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Wise Town Café opened a new location at 375 Dalhousie Street late last month. Photo from Wise Town Café on Instagram.

Wise Town Café begins expansion plans by opening location in ByWard Market

Ottawa, Insider Only Top Stories

Top Stories

Here are five startups founded by immigrant entrepreneurs that you should know about

Fieldless Farms bought by T.O. firm and other tech news from around Ottawa

Claridge proposes 17-storey tower next to Andaz hotel in ByWard Market

AI-generated ‘workslop’ a worrying trend in workplaces, HR expert says

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The Latest

Local defence, security, and cybersecurity leaders gathered on Jan. 29, 2026 at Invest Ottawa for OBJ’s Executive Roundtable on Defence and Security. Back row left to right: Dipak Roy, Mike Nelson, Samuel Witherspoon, Hugo Hodgett, Charles Barlow, Joel Tkach, Nicolas Todd, Jeff Hamilton, Michael Curran, Phil Gaudreau. Front row left to right: Alan Stephenson, David Hudock, Real Thibault, Muralee Murugesu, Chris Pogue, Amy Macleod, Simon Rechico Moisan.

Gallery: OBJ Executive Roundtable on Defence and Security 2026

Social

Defence, security and cybersecurity executive leaders gathered Jan. 29 at Invest Ottawa to explore how the sector is evolving in response to global trends and

Techopia Live: Imbeault is back with Backboard.io | Eposide 295

Techopia, Ottawa Business Journal Podcast

Ottawa’s AI scene is evolving. Early momentum was created by companies such as Solink, founded by Mike Matta, which applied computer vision to retail analytics,

OBJ launches the 2026 Executive Report on Cornwall

OBJ360 Sponsored

Cornwall has emerged as one of Eastern Ontario’s most compelling locations for business investment, thanks to a combination of affordability, strategic positioning, and a steadily

Joel Tkach is vice-president of business development for the Ottawa International Airport Authority. Photo by Mia Jensen

YOW becoming a connecting hub, driven by increased activity from airlines such as Porter

Ottawa, Insider Only Top Stories, Tourism

It’s becoming easier to travel non-stop to or from the Ottawa International Airport, and while that in itself is good news, the influx of new

Rob Imbeault is the co-founder of unicorn firm Assent and founder and CEO of Backboard.io. Photo supplied.

Rob Imbeault on breaking the VC funding dry spell in Ottawa

Techopia, Insider Only Top Stories

There have been signs of resilience in Ottawa’s tech sector in the first weeks of 2026, including promising news from local startup Backboard.io. Rob Imbeault

Sparks Street decorated for Winter Wander: Winterlude edition. Photo from Downtown BIA on Instagram.

It’s been a winter windfall for businesses in and around the canal as Winterlude opens

Ottawa, Top Stories, Tourism

With Ottawa having a traditional winter for the first time in years, businesses are revelling in the snow and cold, especially as Winterlude kicks off

Chad Saikaley is the new managing partner at GGFL. Photo supplied

We talk with GGFL’s Chad Saikaley about the effect of AI on clients and on accounting

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In the accounting world, clients have more information at their fingertips than ever before. But, according to GGFL’s Chad Saikaley, that access has only served to overwhelm, especially in a

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How shared goals at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend strengthen workplace culture

OBJ360 Sponsored

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Porter aircraft

Porter continues to add capacity at YOW with more domestic flights

Ottawa, Top Stories, Tourism

As part of a move to grow its “hub” at Ottawa International Airport, Porter Airlines is bringing two flights to YOW that previously operated out of Toronto City Airport.

Algonquin College. File photo.

Business leaders in hospitality, live music concerned by proposed cuts at Algonquin College

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Local business leaders are frustrated by the proposed program cuts at Algonquin College, saying they anticipate a significant impact on various Ottawa industries. Last week, Algonquin College announced it is

Jessie Cullen is the new CEO of BeaverTails Ottawa. Image supplied

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Jessie Cullen started working with BeaverTails Ottawa when she was 14 years old. Now, she’s taking over as CEO for the National Capital Region.

Housing starts stock image

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Video

Ottawa’s AI scene is evolving. Early momentum was created by companies such as Solink, founded by Mike Matta, which applied computer vision to retail analytics, and Ranovus, led by Hany Mussad, which develops the optical hardware necessary for high-capacity AI data centres. Subsequent growth was driven by firms such as MindBridge, co-founded by Solon Angel and Eli Fathi, and BluWave-ai, led by Devashish Paul, which targeted specific industrial applications in financial auditing and energy grid management.

A new AI player is garnering international attention. Backboard.io is developing a memory-native API designed to manage long-term context in large language models. In January 2026, the company closed a pre-seed funding round led by Mistral Venture Partners, with participation from N49P, Garage Capital, and Developer Capital.

In this episode of Techopia Live, OBJ publisher Michael Curran speaks to Rob Imbeault, the founder and CEO of Backboard.io. Having already co-founded tech unicorn Assent, Imbeault is now in the CEO seat and predicting big things to come.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:56 Introducing Rob Imbeault
14:00 Sponsor Segment
22:27 Building a Better Working World
24:03 Techopia Sponsors
24:43 Closing and What’s Ahead at OBJ

For more on Ottawa’s tech and innovation scene, visit https://obj.ca/techopia.

Subscribe to Techopia’s weekly newsletter here: https://obj121.activehosted.com/f/5
Techopia Live: Imbeault is back with Backboard.io | Eposide 295

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