What The Tech?

On the latest episode of What The Tech, we welcome a few members of the Boast team onto the show for a discussion focused specifically on driving (and funding) innovation in Quebec. If you’re a Quebecois business leader or techie, you may have heard that the province’s banner e-business tax credit—known colloquially as CDAE—is being revamped starting next year as the province expands the vision and support for fostering innovative business within Quebec.  One of the biggest enhancements to the program is a greater focus on—you guessed it—AI, and rewarding businesses who are using the latest and greatest tools and techniques to push the boundaries on what’s possible when it comes to R&D.  Joining the show to unpack it all are Joshua Martin, who leads Boast's Quebec Sales Division, and Blake Nelson, who leads Boast’s product development team and is one of the brains behind our new solution dedicated to claiming R&D tax credits in Quebec as CDAE transforms into CDAE-IA in 2026. This is quite the brain trust we have on hand; we dive right in and pick their brains on what the new program means for innovators in Quebec and how Boast is ‘meeting the moment’ with our new dedicated CDAE-IA solutions.  Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

In the latest episode of What the Tech, we sat down with Amit Bhargava, co-founder and CEO of EnviroApps Inc., a Calgary-based company making the transportation of dangerous goods safer by developing the first proven electronic hazmat shipping paper solution in Canada. Over the past five years, Amit and his team have been on a mission to replace what they call "CRAPI" paper processes—Cumbersome, Ridiculous, Archaic, Painful, and Inefficient. By offering digital solutions instead of physical paperwork, EnviroApps delivers the visibility and control that teams need when documentation access is literally a matter of life and death. Because when emergency responders arrive at a hazmat incident, they need to know what they're dealing with, and they shouldn't have to risk their lives going into a dangerous truck to find paper documents. Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

In the latest episode of What the Tech from Boast we sat down with Bernie Florido, founder and CEO of Cocoflo Innovations, a Vancouver-based company creating technology that simplifies how governments and communities connect. CocoFlow integrates business licensing, parks and recreation, and payment processing modules into software solutions that empower municipalities to serve their citizens better because—as Bernie and his team believe—smarter cities create better lives. What makes Bernie's story particularly compelling is his background: He spent more than 13 years as a police officer before going all in on his tech-enabled mission. That experience shaped his resilience, leadership, and deep commitment to public service in ways that continue to inform how Cocoflo Innovations approaches civic technology today. Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

Innovation in Sustainable Materials: A Conversation with Daniel Shum of CTK BioWelcome to What The Tech #podcast  by Boast, where  ⁨@pauldavenport3⁩ talks with Daniel Shum, CTO of CTK Bio, about their groundbreaking work in sustainable materials made from upcycled plant waste. They discuss CTK Bio's efforts to shift manufacturing to North America to reduce carbon footprint and costs, the innovative R&D projects including compounding with hemp and agave, and their aim to synthesize materials from plant waste. Learn how CTK Bio navigates #sustainability challenges, builds strategic partnerships, and effectively uses #innovation  #taxcredits with Boast. Join us as we delve into the milestones and future projects that promise to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable products.00:00 Introduction and Welcome02:02 CTK Bio's Recent Milestones05:39 Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem09:01 Innovations and Technical Challenges18:48 Funding and Collaboration with Boast23:05 Future Plans for CTK Bio24:18 Conclusion and FarewellBoast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

In the latest episode of What the Tech, we sat down with Raymond Fitzpatrick, CEO and founder of Profitual, a New Brunswick-based company on a mission to democratize financial intelligence for SMEs. Ray is an experienced finance leader and former VC who saw a critical gap in the market: Startup founders determined to disrupt their industries often lack the financial expertise needed to navigate growth and make confident decisions as they scale. Profitual was born from a simple but powerful observation—the playing field isn't level for founders without financial backgrounds. Ray and his team are executing on a vision to provide innovative AI-powered financial tools that transform complex data into clear, actionable insights, allowing founders to make the kind of informed decisions that can mean the difference between thriving and merely surviving. Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

In the latest episode of What the Tech from Boast, we sat down with Tony Kim, a corporate investor focused on AI infrastructure, deep tech, and enterprise SaaS. Tony works at a Fortune 100 company's corporate development and venture arm, where he's engaged in everything from M&A to venture capital and LP investing.What makes this conversation particularly timely is the perspective Tony brings: He's operating at the intersection of traditional corporate strategy and the breakneck pace of AI innovation. As someone who started his career as an investment banker covering infrastructure and telecom in New York City, he's watched the foundational layers of technology evolve. Now, he's helping shape how a major corporation responds to the AI revolution. His insights on corporate venture capital (CVC), AI investment strategy, and what separates genuine innovation from hype are exactly what founders need to hear as they navigate 2025's rapidly changing landscape. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:10 Tony's Background and Career Journey02:47 Understanding the CVC and VC Landscape06:52 AI Investment Strategies and Trends14:41 Evaluating AI Innovations25:21 Future of AI and Infrastructure32:32 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsThe views expressed in this interview by Tony S. Kim are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

On this episode of What The Tech we welcome Aaron Konyer, Chief Technology Officer at Modular Solutions. Founded in 2015, Modular Solutions (formerly Nude Solutions) is a SaaS company on a mission to remove pain and friction from the insurance industry through software that allows Insurance Carriers, Managing General Agencies, Mutuals and Brokers to transform and modernize their businessIn his role as CTO, Aaron leads the design and evolution of the Modular Solutions platform, bringing experience in system architecture, distributed services and backend engineering to build maintainable and adaptive systems that scale alongside business needs.  It’s an incredible, Alberta-born business that’s also a Boast partner, and I couldn’t be more excited to pick Aaron’s brain on Modular’s unique place in their industry, the cool tech he’s been steering, and what it takes to succeed in today’s market.  Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

In this episode of Boast's What the Tech podcast we chat with Steven Vi, Lead Solutions Engineer at VizworX Inc., a custom software development company based in Calgary. Steven shares his journey from academic research at the University of Calgary to leading complex tech projects at VizworX. They discuss the company's innovative approaches using AR, VR, AI, IoT, geospatial data mapping, and much more to solve diverse business challenges. Steven delves into exciting projects like virtual operations environments and distributed command centers, highlighting the collaborative and forward-thinking ethos at VizworX. The conversation also touches on funding innovation through various grants and the R&D tax credits and the importance of combining core research with practical application to drive real-world impact.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:45 Steven's Background and Role at VIS Works03:49 The Intersection of Technology and Business08:59 Applied Research and Development at VIS Works15:09 Funding and Innovation Strategies21:55 Future Projects and Closing RemarksBoast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

For fast-growing tech companies, navigating SR&ED tax credits can mean the difference between extending runway by quarters or getting bogged down in painful audits that consume dozens of hours. The key differentiator? Finding a technical partner who can translate engineering innovation into tax language without requiring extensive hand-holding. Tyler Kelloway, Director of Finance at CoLab Software, joins the latest What The Tech podcast to share his journey from Big Four accounting to wearing every hat at a Y Combinator startup, and why switching to a specialized SR&ED provider saved significant development time while growing their claims year over year. Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.

Some of the best entrepreneurial journeys begin with simple problems that need solving. For Ahmed Hadjeres, founder and principal electrical engineer at ProductShop, that problem was remarkably straightforward: He loved music shows but couldn't score tickets. That quest for free concerts led him to build access control technology that would eventually be used at Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza, and the Olympics before being acquired by Eventbrite. On the latest What The Tech podcast, Hadjeres shares his unconventional journey from first-year engineering student to venture studio founder, and why Montreal's innovation ecosystem needs more support despite having world-class talent. Boast accelerates the success of innovative businesses globally with software that integrates financial, payroll, and engineering data into a single platform of R&D intelligence. Visit Boast.ai, sign up for our Blog newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn for weekly #InnovatorsLive sessions and the latest news to fuel your growth. Intro and Outro music provided by Dennis Ma whose mixes you can find on Soundcloud at DJ DennyDex.