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The BBABC on becoming the 'Black Amazon'
Plus, find out what some of the newest and fast-growing startups are up to — funding and partnership-wise
Lisa Tanh
April 28, 2024
In partnership with
👋 Good morning, and welcome to (or welcome back to) VTJ’s Sunday Briefing: your weekly digest of the city’s innovation news, deals, insights, and more.
The past week was packed with exciting events that brought our team around the city — from the award-winning ‘Show Her The Money’ doc screening at the VIFF Centre to our #VTJTalks with cybersecurity experts at the Vancouver Lookout. We’re stoked that in between the chaos, we got to re-connect and meet some of you for the first time. If we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, look out for details of our next weekly coffee chat through Luma.
Now onto today’s briefing. It’s 1,136 words: a four-min. read.
-Lisa
P.S. We’re trying a new look and would love to know what you think! Take our poll at the bottom so we can make your experience even better.
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🤝 FUNDING & DEALS
Suzano Ventures, the VC arm of the world’s largest market pulp producer, is investing up to USD $5 million in the Vancouver-based Bioform Technologies — which developed a printing platform to replace plastic from operations with compostable and recyclable products.
Hairun Huang won the first place prize of $3K at BCIT’s ‘Student Innovation Challenge’ for Budget Eats: a platform to discover and share hidden gem restaurants with affordable menus and an idea born out of vancouver.dev.
Raven Indigenous Capital Partners and Pow Wow Pitch are continuing their partnership to provide funding access to Indigenous entrepreneurs — as well as mentorship, educational resources, and networking opportunities.
entrepreneurship@UBC has opened up its call for applications for its next ‘Venture Founder’ cohort where UBC researcher or scientists will receive mentorship and support from startup entrepreneurs and experts to define and validate their venture opportunity.
SPONSORED BY COAST, AN INITIATIVE OF SOUTH ISLAND PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP
Network with COAST & OSC
Come join us in Victoria on May 6th for a Networking Mixer co-hosted by COAST and Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. Connect with marine professionals and innovators shaping coastal and ocean industries. Don't miss this opportunity to forge connections and spark collaborations. Register here.
🗞️ IN OTHER NEWS
New Ventures BC shared the list of startups that made it to round two of its annual ‘New Ventures BC Competition’ — where participants receive mentorship and education opportunities and the top three finalists have the chance to win $250K in cash and prizes.
Copperleaf Technologies, the former B.C. unicorn that provides enterprise decision analytics, is partnering with the Vancouver Airport Authority to improve their capital investment planning process.
Walter Software, the Vancouver-based legal tech platform, is partnering with BC’s largest law firm, Fasken, to automate legal processes for Canadian startups.
Sanctuary AI, the Vancouver-based developer of humanoid general-purpose robots, revealed its seventh generation of robots that are ‘cheaper and faster to produce’ and have a ‘better range of motion in the hands, wrists, and elbows.’
Fobi AI, the Vancouver-based AI and data intelligence company, signed a data license agreement with Vancouver Island Brewing to leverage data analytics and insights to drive growth and innovation.
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💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
Sim Desai, CEO of Hiive, the Vancouver-based trading platform for private, VC-backed companies, was featured in the ‘Demistify the Fundraising Game' podcast and shared the company’s journey in tackling problems in secondary markets.
Tina Haertel, co-founder of Adauris, the Vancouver-based company that helps digital publications convert their articles into high-quality audio, was spotlighted in a Morgan Stanley Inclusive ventures lab video on how she and her team are empowering publishers and creators.
Joel Hensen, head of marketing at LOI Venture, shared takeaways from the VC firm’s fireside chat with Wesley Chan, the founder of Google voice analytics and one of the earliest investors at Canva, on the future of tech startups.
👀 CAN’T MISS
May 1 | VTJ’s AI Demo Night: Curious about who’s working on what in Vancouver’s AI community? Don’t miss out on our very first AI demo night in partnership with AInBC for a chance to get the inside scoop while connecting with fellow AI enthusiasts over food and drinks. Register now before the last few spots are taken. (Members get a 50% discount, find your code below.)
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May 2 | Proptech Startup Panel Event: Join a collective of real estate professionals, technologists, entrepreneurs, and community builders for an engaging panel on the world of proptech. Attendees can expect to hear about the trials and tribulations to lessons learned and a lively exchange of ideas. Use our discount code for 50% off: VANTECH50.
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May 8 | TechExit.io: Learn the ins and outs of how your tech company can prepare to be ‘M&A ready’ through connecting with seasoned experts and hearing the biggest acquisition success stories.
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May 17, 18, 25 | Techstars Startup Weekend: Do you have a problem to solve or an idea you’d like to bring to life but don't know where to start? Or who to start with? Or do you just want to learn how to build a startup and an entrepreneurial mindset? Startup Weekend is here to help through an action-packed three-day event where you’ll meet the best mentors, investors, co-founders, and sponsors.
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