engine can directly integrate with Jira/GitHub or can ingest data with your preferred choice project management tools. </li> <li><strong>Advanced Automation</strong>: Automating the tedious tasks of data collection and processing, our engine frees up your team to focus on what matters most, boosting productivity and efficiency.</li></ul> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" alt="About: Introducing Boast’s Time Evidence Engine" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/Slide-16_9-6-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-321704"/></figure> <p>If you’re not yet partnering with Boast to maximize your access to innovation capital and stretch your R&D runway further, <a href="https://boast.ai/talktous/">talk to an expert today</a>. </p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/introducing-boasts-time-evidence-engine/">Introducing Boast’s Time Evidence Engine</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>What The Tech Episode 41: “Enabling meaningful work” with Peter Monteza of MyARC</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-41-enabling-meaningful-work-with-peter-monteza-of-myarc/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 02 Apr 2024 20:03:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Podcasts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[b2b]]></category> <category><![CDATA[b2c]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category> <category><![CDATA[founder]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[healthtech]]></category> <category><![CDATA[physical health]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scaleup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Software]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=321699</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>At MyARC Peter Monteza's mission is to power fitness creators to get their fans fit and make a purposeful living while doing so. </p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-41-enabling-meaningful-work-with-peter-monteza-of-myarc/">What The Tech Episode 41: “Enabling meaningful work” with Peter Monteza of MyARC</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><iframe src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2167365/14793361-enabling-meaningful-work-with-peter-monteza-of-myarc?client_source=small_player&iframe=true" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title='What The Tech?, "Enabling meaningful work" with Peter Monteza of MyARC'></iframe></p> <p>Product evolution is a key component of achieving growth, as businesses need to respond to market needs and new technologies without hesitation to achieve scalable success.</p> <p>This was something that Peter Monteza learned firsthand, as he kicked off his journey as founder for MyARC by literally bringing the technology he was developing to his target customers and asking “would you pay for this” point blank.</p> <p>It’s this kind of early customer research and on-the-ground brand building that made MyArc the robust, tech-forward platform that they are today</p> <p>At MyARC, their mission is to power fitness creators to get their fans fit and make a purposeful living while doing so. They’ve done this by creating a platform that enables fitness content creators to train their fans interactively at scale, from anywhere in the world. MyARC takes care of the boring stuff—progressions, daily stats and tracking—so that trainers can focus on the important part—content, advice and motivation—for their fans and community. </p> <p>It’s an exciting mission and a powerful platform that’s rooted in Peter’s own experience training as a national-level athlete. </p> <p>But Peter’s drive and determination go beyond physical health, as he’s proven to be an adept entrepreneur, having taken part in accelerator and incubator programs—including being part of Techstars 2022 cohort—on his journey as a founder. </p> <p>I’m excited to learn more about what his experiences in the startup world have been like to date and what’s in store for MyARC in 2024.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">A network of global fitness creators</h2> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Episode 41: "A network of global fitness creators"" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ORNjjnYm3Ls?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>With My ARC, Peter Monteza and his team have been able to help fitness creators across the globe monetize their content and services and create meaningful careers out of the valuable content they share. </p> <p>Peter was able to cultivate this platform by working with fitness professionals and creators firsthand to help refine a solution that benefits consumers and creators alike.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Episode 41: "Bring Your Technical Team In House"" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IhlH3k4wWrA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>As Peter Monteza from MyARC explains, there are both obvious and unforeseen benefits to bringing your technical talent in house. </p> <p>Not only will you have more control of the technology if you’re own team is building it from scratch and understanding custom environments, but you may also be driving activities that could unlock access to non-dilutive funding (ie. R&D tax credits) that can help your team stretch innovation investments further. </p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Stream the full interview with Peter on <a href="https://youtu.be/_zA7a9wy_SE">Boast’s YouTube channel</a> here.</h3> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">To learn more about tapping into non-dilutive funding and optimizing your R&D to achieve growth, <a href="https://boast.ai/talktous/">talk to an expert from Boast today</a>. </h2><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-41-enabling-meaningful-work-with-peter-monteza-of-myarc/">What The Tech Episode 41: “Enabling meaningful work” with Peter Monteza of MyARC</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Ontario Budget 2024: $100 million-plus toward innovation, but is that enough?</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/ontario-budget-2024-100-million-plus-toward-innovation-but-is-that-enough/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 02 Apr 2024 10:43:19 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category> <category><![CDATA[CFO]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scaleup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=321692</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The 2024 Ontario Budget was tabled last week, featuring more than $100 million in commitments toward the Invest Ontario Fund.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/ontario-budget-2024-100-million-plus-toward-innovation-but-is-that-enough/">Ontario Budget 2024: $100 million-plus toward innovation, but is that enough?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="https://budget.ontario.ca/2024/pdf/2024-ontario-budget-en.pdf">2024 Ontario Budget</a> was tabled last week, featuring more than $100 million in commitments toward the Invest Ontario Fund (IOF) and a bevy of research and development initiatives aimed at reversing lackluster growth being felt across Canada. </p> <p><a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240319/dq240319a-eng.htm">Inflation and high interest</a> rates have helped fuel the recent stagnation, which have both been cited as contributing factors to Ontario pushing back <a href="https://budget.ontario.ca/2023/highlights.html">previous plans</a> to balance the budget until 2026. </p> <p>This comes after Quebec—facing their largest deficit in history—<a href="https://boast.ai/blog/quebec-restructures-cdae-ctmm-to-help-fill-historic-budget-deficit/">similarly pushed off their budget balancing plans to at least 2028</a>. In doing so, the province will restructure the Electronic Business Development Tax Credit (CDAE) and the Multimedia Tax Credit (CTMM), rebalancing the refundable and non-refundable portions to a 20:10 percentage split by 2028—<em>and recouping the province $365 million in taxes claimed</em>.</p> <p>While Ontario’s Budget 2024 prioritizes infrastructure and healthcare, it’s still pushing to maintain the annual $100 million infusion the government gave to the IOF in 2023. Established in 2020, the IOF aims to bolster foreign expansion in manufacturing, life sciences, and tech within Ontario, with a $600 million valuation to date.</p> <p>Aside from this nine-figure headline, however, many of the additional innovation funding initiatives outlined in Budget 2024 can be read as “keeping the lights on” rather than a full-throated infusion. </p> <p>For instance, another $12-million was outlined in Budget 2024 to create a Health Technology Accelerator Fund to help healthcare service providers access promising new healthtech solutions developed by Ontario innovators. Plans also included an additional $1 million per year into Ontario’s Regional Innovation Centres (RICs), while the province will also allocate $18 million over three years toward continued operation and maintenance of Ontario’s Advanced Research Computing systems. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Is “status quo” enough to drive Ontario’s growth?</h2> <p>Budget 2024 was noticeably light on new initiatives, which was alluded to in <a href="https://www.canadianinnovators.org/content/cci-response-to-the-2024-ontario-budget">comments from CCI president Benjamin Bergen</a>.</p> <p>“Innovators understand that there are competing priorities and a range of challenges that the Ontario government is navigating, and we did not expect 2024 to be an innovation-focused budget,” said Bergen in a statement. </p> <p>Of course, Ontario didn’t take measures as drastic as their neighbors in Quebec when they restructured legacy tax programs that many tech businesses in the region have come to rely on.</p> <p>But without new support from provincial governments, combined with that previously mentioned inflation (<a href="https://boast.ai/blog/despite-optimism-cfos-remain-wary-of-debt-and-equity-financing-in-q1-2024/">plus high-interests and other economic challenges</a>), <strong>innovative businesses will become increasingly reliant on existing federal innovation funding programs to achieve growth in the current market. </strong></p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Promises for angel investors, continued support</h3> <p>While it was status quo elsewhere, Budget 2024 did outline steps being taken by the Minister of Finance to work with the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) to create rules supporting angel investor groups. This comes as manyangel funds in Canada <a href="https://betakit.com/angel-investors-ontarios-long-term-future-is-unclear-as-feddev-funding-dries-up/">face fewer federal government resources</a> and are turning to the provinces for a lifeline. The document reads:</p> <p>“…To encourage early-stage financing, the OSC is working to develop rules to support angel investor groups and broadening sources of capital by adopting a self certified prospectus exemption. To support capital-raising for smaller issuers, the OSC is broadening investment dealer participation in prospectus offerings.”</p> <p>Although angel investors are essential to help <a href="https://boast.ai/guides/lifecycle-of-a-startup-guide/">give early-stage startups lift</a>, this funding resource is <strong>truly just a starting point, and not a long-term financing solution. </strong></p> <p>Once more mature businesses in Canada are leveraging ecosystems like the accelerator programs and innovation funds on offer from Ontario to help drive their growth, they need to continue tapping into government resources wherever they can to finance growth. </p> <p>This includes non-dilutive funding, from <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/sred-irap-how-to-stack-innovation-funding/">grants like IRAP</a> to the banner Scientific Research & Experimental Development tax credit. <strong>But accessing these resources shouldn’t become a drain on your human capital in the process.</strong></p> <p>Boast combines unmatched industry expertise with cutting edge technology to deliver more comprehensive, accurate and valuable R&D tax credit and non-dilutive funding claims. All of this is done with minimal time from the R&D experts driving innovation and growth on your team, with Boast customers saving up to 60 hours on average working with us to claim SR&ED.</p> <p><a href="https://boast.ai/talktous/">Talk to an expert today</a> to learn more about streamlining your access to the funding you need to grow.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/ontario-budget-2024-100-million-plus-toward-innovation-but-is-that-enough/">Ontario Budget 2024: $100 million-plus toward innovation, but is that enough?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>What The Tech Episode 40: “Don’t wait for the right time” with Mila Banerjee of Pronti AI</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-40-dont-wait-for-the-right-timewith-mila-banerjee-of-pronti-ai/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:17:47 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Podcasts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Machine Learning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=321386</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Many would-be founders get hung up on timing, delaying their pursuit of innovation for any number of reasons: Lending markets […]</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-40-dont-wait-for-the-right-timewith-mila-banerjee-of-pronti-ai/">What The Tech Episode 40: “Don’t wait for the right time” with Mila Banerjee of Pronti AI</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="What The Tech?, "Don" src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2167365/14738278-don-t-wait-for-the-right-time-with-mila-banerjee-of-pronti-ai?client_source=small_player&iframe=true" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <p>Many would-be founders get hung up on timing, delaying their pursuit of innovation for any number of reasons: Lending markets may be tight, for instance, or an entrepreneur may have a great idea, but lack their own technological know-how to start developing solutions. </p> <p>But as any successful founder will tell you, it’s not worth it to sit on the sidelines and wait for conditions to change. That’s because as <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/milabanerjee/">Mila Banerjee</a>, CEO and Tech Lead at <a href="https://www.pronti.com/">Pronti AI,</a> explains there are always storm clouds on the horizon, and waiting for things to change without taking matters into your own hands is no way to operate. </p> <p>At Pronti, Mila and her team are looking to help Apparel and Accessory retailers access their share of the nearly $1 trillion dollar personalization opportunity that’s out there. They do this by giving retailers access to unique consumer purchase intent data that’s historically been just out of reach. </p> <p>The Pronti app leverages six machine learning algorithms in the background to allow consumers to experience easy closet uploads and outfit inspiration, while being the only place where users can shop with their existing closet items.</p> <p>Along with being an awesome tool for consumers and businesses alike, Pronti is impacting UN Sustainability Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production through individual closet utilization, and providing data for retailers to optimize production.</p> <p>It’s an amazing solution that touches on a wealth of opportunities, but that’s only part of Mila’s journey, as she’s been leading the tech charge across industries and the entire globe over the course of her career to date. I’m so excited to hear about her latest venture, what’s in store for Pronti going forward, and her take on the current state of startups for fellow entrepreneurs in 2024.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">There will always be storms on the horizon</h2> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Episode 40: "AI and ML today" with Mila Banerjee of Pronti" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eb8CPP4lyAc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>Mila Banerjee understands that machine learning algorithms need to work together to be most effective. The predictive capabilities of computer vision are only effective when they’ve been trained and cultivated by pros, which is what the team at Pronti is focused on mastering for shoppers and retailers alike.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Episode 40: "Time is elusive" with Mila Banerjee" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qsTWC6mmdIY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></figure> <p>The best time to get started building your business or developing a new innovation is always now. If you’re apprehensive and waiting on the sidelines, you may already be at a disadvantage. As Mila Banerjee of Pronti AI explains, there will always be storms on the horizon, whether it’s funding challenges or just tough markets. But you need to take action and get in the game to avoid losing momentum.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stream the full episode on <a href="https://youtu.be/NPruKcfGO48">Boast’s YouTube Channel here</a>.</h2><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/what-the-tech-episode-40-dont-wait-for-the-right-timewith-mila-banerjee-of-pronti-ai/">What The Tech Episode 40: “Don’t wait for the right time” with Mila Banerjee of Pronti AI</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Boast, the Leading R&D Tax Credit Solution, Names Imad Jebara as Chief Executive Officer</title> <link>https://boast.ai/news/boast-the-leading-rd-tax-credit-solution-names-imad-jebara-as-chief-executive-officer/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:17:25 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category> <category><![CDATA[AI]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[CEO]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Product]]></category> <category><![CDATA[senior leadership]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SLT]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=320959</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Boast hires new CEO to accelerate its transformation into the R&D System of Intelligence.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/news/boast-the-leading-rd-tax-credit-solution-names-imad-jebara-as-chief-executive-officer/">Boast, the Leading R&D Tax Credit Solution, Names Imad Jebara as Chief Executive Officer</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Boast hires new CEO to accelerate its transformation into the R&D System of Intelligence.</p> <p>VANCOUVER, March 26, 2024 – Boast, the leading platform for R&D and tax credit intelligence, is proud to announce the hiring of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/imad-jebara/">Imad Jebara</a> as Chief Executive Officer, bringing a recognized leader in both the Finance and Software space to the helm as Boast broadens their mission to expand access to R&D tax credits. </p> <p>Mr. Jebara has more than two decades of experience leading both Operations and Customer Success at top SaaS and Finance businesses. This includes more than 8 years at Diligent (nee Galvanize), the world’s leading governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS company, where Jebara led support for more than 1 million users from over 25,000 global customers in his role as Senior Vice President of Global Customer Operations.</p> <p>“I’ve had the opportunity to personally work with Imad at Galvanize, through its transformation to a $1B category leader in the Governance, Risk and Compliance space,” said Laurie Schultz, Boast’s Chair of the Board. “There he brought the perfect balance of culture, domain, and financial acumen to our transformation and I’m confident he will do the same at Boast.”</p> <p>“I am delighted to be joining Boast at this stage of its growth,” said Mr. Jebara. “We’ve already engaged with literally thousands of clients to both facilitate their recovery of R&D tax credits and inform how they can optimize R&D productivity, and I look forward to significantly expanding the value we deliver to our clients through both services and technology.”</p> <p>Boast is the only R&D tax credit solution that combines unmatched industry expertise with cutting-edge, AI-driven technology to simplify filing and increase returns on R&D investments. Only 1 out of every 20 eligible businesses take advantage of the more than $20 billion in R&D tax credits available in North America today. Boast streamlines access to this critical, non-dilutive resource, helping deserving businesses recoup the maximum share of their eligible R&D expenses to drive greater innovation and achieve growth.</p> <p>In December 2020, Boast announced $30 million CAD in Series A funding. The company has since expanded its executive leadership while continuing to scale into new markets and showing strong revenue and logo growth.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/news/boast-the-leading-rd-tax-credit-solution-names-imad-jebara-as-chief-executive-officer/">Boast, the Leading R&D Tax Credit Solution, Names Imad Jebara as Chief Executive Officer</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Despite optimism, CFOs remain wary of Debt and Equity financing in Q1 2024</title> <link>https://boast.ai/blog/despite-optimism-cfos-remain-wary-of-debt-and-equity-financing-in-q1-2024/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Davenport]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 21 Mar 2024 18:49:58 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[banks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[debt]]></category> <category><![CDATA[equity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[federal budget]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Government Funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[non-dilutive funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sr&ed]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SRED Resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startup resources]]></category> <category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[tax credits]]></category> <category><![CDATA[United States]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://boast.ai/?p=320935</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>While CFOs are optimistic about 2024, fears around inflation and interest rates have made debt and equity financing a risky bet.</p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/despite-optimism-cfos-remain-wary-of-debt-and-equity-financing-in-q1-2024/">Despite optimism, CFOs remain wary of Debt and Equity financing in Q1 2024</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While CFOs closed out 2023 with a conservative outlook, the latest <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/finance/us-xa-1q24-cfo-signals-full-report.pdf">research from Deloitte</a> shows a significantly more positive view of both the global economy’s prospects and how CFOs expect their own businesses to fare in 2024. </p> <p>Despite a general uptick in optimism, however, CFOs face growing headwinds when it comes to <em>cost and capital management</em>, <em>innovation and growth</em>, and <em>execution and efficiency</em>—to say nothing of how global economic pressures are impacting decisions around financing.</p> <p>We’ll break down what’s driving this mixed-bag of cautious optimism among global financial leaders, the unique economic factors impacting CFO decision making in 2024, and actions finance leaders should take today to prepare for what the rest of the year has in store.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" alt="About: Despite optimism, CFOs remain wary of Debt and Equity financing in Q1 2024" src="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1437413132-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-320940" srcset="https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1437413132-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1437413132-300x200.jpg 300w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1437413132-768x512.jpg 768w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1437413132-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://boast.ai/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1437413132-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">CFOs are more positive about the economy and even their own businesses in 2024, but remain apprehensive about the state of equity and debt financing. </figcaption></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">CFO <em>Optimism</em> grows slightly, while <em>Pessimism </em>plummets</h2> <p>Of the 116 financial leaders polled across five industries in the 1Q 2024 CFO Signals Survey, the number of respondents who were <em>More Optimistic</em> about their own company’s prospects jumped to 42 percent compared to 38 percent in the previous quarter. </p> <p>Perhaps more telling, the percentage of CFOs labeled as <strong><em>More Pessimistic</em></strong><strong> shrank from 27 percent in Q4 2023 to only 11 percent during Q1 2024</strong>. </p> <p>The TL;DR? <em>Net optimism</em> has more than tripled among respondents quarter-over-quarter, hitting a +31 score among CFOs polled in the latest research compared to just +11 in Q3 2023. </p> <p>To put a finer point on it, <strong><em>CFOs haven’t been this optimistic since the pandemic investment boom of Q4 2021</em></strong>, when Net Optimism was tagged at +35.</p> <p>But things are hardly one-to-one for Q4 2024 compared to the same period three years ago. </p> <p>Aside from continuing volatility on the global geopolitical front, CFOs are flagging significant and acute challenges to their own businesses that are tempering otherwise enthusiastic outlooks. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Debt</em> and <em>Equity</em> financing remains a tepid prospect</h2> <p>For one, the attractiveness of <em>Debt</em> and <em>Equity</em> financing today is nowhere near the almost 90 percent and 60 percent (respectively) consensus felt among CFOs back in 2021. </p> <p>Instead, only 37 percent of respondents think <em>Debt financing</em> is attractive for their business, while <em>Equity financing</em> has plummeted to just 18 percent among respondents in the latest quarter. </p> <p>Split among the different industries polled, viewpoints around both financing options varied, but remained well below their pandemic highs, ie:</p> <ul><li>Among CFOs at public companies, 35 percent view <em>Equity</em> financing as attractive, while 22 percent favor <em>Debt</em> financing</li> <li>For privately held firms, 42 percent of CFOs are attracted to <em>Equity</em> financing, while just 11 percent are open to<em> Debt</em> financing.</li></ul> <p>While Geopolitics (42) was cited as the leading factor influencing CFO attitudes in the context of financing, Macroeconomics (32)—that is, concerns around a potential recession, federal spending, and government deficits in the U.S. and Canada— was the second most prevailing source of insecurity among respondents. </p> <p>In that same vein, Interest Rates (17) stood apart from both Macroeconomics and Politics as their own cause for concern. </p> <p>As we’ve mentioned previously on the blog, in both the U.S. and Canada, f<a href="https://boast.ai/blog/as-u-s-fed-warns-of-more-bank-failures-cfos-turn-to-non-dilutive-funding/">ederal leaders are standing firm on maintaining interest rates</a> at some of their highest levels in decades to help battle inflation. </p> <p>While Federal Reserve officials in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/03/20/business/fed-meeting-interest-rates">U.S. are still committing to rate drops later in 2024</a>, businesses will continue facing some extremely tight lending conditions in the short term.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Greater <em>efficiency, capital diversity</em> to drive growth</h2> <p>As much as external economic factors are at play here, there are significant internal hurdles holding back CFOs from expressing more enthusiasm about their prospects. From <em>cost and capital management</em> to <em>effectiveness and efficiency</em>—and even the ascendency of new tech and the associated skills gap that can introduce—CFOs are facing a rash of new challenges today that didn’t even exist just half a decade ago. </p> <p>The silver lining for CFOs is that there are actionable steps they can take to fortify their business on all of these fronts. </p> <p>For starters, <em>Talent and Retention</em>—flagged as the top concern among 44 of respondents—is an issue across departments, but especially within finance, where a<a href="https://boast.ai/blog/growth/with-accountant-shortage-impacting-startups-can-ai-fill-the-gap/"> continued accountant shortage</a> has forced many teams to be slimmer than ever. </p> <p>Fortunately, new technology—including artificial intelligence—is helping to fill in some of the gaps without introducing a high “barrier-to-entry” that often comes when introducing new tools into legacy systems. </p> <p>In that same vein, CFOs can (and should) start leveraging automation within their workflows that more meaningfully drive the <em>effectiveness and efficiency</em> they crave on their own teams.</p> <p>With an effective automation strategy in place, CFOs can then focus squarely on tackling their most prescient <em>cost and capital management</em> challenges, thanks to easier access to the data they need to understand the ROI of their investments and areas for optimization.</p> <p>Innovation, however, is another top concern among CFOs, who are acknowledging “<em>growth pressure and increased competitive intensity</em>” as a leading impediment to growth. <strong><em>Much of this can be attributed to an inability to finance new product development or staff R&D teams</em></strong>, which can be an even larger threat to the organization’s long-term prospects than even immediate economic pressures. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">A system of intelligence to drive optimization, non-dilutive financing—and ultimately innovation</h2> <p>By aligning key project, financial and payroll data into a single platform for analysis, CFOs can take actionable steps that will improve productivity, save their company money, and unlock real-time analysis of their financial data. </p> <p>With these insights in hand, CFOs and finance teams can embark on more informed decision-making and effective financial planning, helping increase agility across the organization and ultimately extend their business’ runway.</p> <p>At the heart of all of this is <strong>unlocking access to non-dilutive funding that can help financial leaders finance their operations without relying solely on </strong><strong><em>Debt</em></strong><strong> of </strong><strong><em>Equity</em></strong><strong> financing</strong>.</p> <p>This opens up the door for businesses to push the gas on aggressive innovation and R&D initiatives that can help drive competitive advantage while even opening up new opportunities for financing, ala R&D tax credits. </p> <p>At Boast, our AI-powered platform allows startups at any stage to sync the systems they use to manage financial, payroll and workflow data into a single source of intelligence. From there, teams can actively understand what activities could qualify for R&D tax credits, for instance, while also actively tracking all of the relevant information necessary to file a claim in one spot. </p> <p>Boast goes beyond providing guidance on non-dilutive government funding, too. Our solution offers businesses a comprehensive resource that combines expert guidance and cutting-edge technology to optimize their R&D efforts, streamline capital management, and visualize a successful capital strategy.</p> <p><a href="https://boast.ai/talktous/"><em>Talk to an expert</em></a><em> from Boast today to learn more about how we combine cutting edge technology with years of expertise—and a founder’s POV—to optimize your R&D and fund your innovation.</em></p><p>The post <a href="https://boast.ai/blog/despite-optimism-cfos-remain-wary-of-debt-and-equity-financing-in-q1-2024/">Despite optimism, CFOs remain wary of Debt and Equity financing in Q1 2024</a> appeared first on <a href="https://boast.ai">Boast</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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