Here’s the startup news making headlines today on other Web sites and blogs. The Ontario government is serious about video games, a Waterloo startup is headed to Y Combinator, and ShopLocket offers more payment options.
Ubisoft Toronto eyed for growth
Can Toronto replicate the success of Montreal video game publishing scene? That’s what the Ontario government plans to do by boosting its digital media tax credit and pegging hopes on fast growth of the Ubisoft Toronto office. The hope is to turn Toronto’s collection of mobile and social game startups into mid-size companies with higher headcounts, similar to what has happened in Quebec.
Matt Hartley in the Financial Post
A Canadian startup in Silicon Valley
A Waterloo, Ont.-based startup that seeks to fix the problem of missed parcel deliveries has been accepted into Silicon Valley’s Y Combinator accelerator program. BufferBox had been vying for $50,000 in a LaunchPad competition, but now no longer qualifies for that seed money. Check out BufferBox’s video elevator pitch from our contest last November.
ShopLocket’s new payment partner
Newly launched startup ShopLocket now accepts Stripe payments. The Toronto-based firm went live April 25 with its product-based online store accepting PayPal payments, and now offers this alternative. Stripe users that have merchant accounts can simply authorize ShopLocket to begin accepting payments through the system. In addition to ShopLocket’s one-time $2 publishing fee and 2.5 per cent transaction fee, Stripe charges 2.9 per cent plus $0.30 on each payment accepted. There are no setup or listing fees.