The World Cup kicked off this Thursday. As fans congregate across Vancouver, Toronto, Mexico, and the US, they’re going to watch a more tech-powered game than ever before.
The ball now houses a motion sensor that takes 500 measurements per second—meaning it will have to be plugged in to charge before every game. Players will be monitored on the field with precision computer-vision tracking, coupled with full-body-scan digital twins and AI analysis to help coaches and referees make real-time calls. The tech takeover extends to cooling vests worn by players, upgraded telecom systems to boost network and broadcast capacity, geomatics companies monitoring traffic around stadiums, and event sports bettors setting odds via AI (Team Canada fans might not want to look).
Tech and innovation have always played a role in sports—otherwise, hockey pucks might still be made of frozen cow dung rather than vulcanized rubber. But AI is rapidly reshaping how sports of all kinds are played and coached at a pace that rivals the players’ speed on the field.
BetaKit’s Josh Scott recently visited a biomechanics lab in Toronto where researchers are developing a large reconstruction model, AI that converts 2D images into 3D video used to evaluate player form and trajectory in minute detail. Madison McLauchlan toured a boxing gym where MMA fighters used AI to track their hormones and energy levels ahead of Sunday’s big UFC fight. On Monday, we’ll be tuned in as Canada’s AI minister makes a sports-tech funding announcement in Ontario.
As you’re watching the beautiful game this week, take a second to consider the innovation that’s now powering it—and let’s hope the refs remembered to charge that ball’s battery.
Sarah Rieger
Managing Editor
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[Ottawa introduces bill to ban social media for kids under 16](https://betakit.com/ottawa-introduces-bill-to-ban-social-media-for-kids-under-16/)
The new Safe Social Media Act includes a swath of potential restrictions on both social media services and AI chatbots, as well as the establishment of a new regulator for online safety.
The legislation comes as Canada’s privacy watchdog found that Elon Musk’s X is violating Canadian privacy law with sexually explicit deepfakes, and a lawsuit that accuses OpenAI’s ChatGPT of contributing to a Montréal woman’s suicide last year.
Can a saliva test make UFC athletes better fighters? This Canadian startup is betting on it
To prepare for his fight against Sean O’Malley at the White House for UFC Freedom 250 today, Aiemann Zahabi trained in a Montréal gym with the help of Kintra, an early-stage company tracking hormones and other biomarkers to enhance the performance of MMA fighters.
Sentinel R&D at centre of Russian accusations that Canada is a “warmonger” Russia says that Canada is a “warmonger,” following a recent deal between Hamilton-based Sentinel R&D and Ukraine’s Airlogix, claiming the deal allows Ukraine to hide its military supplies in a third country.
News from Canada’s unicorns
- Challenger bank Kohoand online mortgage lenderNestohave both secured Series E rounds, valuing them at more than $1 billion. - Just months after becoming a unicorn, Toronto-based rollup company Beacon has secured another $225-million USDto equip more niche software businesses with AI. - Burnaby, BC-based Clio acquired fellow Canadian legaltech firmJurisage, giving it the legal database it needs to advance its AI roadmap on home turf.
Inside the GTA facility housing one of Canada’s most powerful supercomputers One group uses it to simulate the entire ocean, another to model the internal dynamics of stars. BetaKit takes you on a tour of a facility so powerful and secretive that we were asked to avoid any details that might be used to derive its exact location.
Ballooning AI costs have Canadian startups weighing alternatives In a panel discussion at AccelerateOTT on Thursday morning, leaders from a handful of Ottawa-based companies spoke about how they’ve changed hiring practices and become faster at pushing code using AI tools, but also how using those tools is costing them more and more.
New lawsuit accuses UniUni of sabotaging rival’s deliveries after lost contract A UniUni customer is alleging in a new lawsuit that the Richmond, BC-based last-mile delivery company deliberately didn’t deliver thousands of its packages because it beat UniUni for a contract with a lucrative customer. The allegations have not yet been tested in court.
Q&A: OpenCode’s founder on how the AI agent went from zero to 8 million users in a year
Jay V talks about the roots of his company’s open source ambitions, its challenges, and where he sees the industry going next.
FEATURED STORIES FROM OUR PARTNERS
Osler Deal Points Report finds Canada’s venture recovery was uneven in 2025
The 2025 Osler Deal Points Report shows that while Canada’s venture capital market recovered positively, the rebound heavily favoured series A and seed rounds.
Quebec’s largest delegation at Vivatech in Paris
Québec is stepping up its presence at VivaTech 2026 with a delegation of over 60 companies and, for the first time, a dedicated Québec space on the show floor.
Led by Québec Tech and the Centre of Excellence in Energy Efficiency (C3E), the initiative brings together startups, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners to showcase Québec’s strengths in AI, deeptech, fintech, and greentech.
Beyond visibility, the delegation is designed as a platform for real business outcomes—connecting companies with European partners, investors, and clients. A 140 m² booth will host live demos, talks, and collaborations, highlighting Québec’s role in advancing innovation and energy transition on a global scale.
Backed by a strong network of public and private partners, Québec is positioning itself as a key player in the international tech ecosystem.
Explore Québec’s VivaTech 2026 delegation
🇨🇦 Weekly Canadian Deals, Dollars & More
VAN – NESI [nabs](https://betakit.com/noram-electrolysis-systems-nabs-5-6-million-to-scale-up-lithium-refining/) $5.6M to scale up lithium refining
CGY – Kathairos [hits](https://betakit.com/kathairos-hits-million-tonne-milestone-for-co2-reduction-at-oil-and-gas-sites/) milestone for CO2 reduction
WPG – Ubisoft [closes](https://betakit.com/ubisoft-closes-winnipeg-office-laying-off-another-65-staff/) Winnipeg office, lays off 65 staff
SUD – Waive Medical [targets](https://betakit.com/waive-medical-targets-us-expansion-after-graduating-google-for-startups/) US expansion
TOR – Maneva [raises](https://betakit.com/maneva-raises-27-million-usd-series-a-to-expand-ai-vision-in-manufacturing/) $27M USD to expand AI manufacturing vision
TOR – DataBraid [secures](https://betakit.com/databraid-secures-1-9-million-usd-to-solve-insurance-brokers-portal-hopping-problem/) $1.9M USD pre-seed round
TOR – Cohere [signs](https://betakit.com/cohere-signs-exploratory-ai-agreement-with-quebec-government/) exploratory AI agreement with Québec
MTL – Innovation hub Ax.c [secures](https://betakit.com/montreal-innovation-hub-ax-c-secures-renewed-funding-and-dmz-partnership/) funding and DMZ partnership
[Physical AI and economic nationalism at BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall](https://betakit.com/physical-ai-and-economic-nationalism-at-betakit-most-ambitious-town-hall/)
“You guys have done what you’ve done with the wind in your face. Imagine if you had the wind at your back. Wow.”
Couldn’t attend BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall? Don’t worry. Enjoy Waabi CEO Raquel Urtasun explaining how the future of transportation will be driven by physical AI before sitting down to discuss Canada’s AI ecosystem with U of T president Melanie Woodin. Then we have former RIM co-CEO and CCI chair Jim Balsillie talking about the need for economic statecraft to drive Canadian prosperity before sitting down with BetaKit editor-in-chief Douglas Soltys to discuss the strategies entrepreneurs should consider to get the wind at their back.
Read BetaKit Most Ambitious 2026.
In the 21st century, there is no sovereignty without technology.
Meet the nearly 100 Canadian innovators strengthening our nation’s autonomy, security, and prosperity in BetaKit Most Ambitious.
Feature image courtesy Soccer Canada.
CORRECTION (06/15/2026): A previous version of this story referred to a “biometrics lab” in Toronto, when it should have referred to a “biomechanics lab.” The story has been updated with the correct term.