🏙️ Ask two tech titans anything

Ever wanted to ask two business leaders worth over $100 million how they did it?

On Friday, we’re hosting famed writer, entrepreneur, and investor Sahil Bloom at the Vancouver Playhouse. He’ll be in conversation with Tiny CEO Andrew Wilkinson — who has himself started, acquired, or invested in more than 80 companies (and was featured in the New York Times last month).

For your opportunity to ask these two titans anything — yes, literally anything — you’d better get your tickets for Friday’s event right now, before they’re gone. Trust us: you won’t want to miss out.

Now onto today’s briefing. It’s 965 words: a four-minute read.

-Kate (@KateWilsonSays)

🗞️ VTJ Stories

🤝 Funding and deals:

• The Government of Canada announced $9.9 million to scale up B.C. technology businesses and improve productivity.

• Vistara Growth, which provides creative and tailored growth debt and equity financing solutions, provided Skytap with $18 million.

• Local electric motorcycle maker Damon Motors merged with Inpixon and plans for a Nasdaq listing of the combined company.

• PrecisionOS, which provides virtual reality orthopedic surgical education, has partnered with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to augment its training.

• WhistleBlower Security, which provides ethics and compliance reporting solutions, was acquired byCase IQ (formerly i-Sight).

• For all the local funding and deals stories, become a member now »

🗞️ In other news:

• B.C.-based businesses RainStick, Sanctuary AI, and Naqi Logix were amongst the innovators named on TIME’s list of the best inventions of 2023.

• The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade announced the winners of the 2024 Rix Awards.

• Zafin, a local provider of SaaS for banks, announced it is investing in the future of STEM with the launch of two new scholarship programs for higher education.

• VTJ contributor Paul Welsh launched brainds.ai where brands, brains and AI come together to help founders and early stage companies build their most important asset: their story.

• Vancouver-based fintech firm Lendesk unveiled an AI assistant.

• For 10 more stories, become a member now »

💡 Ideas and insights:

• Jason Smith, CEO of Klue, writing on LinkedIn about his takeaways from this year’s conference season.

• Hiroki Kudo, director of MerryBiz, created a video about his experience applying to Y Combinator.

• Bijan Vaez, venture partner at Antler, wrote on LinkedIn about what companies should look for when bringing on a CTO.

• Ryan Carter, project lead at the Immigrant Employment Council of BC, writing on his organization’s blog: “What’s stopping you?” – Overcoming barriers to hiring tech-skilled immigrant talent in Canada

• Tamer Mohamed, the founder and CEO at Aspect Biosystems, joined BNN Bloomberg to discuss how the company is treating incurable diseases.

💼 Take your career to the next level

• There are hundreds of Vancouver tech businesses searching for talent, including LexSelect, New Ventures BC, BC Public Service, Lululemon, and Amazon.

• Check out who else is hiring on our Vancouver Tech Job Board »

• Growing your team? Post a job with us »