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MaRS confirms network of 20 international partners, building Canada’s global innovation gateway

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MaRS’s international network gives Canadian scale-ups a direct pathway to global ecosystems, markets and customers.

TORONTO, Sept. 16, 2026 /CNW/ — Today, at the Innovation Exchange: MaRS Global Summit in Toronto, MaRS Discovery District secured commitments from more than 20 international innovation agencies and partners. This network builds off the successful model MaRS has developed with Innovate UK, Invest Northern Ireland and the Toyota Mobility Foundation’s Mobility Unlimited Hub. Eight memoranda of understanding (MOUs) were signed today, with the remainder progressing through final review and signature in the weeks ahead.

The premise behind this global initiative is straightforward: attracting investment into Canada while also creating pathways for Canadian innovation into international markets. The MaRS summit was designed to follow directly on heels of the federal Investment Summit to help Canadian science and tech companies translate that investment and innovation into international customers, partnerships and growth.

From market access to market outcomes

The network reflects something Canadian companies have always understood: with a small domestic market, building for just one market was never an option. That instinct now lines up with a recent shift in federal priorities to diversify trade. It’s critical that Canadian companies get the support they need to build out their multi-market strategies while remaining headquartered here, and the partners in this network — from the U.K. to Japan, Northern Ireland to Australia — provide it. 

Canada has built an extensive network of trade agreements and international relationships. But market access alone doesn’t guarantee commercial success. Companies still need trusted partners, market intelligence and connections to customers, investors as well as procurement opportunities to convert that access into revenue. The MaRS network is designed to help close that gap by connecting Canadian companies with innovation organizations that understand their local markets and can provide pathways to commercial opportunities.  

Canadian scale-ups consistently cite finding the right partner to reach customers as a critical factor in international growth. With the ongoing trade disruptions with the United States, more and more founders are looking to diversify their markets: In a recent MaRS poll of founders, 47 percent of respondents reported that they have shifted focus beyond the U.S. in the past 18 months.

“What we heard from our founders is that they need help making the right connections into new global markets — the kind that lead to real customers and real growth,” says Grace Lee Reynolds, CEO of MaRS Discovery District. “Capital gets a company built, but without customers, it only gets you so far. This network is how we help scale-up companies make those critical connections.”

From international network to Canadian capability

The Innovation Exchange: MaRS Global Summit is just the beginning. MaRS intends to work with governments, innovation organizations and ecosystem partners to develop the network as shared commercialization infrastructure, expanding international market pathways, connecting companies to customers and procurement opportunities, and using data to identify where Canadian capabilities align with global demand. The model is designed to complement the work of organizations already supporting Canadian companies internationally, including federal and provincial governments, economic development agencies and trade and investment organizations. Rather than creating another standalone program, we aim to connect existing Canadian solutions through a common pathway, making it easier for companies to find the right opportunities.

MaRS plans to keep expanding this network with additional countries and agencies over time, alongside continued programming and direct introductions for companies on both sides.

About MaRS Discovery District

MaRS Discovery District is a charitable organization and one of North America’s largest urban innovation hubs, helping Canadian science and technology companies commercialize and scale. Building on a 25-year legacy of supporting founders, MaRS connects ventures with capital, customers, talent and expertise — through venture programming and partnerships, MaRS IAF (one of Canada’s most active seed-stage venture funds), MaRS Connect (a live digital marketplace linking commercially ready ventures with buyers, partners and sources of capital), and more than 1.5 million square feet of world-class lab, office and event space across the MaRS Centre and MaRS Waterfront in downtown Toronto. Since 2010, MaRS-supported ventures have generated $11.5 billion in cumulative revenue, raised $19 billion in funding and created and maintained more than 33,000 jobs.

SOURCE MaRS Discovery District

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Alfar Capital, Walter Capital Partners, and BDC Capital complete the sale of MSP Corp. to Niobrara Capital, capping a four-year build from a regional Quebec IT provider into one of Canada’s largest managed IT and cybersecurity platforms

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MONTREAL, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alfar Capital and Walter Capital Partners, together with BDC Capital, announced today the sale of MSP Operational Corp. (“MSP Corp.”), one of Canada’s largest providers of managed IT and cybersecurity services to small and midsize businesses, to Niobrara Capital, a New York-based private equity firm focused on middle-market B2B technology and technology-enabled services companies. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction completes the growth plan Alfar and Walter Capital Partners set out in 2022 when they acquired Groupe Access.

Founded in 1993, Groupe Access was a Quebec-focused IT services provider operating in a fragmented market served largely by subscale regional players. The investment thesis was to build a national platform by acquiring and integrating select regional providers with complementary capabilities, a scalable delivery model, and an accretive revenue profile, creating a business able to compete for SMB clients across Canada. Four years on, that thesis has been successfully executed.

During Alfar, Walter’s, and BDC’s holding period, MSP Corp. completed five acquisitions, transforming the platform from a local Quebec player into a pan-Canadian platform operating from Quebec to British Columbia, with extensive capabilities across cybersecurity, cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Since its inception, MSP Corp. has completed the acquisition and integration of more than 20 Canadian providers, now sharing a single service catalogue, a single delivery model and a single brand. Over the same period, MSP Corp. developed one of Canada’s deepest Microsoft practices, all six Microsoft Solutions Partner designations, and launched Guardian Shield, its packaged cybersecurity offering, shifting the revenue mix further towards managed services.

Alfar and Walter collaborated with management on establishing the operating infrastructure a platform of that size requires: a strengthened finance function, a rebuilt sales organization with a common go-to-market motion, standardized pipeline discipline and KPI reporting across regions, and a leadership team built to run a national business, highlighting the collaborative partnership that led to this successful outcome.

MSP Corp. today serves more than 2,300 recurring clients from coast to coast with a team of approximately 500 IT professionals across 12 offices in six provinces and one territory. Habib Malik, who has led the Company through the build-out, continues as Chief Executive Officer under Niobrara’s ownership.

“This transaction is a milestone for our clients, our team, and our partners,” said Mr. Malik. “Over the past four years, we’ve gone from a regional IT provider to a pan-Canadian platform, and with Niobrara we enter our next chapter. We see a substantial opportunity to keep consolidating a fragmented market and to broaden our cybersecurity and AI offering. None of this would have been possible without Alfar, Walter and BDC, who backed our team from day one and gave us the capital, the discipline and the room to build a national company.”

“When we invested in Groupe Access in 2022, we saw a regional company with a management team capable of running a national platform,” said Fares Kabbani, Founder and Managing Partner at Alfar Capital. “Four years later, Habib and his team have integrated five acquisitions into one business, one service catalogue, one delivery model, one culture, and built one of the deepest Microsoft and cybersecurity practices in the country, with the foundations in place for the next phase of growth. This is exactly the kind of outcome Alfar exists to create for entrepreneurs, and we are proud to hand the next chapter to Niobrara, who will use this platform as their entry point into the North American managed services market.”

Canaccord Genuity acted as exclusive financial advisor to MSP Corp, Alfar Capital, Walter Capital, and BDC.  Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton acted as financial due diligence advisor, and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP as legal counsel to the sellers.

About MSP Corp.

MSP Corp. is a pan-Canadian managed services provider specializing in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and IT support services. With a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, MSP Corp. offers tailored solutions to help businesses stay ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. For more information, visit www.mspcorp.ca

About Alfar Capital

Alfar Capital is a private equity firm focused on buy-and-build strategies, that backs founder-built businesses and turns them into scaled, growth oriented, professionalized enterprises. Focused on B2B manufacturing, distribution and services, Alfar partners shoulder-to-shoulder with management teams to accelerate growth, execute strategic acquisitions, and unlock operational performance, transforming strong companies into market leaders. For more information, visit www.alfarcap.com

About Walter Capital Partners

Walter Capital Partners is a private equity firm part of the Walter Group. Its investment model combines capital inflow and operating expertise to support the growth of promising companies on solid and sustainable foundations, by drawing on the entrepreneurial background of the Walter Group and the extensive business leadership experience of its managing partners. Headquartered in Montréal, Walter Capital provides a solid international network. For more information, visit www.waltercapital.ca

About BDC Capital

BDC Growth Equity Partners is a division of BDC Capital, the investment arm of BDC, Canada’s Business Development Bank. With $9 billion of assets under management, BDC Capital serves as a strategic partner to the country’s most innovative firms. It offers businesses a full spectrum of capital, from seed investments to growth equity as well as ownership transition solutions, supporting Canadian entrepreneurs who have the ambition to stand out on the world stage. For more information, visit bdc.ca

About Niobrara Capital

Niobrara Capital is a U.S.-based private equity firm focused on middle-market technology investments. With decades of combined experience leading and scaling global technology businesses, Niobrara partners with business-to-business technology and technology-enabled services companies to deliver strategic leadership, growth acceleration, and operational excellence. For more information, visit niobraracap.com

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SOURCE Alfar Capital Management GP Inc

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NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Discovers a New 222-m Diameter Lunar Crater

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera team recently discovered a new crater on the Moon that is twice the length of an American football field. The study, published in Science Advances, was conducted by members of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) science team, including Principal Investigator and lead author Dr. Mark Robinson of Intuitive Machines and co-author Dr. Julie Stopar of USRA’s Lunar and Planetary Institute. 

The crater is scientifically important because it is the largest yet that was formed and discovered during LRO’s lifetime at the Moon. Scientists estimate that it was formed between April 11 and May 22, 2024,, about 2.5 years ago. It measures 222-m in diameter; this is a size that is estimated to form roughly once in a lifetime, or ~130 years. The crater shows the immediate effects of the impact cratering process before exposure to space and meteorite bombardment wears it down and hence is very useful for further studies. 

It is officially named McGetchin crater after Thomas McGetchin by the International Astronomical Union (https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/16447). Dr. McGetchin served as Director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), then known as the Lunar Science Institute (LSI), beginning in 1977, the same year that marked the inaugural summer of the LPI Internships in Planetary Science Program. A renowned volcanologist and lunar scientist, McGetchin made lasting contributions to planetary science. The model of impact-crater ejecta developed by McGetchin and colleagues in 1973 remains an important framework for interpreting the formation and distribution of ejecta around impact craters and basins.

The new crater seems to have formed on a boundary between the cratered and craggy lunar highlands and a wide, flat mare. Its depth is about 43 meters on average.

The crater is also surrounded by a bright blanket of ejecta — rock and dust that splashed out in all directions when the impact occurred — that extends hundreds of meters from the rim.

Additional Information

After the embargo lifts, anyone may view a copy of the manuscript at https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv.

Reporters can access the paper at VancePak, https://www.eurekalert.org/press/vancepak/.

For reporters having difficulties accessing the paper from the press package, please have them contact vancepak@aaas.org.

For information on Planetary names, go to (https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/16447).

Authors of the Science Advances paper: Mark S. Robinson, Aaron K. Boyd, Prasun Mahanti, Madeleine R. Manheim, Emerson J. Speyerer, Julie D. Stopar, Robert V. Wagner

About LPI

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), an institute of Universities Space Research Association, was established during the Apollo program in 1968 to foster international collaboration and to serve as a repository for information gathered during the early years of the space program. Today, the LPI is an intellectual leader in lunar and planetary science. The Institute serves as a scientific forum attracting world-class visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, students, and resident experts; supports and serves the research community through newsletters, meetings, and other activities; collects and disseminates planetary data, engages and excites the public about space science and invests in the development of future generations of scientists. The research carried out at the LPI supports NASA’s efforts to explore the solar system. More information about LPI is available at www.lpi.usra.edu.

About USRA 

Founded in 1969, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is an independent, nonprofit organization that advances space- and Earth-related science, engineering, and technology through innovative research, education, and workforce development programs. USRA partners with government agencies, academic institutions, and industry to address some of the nation’s most complex scientific and technical challenges.

For more information, visit www.usra.edu 

PR Contact:
Suraiya Farukhi
sfarukhi@usra.edu
443-812-6945

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SOURCE Universities Space Research Association

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TEN Holdings Announces $2 Million Share Repurchase Program and Strategic Technology Relationship with GLSoft Corp.

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LANGHORNE, Pa., Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TEN Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: XHLD) (“TEN Holdings” or the “Company”), through its subsidiary, Ten Events, Inc., a technology platform for enterprise-grade webcasts and virtual events, today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $2.0 million and approved the establishment of a strategic technology and engineering relationship with GLSoft Corp. (“GLSoft”).

$2.0 Million Share Repurchase Program

Under the newly authorized share repurchase program, TEN Holdings may repurchase up to $2.0 million of its outstanding common stock through December 31, 2026. Repurchases may be made from time to time through open-market transactions, privately negotiated transactions or other transactions deemed appropriate by the Company, including pursuant to trading plans or arrangements intended to comply with Rule 10b5-1 and/or Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

The timing, price and amount of any repurchases will be determined based on market conditions, the trading price of the Company’s common stock, available liquidity, applicable securities laws, contractual restrictions and other relevant factors.

The authorization does not obligate the Company to repurchase any specific number or dollar amount of shares, and the program may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time.

In connection with the authorization of the new program, the Board also approved the termination of the Company’s existing share repurchase program administered through Bancroft Capital, LLC.

“We believe the authorization of this new share repurchase program provides us with an additional tool to strategically allocate capital while maintaining the flexibility necessary to continue investing in the growth of our business,” said Virgilio Torres, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TEN Holdings, Inc. “Following the strengthening of our balance sheet earlier this year, we believe it is important to maintain a disciplined approach to capital allocation. This authorization allows us to evaluate opportunistic repurchases when we believe they represent an attractive use of capital, while continuing to prioritize investments in technology, product development and long-term growth.”

Strategic Technology Relationship with GLSoft Corp.

The Board has also authorized TEN Holdings to establish a strategic relationship with GLSoft, providing the Company with the ability to utilize GLSoft’s engineering, software development and broader technology capabilities as opportunities arise.

The relationship is expected to provide TEN Holdings with additional flexibility to pursue product engineering, software and technology development, platform integrations, technical support, technology licensing, redistribution, resale and commercialization initiatives.

Rather than committing the Company to a specific project or minimum expenditure, the authorization enables management to identify and pursue individual development and technology initiatives with GLSoft when management determines that doing so is beneficial to the Company and consistent with its strategic objectives.

“Expanding our technology and engineering capabilities is a critical component of where we want to take TEN Holdings,” Torres continued. “Our objective is to evolve beyond a traditional webinar and virtual-events offering and build a broader, more scalable technology platform. Having the ability to leverage additional engineering and development resources through relationships such as GLSoft gives us greater flexibility to accelerate product development, evaluate new technologies and bring additional capabilities to market.”

The GLSoft authorization complements TEN Holdings’ previously announced strategy to invest in expanded product functionality, automation, analytics, artificial intelligence and other technologies designed to increase the scalability of its platform and broaden its addressable market.

About TEN Holdings, Inc.

TEN Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: XHLD) is a technology company for enterprise-grade virtual events, offering a self-service platform through its subsidiary, Ten Events, Inc., that scales to over 100,000 concurrent attendees at 99.99% uptime. The Company is backed by more than a decade of experience producing mission-critical corporate broadcasts for Fortune 500 clients, and its roadmap extends this foundation with AI-driven capabilities in analytics, captioning, and intent data. Headquartered in Pennsylvania, TEN Holdings produces virtual, hybrid, and physical events supported by its Ten Events Pro platform. To learn more, visit www.tenholdingsinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s growth strategy and participation in industry conferences, and the uncertainties related to market conditions and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and other filings with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and TEN Holdings, Inc. specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Relations Inquiries:
Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
Scott Powell, President
1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor
New York, New York 10036
Office: (646) 893-5835
Email: IR@skylineccg.com

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SOURCE TEN Holdings, Inc.

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