Quebec’s public pension plan manager did not disclose the amount, but Vooban CEO Kevin Moore told The Logic that the Quebec City-based company will use the money to fund acquisitions. The first will be a Quebec-based company that will add about 60 to Vooban’s 135-employee roster. “From there, we plan on making two acquisitions in the U.S. over the next three or four years, and one in Ontario, as well,” Moore said, without naming the firms he’s targeting. (The Logic)

Talking point: Founded in 2011 as a custom software-solutions company, Vooban pivoted to AI in 2017. Named artificial intelligence service company of the year at this year’s C2 Montréal conference, the firm provides AI-enabled software solutions, including an app-based pipeline-inspection tool for Quebec-based Flyscan Systems. Moore said Vooban’s technology will help the country bridge its widening productivity gap. “Canada is going to be the last on the OECD productivity list in 2030,” he said. “We’re missing more and more people in our manufacturing and everywhere in the economy. We have an important role to play.”