April 14, 2023: Advice For Raising in Today's Market

What is bus.com?

Montreal-based Bus.com is changing the way that groups travel by making it easier and more user-friendly to book a bus online. Through their innovative online technology, they are modernizing the charter bus industry and helping to provide service across North America that is safe, easy, and affordable.

Founded in 2014, Bus.com has evolved from a ride-sharing platform to an industry leader in charter bus rentals, working with large and small-sized groups.

How did this come together?

Formed by Wolf Kohlberg and Kyle Boulay, they saw a major downside with the booking industry in terms of bus rentals and organizing large-scale group parties and activities. Whether it was attending a sporting event or chartering transportation for a work retreat, nothing existed that made the process "easy".

Initially called 'My Charter Bus', Kohlberg took his previous experience in the travel industry to create a disruptive platform to assist with the overall rental and charter bus services.

Boulay and Kohlberg would eventually meet through a mutual friend, and with both having a shared experience around the difficulties and gaps within this space, they knew they could create something that would make a large impact.

*image courtesy of BetaKit

Who are the main customers?

From personal experience, Co-Founders Kyle and Wolf began targeting music festivals, and other large-scale events.

There is also an element of community that has been created, as bus go-ers can chat online with others on the bus to make friends and find common shared interests before boarding.

How has this become so successful?

Learn more about bus.com here

Kyle Boulay (Co-Founder and Former CEO at bus.com) will be taking the stage at our upcoming TechTO: Together event in Montreal on April 25!

Tickets are selling fast - reserve your spot to learn more about his entrepreneurial journey and company story in real life!

Alex and Alex dove deeper into the latest headlines including more on the recovery of the funding market in the most recent episode of Quick Takes:

Quick Takes returns LIVE with a brand new episode tomorrow April 20 at 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PT across the TechTO platforms.

Catch up on past episodes here, and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.

• #ICYMI - Catch up on past newsletters if you hadn't yet subscribed!

• Canadian Startup news of the week >> LEARN MORE

• Raise News: Kensington Capital, a Toronto-based VC firm, held a $150M CAD first close on its third fund, which is targeting $290m CAD >> READ MORE

• Acquisition News: The Mufflerman, a Canadian portfolio company of Argyle Capital Partners, acquired Fleet Specialties, a Canadian provider of maintenance, repair, and custom uplifting for commercial fleets and corporate clients >> READ MORE

• How CFO's think about travel spend >> READ MORE

• The State of US early stage venture >> READ MORE

• *NEW CONTENT DROP* - Listen to the newest episode of our break-out Founders Journey Series. In today's episode, we chat with Mat Goldstein of DealMaker on his journey, lessons learned, and advice for other Founders looking to launch a company >> LISTEN HERE

Operations Coordinator, bus.com (Montreal, QC)

Why is this cool? bus.com is disrupting a $17B private bus industry (in North America alone) that is where the taxi industry was before rideshare. They are doing this by shifting business online and allowing event organizers to move large groups to their destinations with ease. In this role, you’ll be helping event organizers and riders use their platform, answer any questions and make suggestions on trip feasibility, pricing, availability, logistics, policies, etc >> APPLY HERE

Senior Software Engineer in Test, Dapper Labs (Canada | US | Remote)

Why is this cool? Dapper Labs uses blockchain technology to make web3 experiences easy, safe, and fun. Since it was founded in 2018, Dapper Labs has given enthusiasts a real stake in the game by bringing them closer to the brands they love, building engaged and exciting communities for them to contribute to, and producing new pathways for them to become creators themselves. They're currently recruiting a Senior SDET to help lay the foundation for continuous delivery at Dapper Labs >> APPLY HERE

Data Scientist, Deep Genomics (Toronto, ON)

Why is this cool? Founded in 2015, Deep Genomics is a drug development company that aims to revolutionize medicine by leveraging expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and genome biology. They are seeking a highly motivated data scientist/ bioinformatician with solid programming skills. The successful candidate will have a good understanding of molecular biology, human genetics, and basic statistics, and will take on tasks spanning bespoke analysis of experimental data, data visualization, genomics data processing, and experimental design >> APPLY HERE

Co-Founder Match, Technical Co-Founder Needed!

I am looking for a Technical Co-Founder that might need help in the business side of things.

I'm looking for someone that is already working on their own venture.

I am an entrepreneur - having co-founded a health-tech startup in 2019, developing a portable electronic dispenser for medication and cannabis oils. As the COO of that startup, my responsibilities included: fundraising, partnerships, finance, budget management, product development, intellectual property patenting, government grants, legal, trademarking, and HR.

I have a BSc in Civil & Environmental Engineering (Virginia Tech) and an MBA (University of Toronto).

You can learn more about me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected]

*Reply to this email and let us know the jobs you'd like to see

Check out the interesting content, events, and happenings for the community here:

• TechTO Together RETURNS TO MONTREAL: April 25, 2023 >> Hear from the top leaders and innovators from the Montreal tech ecosystem. Ticket includes food and a drink! >> REGISTER HERE 

• TechTO Together is back at OneEleven: May 1, 2023 >> The same TechTO networking, programming (and After Parties) you love >> EARLY BIRD TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE

Want to showcase your company, events, and opportunities to 60,000 subscribers across the Canadian Tech Eco-system? Reach out to [email protected] to learn more!