👋 Welcome to VTJ’s Sunday Briefing: your weekly digest of the city’s innovation news, deals, insights, and more.
This week has been a busy one for the Vancouver tech community. A local venture outfit acquired four companies, and we counted three new partnerships for lower mainland businesses — including that between Jane App and Documo. Meanwhile, funding came in for Ideon Technologies, Lucid Vision Labs, and Evergen Technologies. Read to the end of the newsletter to hear thoughts from Vancouver VC Chris Neumann on why investment has been unseasonably high.
Also — in case you missed the announcement, Web Summit (previously known as Collision conference) is coming to Vancouver in May! Vancouver Tech Journal will be the hub for all things Web Summit, and we’re building out the ultimate survival guide now. If you’ve got an event happening between May 26 to 31, let me know at [email protected].
Now onto today’s briefing. It’s 1,378 words: a three-minute read.
-Kate
P.S. We’re still trying out our new-look newsletter. Let me know what you think! You can take the poll below, or shoot me a message at [email protected]. (And shoutout to Allen Pike, CEO of Steamclock Software, for sending an amazing Loom of his feedback!)
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🗞️ FROM VTJ
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🤝 FUNDING & DEALS
Need-to-know story of the week
Lower mainland-based MyFO — a platform for family offices and the wealth management professionals who service them — has closed an oversubscribed $3.5 million seed round led by Rhino Ventures, a Vancouver venture capitalist outfit. The cash will be used by MyFO to scale its operations to meet demand, improve its product, and expand its team.
MyFO works with family offices — a privately held company that handles investment and money management for a very wealthy family — of which MyFO says there are now more than 7,000 worldwide, collectively worth $5.9 trillion. Often, family offices find wealth management fragmented and cumbersome, with critical financial documents and data scattered across various software and storage locations. MyFO’s platform streamlines this by consolidating information and tools in one place, to help different generations navigate their financial future.
🚨 Want all of the latest funding and deals announcements? VTJ members got it in their newsletter. Not a member? Fix that now.
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🗞 IN OTHER NEWS
Need-to-know story of the week
TEDx Abbotsford has announced the speakers for its 2024 summit, themed "The Power of Gratitude." The event will take place on November 15, at The University of the Fraser Valley.
This year, the organization says, promises to be a “profound exploration of the transformative nature of gratitude and its impact on mental, physical, and societal well-being.” Research shows that embracing gratitude can lead to improved mental health, increased happiness, and physical well-being.
Speakers for the event include:
Monique Bellamy – Stand-up comedian and motivational speaker specializing in resilience, self-love, and personal growth through humour.
Catherine Ducharme – Founder of Fluency Leadership, a professional coach committed to building positive leadership and appreciative workplaces.
Dr. Lauren Erland – Canada Research Chair in Berry Horticulture at UFV, leading research in environmental resilience for berry crops.
Dr. Allyson Jule – Dean of the Faculty of Education, Community, and Human Development at UFV, with a focus on gender equity in education.
Dr. Fiona MacDonald – Assistant Professor specializing in gender politics and co-editor of key feminist research publications.
🚨 VTJ members got 15 more stories like these in their Morning Report newsletter. If you’re not already a member, fix that now.
💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
Need-to-know story of the week
Chris Neumann, partner at Panache Ventures, this week had a lot to say about funding trends over the last four months:
“Summer is historically a bad time to fundraise,” he wrote on his blog, “but Q3 2024 was absolutely on fire. The team at Panache made more new investments in Q3 than we have in a single quarter in three years (and that’s saying a lot!) In fact, we had three portfolio companies publicly announce new funding rounds on the same day.
“And we were far from the only VC to have had a busy Q3. But many of those funding rounds remain unannounced and unreported, leading to some misguided and misinformed reports that seed funding is down. Take my word for it, credible founders with credible companies are getting funded at a rapid pace. And nearly every such deal is highly competitive, with multiple term sheets surfacing within a matter of days.”
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👀 CAN’T MISS
October 21 | DevTools Vancouver Meetup: Join the Vancouver.dev community to connect with local DevTool founders, engineers, and enthusiasts. Attendees can expect to not only network but see some exciting demos, learn about Vancouver’s DevTool companies, and ask any burning questions. |
October 24 | #VTJTalks: Fall Fundraising Playbook: Insights From and for Vancouver Founders: Our next #VTJTalks will feature success stories from experienced founders and practical strategies for effective fundraising. Attendees will gain valuable insights into crafting compelling pitches, building meaningful investor relationships, and using Vancouver's unique resources to secure capital. |
October 29 | Powering Canada’s Digital Future networking reception: Join the Information and Communications Technology Council for an exclusive networking reception to fuel innovation. Connect with like-minded professionals, industry leaders, and digital economy employers while exchanging ideas, sharing insights, and discussing potential employment opportunities in digital infrastructure and cloud roles. ➡️ Register |
🚨 Remember: VTJ members get early access and 50% off all our events. Don’t miss out — if you’re not already a member, fix that now.
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