Perspectives

Perspectives from
the Northside

News and bold ideas from founder, Alex McIsaac, and the Northside community.

Canadian defence and dual-use technology illustration with satellite, drone, naval vessel and radar over a Canadian skyline

Where is the White Space for Canadian Defence Founders?

Canada's defence budget is scaling toward NATO's 5% target, but only 84 dual-use companies have been founded here in the last five years. A category-by-category map of where the white space is for founders starting today.
Alex McIsaac
August 6, 2026
•
11 min read

Tech Trends I Observed in Q1 2025

Here are the trends that emerged after screening 1,600 companies and having 100+ founder conversations last quarter.
Alex McIsaac
April 7, 2025
•
5 min read

Announcing Northside Ventures $15M CAD Fund I

Northside Ventures has secured final close for Fund I to back Canadian founders at inception.
Alex McIsaac
September 5, 2024
•
4 min read

Year One Reflections and Strategies for Emerging Fund Managers

Practical advice for navigating the first year of fundraising.
Alex McIsaac
March 25, 2024
•
5 min read

3 Archetypes of Canadian AI Founders

In a year dominated by the meteoric rise of AI we observed the emergence of three founder archetypes.
Alex McIsaac
December 19, 2023
•
7 min read