🗞️ This week, the spotlight is on bold bets and big ideas. From hydrogen-powered flights to quantum computing breakthroughs, BC tech is aiming high—and attracting serious dollars and partnerships to match. Microsoft is backing a local climate startup, UniUni is rethinking delivery with a U.S. partner, and Corinex just landed $42M to power up Europe’s smart grids.
Meanwhile, the New Ventures BC Competition enters round two with over 200 startups still in the running, Startup TNT is taking over Science World to kick off Vancouver Startup Week, and tech leaders across the country are calling on Ottawa to step up with a real economic vision.
Plus: The AI pitch mistake investors keep seeing, and how to fix it.
-TJ team
👋 Want 20% off Web Summit tickets this year, plus exclusive access to all our locked articles, events, and more? Vancouver Tech Journal members get that for less than the price of a coffee per week. Join the city’s tech leaders and become a member.
🗞️ FROM VTJ
Early-stage tech ventures from across the province move one step closer to $250K in prizes.
Science World will play host to high-stakes pitches and high-impact networking.
Three Vancouver founders share lessons from the front lines of expansion, digging into what it really takes to scale internationally.
A recent report suggests that Kits might could become an unlikely home to startups eyeing new office space.
In case you missed it…
Read more at vantechjournal.com
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES GROUP
Vancouver's tech office experts
Connect with The High Technology Facilities Group at CBRE – leaders in sourcing office space for BC’s startup and unicorn companies. The HTFG excels at helping clients find unique workspaces that drive productivity, reflect values, attract top talent, and fuel workplace culture.
💸 FUNDING & DEALS
Corinex Powers Up with $42M Raise: Vancouver's Corinex, led by CEO Peter Sobotka, secured $42 million CAD to expand its broadband-over-powerline energy technology across Europe, aiding utilities in modernizing smart grids.
Tiny Capital, Big Cheque: Victoria-based Tiny, led by co-founders Andrew Wilkinson and Chris Sparling, closed a $20 million bought deal to fuel its acquisition strategy of internet businesses.
Microsoft Taps BC Startup to Capture Carbon: Microsoft signed a significant carbon removal agreement with CO280, a Vancouver-based startup led by CEO Jonathan Rhone, to capture 3.7 million tons of CO₂ over 12 years by integrating carbon capture technology into pulp and paper mills.
BTQ Fast-Tracks Quantum with New Partnership: Vancouver's BTQ Technologies, under CEO Olivier Roussy Newton, partnered with QPerfect to advance neutral atom-based quantum computing and scale secure quantum applications.
UniUni and Shipium Team Up on Delivery Reinvention: Vancouver's UniUni, led by CEO Peter Lu, partnered with U.S.-based Shipium to modernize last-mile delivery services for enterprise shippers across North America.
🚨 Want all of the funding and deals announcements this week? VTJ members got it in their newsletter. Not a member? Fix that now.
SPONSORED BY FLOAT FINANCIAL
Launch alert! Float FX is here
In the midst of a trade war, Canadian companies need smarter ways to manage USD—without added friction or fees.
✅ Instantly convert between CAD ⇄ USD at industry-leading FX rates of just 0.25%
✅ Issue USD cards, pay US vendors and reimburse US employees, all within Float
✅ No USD bank account needed
Convert, spend and send USD like a local—without ever leaving Canada. Try Float today.
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
BC’s Innovation Engine Needs Fuel: In a Business in Vancouver op-ed, Jilly Earthy, CEO of InBC Investment Corp., calls for stronger local investment to help B.C. startups scale into global leaders, citing success stories like Clarius Mobile Health and Amplitude Ventures.
Tech Titans Demand Federal Vision: Over 150 Canadian tech leaders, including Vancouver's Boris Wertz (Version One Ventures) and Allen Lau (co-founder of Wattpad), signed an open letter urging political parties to prioritize a clear strategy for Canada's economic and digital sovereignty.
QueerTech Lands in Vancouver: QueerTech, a nonprofit fostering inclusive tech ecosystems, expanded into Vancouver, offering programs and events to support LGBTQ2S+ professionals in the tech industry.
ILM’s Vancouver Studio Levels Up at The Stack: Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) unveiled its new Vancouver studio in The Stack, enhancing its visual effects production capabilities in the city.
Web Summit Vancouver by the Numbers: The inaugural Web Summit in Vancouver could attract 15,000 attendees and generate $40 million in economic impact, underscoring the city's rising global tech profile.
Quantum Race Heats Up with Canadian Contenders: Three Canadian startups—Photonic (Vancouver), Nord Quantique, and Xanadu—were selected for a U.S. military-backed "Quantum Race" program to accelerate advancements in defense-focused quantum technologies.
Hydrogen Flight Milestone Takes Off in BC: A Vancouver-based aviation consortium celebrated Canada's first piloted hydrogen-electric test flight, marking a significant step toward sustainable regional air travel.
🚨 VTJ members got more stories like these in their Morning Report newsletter. If you’re not already a member, fix that now.
SPONSORED BY VANCOUVER RISE FC
Vancouver Rise kicks off their first game at BC Place on April 16! Be there to witness the start of a new soccer era.
💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
In a sharp LinkedIn post, Vancouver investor Christopher Chong calls out a growing problem: too many startups are pitching AI as the product, not the enabler. He warns founders against leading with tech jargon instead of clear business value—and shares a framework for crafting better narratives that resonate with customers and investors alike.
👀 CAN’T MISS
Join us for a special fireside chat with Dennis Pilarinos, where he’ll share lessons from both sides of the tech world — from leading teams at Microsoft and AWS, to founding Buddybuild (acquired by Apple), and now launching his newest venture, Unblocked, focused on AI tools for developers. Register now.
🚨 Remember: VTJ members get early access and 50% off our VTJ talks events as well as exclusive gatherings. Don’t miss out — if you’re not already a member, fix that now.
SPONSORED BY THE RUNDOWN AI
Learn how to make AI work for you
AI won’t take your job, but a person using AI might. That’s why 1,000,000+ professionals read The Rundown AI – the free newsletter that keeps you updated on the latest AI news and teaches you how to use it in just 5 minutes a day.
👋YOUR COMMUNITY
🗣 VTJ Community Slack – reply back if you need access.
💪 Become a VTJ Corporate Member and get your brand in front of thousands of tech professionals, investors, decision makers, and leaders. Get in touch today.
