Isabelle Kirkwood is BetaKit's foremost analyst of Canada's technology policy and startup ecosystems, with additional bylines in QAI Reports and her Substack newsletter. Her reporting combines regulatory expertise with founder-centric storytelling, particularly in these areas:
When approaching Kirkwood, focus on:
Notable Achievements:
Isabelle Kirkwood has carved a niche as one of Canada's most insightful tech journalists through her decade-long focus on venture capital flows, regulatory shifts, and founder resilience. Her career began at BetaKit (2019-2021), where she established herself as a authoritative voice on fintech policy and startup economics. Since transitioning to freelance work in 2021, she's expanded her portfolio to include deep dives into emerging technologies like quantum computing while maintaining regular contributions to BetaKit.
"Her dogged reporting and attention to detail have resulted in several features BetaKit has been most proud to publish." - Douglas Soltys, Editor-in-Chief of BetaKit
This 2022 analysis demonstrated Kirkwood's ability to translate complex regulatory frameworks into actionable insights for startups. Through exclusive interviews with Bank of Canada executives and fintech founders, she mapped the impending Retail Payments Activities Act's impact on payment processors. The article became required reading in Canada's fintech community, cited in multiple corporate compliance guides.
Kirkwood's 2024 investigation into quantum computing talent leveraged original data from the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing. By correlating PhD graduation rates with startup formation metrics, she revealed how Canada maintains a 3:1 researcher-to-entrepreneur ratio in quantum tech - double the global average. The piece influenced Talent Canada's 2025 immigration policy recommendations.
This 2023 case study exemplified Kirkwood's founder-focused storytelling. Through six months of embedded reporting at Looka (formerly Logojoy), she documented the AI design platform's pivot from B2C to enterprise sales. The article's financial model breakdowns and churn rate analysis set a new standard for startup post-mortems in Canadian tech journalism.
Kirkwood prioritizes startups that proactively address regulatory changes. Her 2022 series on open banking compliance demonstrated how she frames technical topics through real-world business impacts. Pitches should include clear explanations of how products align with (or challenge) existing frameworks like Canada's Consumer-Driven Banking Act.
Stories quantifying Canada's tech workforce advantages consistently capture her attention. The quantum talent report [2] succeeded by pairing Statistics Canada data with startup CEO interviews. Emphasize hiring pipelines, academic partnerships, or upskilling programs in pitches.
Kirkwood's analysis of Looka's turnaround [3] reflects her interest in adaptive business models. When pitching SaaS companies, include metrics on iteration speed and customer feedback integration. Avoid vanity metrics - she prioritizes profitability timelines over raw user growth.
Won for her Bank of Canada fintech series [1], this award recognizes journalism that clarifies complex policy issues for executive audiences. The judging panel noted Kirkwood's "rare ability to make compliance strategies compelling through founder case studies."
Her quantum talent analysis [2] received 73% of reader votes in this public-nominated category. The win underscores her talent for transforming academic research into actionable business intelligence.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Tech, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
