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Let’s be honest, it’s been a tough week. But let’s use some spare brain cycles to reflect on defense tech, AI in Canada and alternative investments. — Anna

Time for defense

Just two weeks ago, I mused on the fact that defense tech is no longer a taboo for VCs or for top tech talent. It is too early to tell how long the Israel-Hamas war that started after last weekend’s atrocities against civilians may last, but it is likely to make democracies’ need for defense tech even clearer.

That’s true in the U.S., as well as in Europe, where defense AI company Helsing is built on the premise that “software, in particular artificial intelligence, will be the key to protecting our democracies.”