UBC's investor-ready companies take the stage

Creators as media companies: the new brand partnerships

Security, compliance, and AI risk before it's a problem

We get a lot of requests for coffee meetings, quick drinks, and “can I pick your brain?” chats about Vancouver tech. We love the curiosity—but we can’t meet one-on-one with everyone.

​So we host open office hours.

​Every couple of weeks, we post up at a bar or café for informal, no-agenda conversation. Grab a beer, coffee, or tea and come talk to us about whatever’s on your mind—fundraising, storytelling, media, community building, where the ecosystem is heading, or something totally different.

​​​​Four days. Thousands of attendees. A global spotlight on Vancouver. Again. Round two is officially over.

Now that the dust has settled, we’re bringing together local leaders from the worlds of tech, startups, and government to unpack year two of Web Summit Vancouver.

Meet UBC's investor-ready companies Tuesday, April 14, at UBC Robson Square.

By working alongside UBC researchers, Innovation UBC supports the translation of discovery into venture creation, guiding founders through the most critical stages of company building: developing networks, gaining market traction, and raising capital.

Our ventures have completed intensive training and mentorship programs designed to equip them for the realities of entrepreneurship. The investor relationship is among the most consequential a company will form, and year after year, our innovation ecosystem has shown up to champion our founders as they take their ventures to the next level.

What’s top of mind today for leaders in Vancouver’s tech community? Join TAP and UBC Sauder as local leaders in analytics and AI share their thoughts. They’ll provide insights on how AI is augmenting business analytics functions — and what this means for companies in the analytics space.

They'll be discussing the impact of AI on early-career talent, particularly in analytics. Find out how their approach to hiring early-career talent has changed (or not!), and their thoughts on how to prepare for careers in the tech sector.

​​​​​​Creators aren’t just influencers anymore. They’re media companies, product founders, investors, and community builders. Many own direct distribution through newsletters, podcasts, paid memberships, and private communities. They understand attention, trust, and narrative better than most traditional brands.

​At the same time, brands have evolved. The era of transactional sponsored posts is fading. What’s emerging instead are deeper partnerships—co-created products, revenue-sharing agreements, ambassador equity deals, and long-term storytelling collaborations.

Hear from:

​​​​​​AI is moving faster than most compliance and legal frameworks can keep up with — and for founders, that gap is both a risk and a decision point.

This event brings together a small group to get into what actually matters: what founders need to understand about security posture, regulatory exposure, and AI risk before it becomes a problem.

Stay tuned for more details.

Apply for this Genome Canada program that funds collaborations between Canadian companies and academic research partners to bring genomics and biotechnology innovations to market — with up to $3M in public funding available per project through two streams.

Apply for this cost-sharing grant program that funds small, medium and large enterprises to support skills training for their workforces, including prospective new hires.