On the TechTO stage ×1
First seen on the TechTO stage in 2026. Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Mathew ↗
In their words
The tax credits have allowed us to continue to budget and plan for the future as if we're getting a capital injection every year.
You will fail a lot. We're failing every day. If we're not failing, I get nervous. And we get to claim that, which is powerful.
Almost everyone's IP is worthless, and that's because AI has commoditized it. The only way you can be defensible is through branding, through a great team, through strong experience, but also through intellectual property protection.
Quick answers
What does Speer do?
Speer is a Toronto software and AI engineering studio that builds products for startups. Its distinguishing bet is patents: Mozaffari patented the device-tracking technology behind his own first app, concluded the world needs more patents, and built the company on that about seven years ago. Speer holds a portfolio of over 55 patents, plus more than a hundred attempts that failed or overlapped with existing work.
How has Speer used SR&ED tax credits?
Working with Boast, Speer has filed successful claims for four to five years, and the claims have kept growing. Mozaffari says the credits let the company budget and plan as if it received a capital injection every year, which is a big reason Speer hasn't needed to raise outside capital so far.
What is his advice for founders claiming SR&ED?
Document everything, including failures. Failed experiments are claimable, and each failure hints at what to try next. If AI wrote portions of your documentation, make sure you understand it yourself so you can support the claims and share evidence; do that and, he says, SR&ED becomes a breeze.