Morning everyone,
Vancouver Tech Days sold out in eight days — we'll be honest, we didn't see that coming. Thank you to everyone who grabbed a ticket. We're releasing a limited number of additional spots via the waitlist, with priority going to VTJ Insiders and annual sponsors. If that's you, email [email protected] with your status to get an access code.
For those who haven't heard, Vancouver Tech Days is a two-afternoon event on July 27 and 28 bringing together founders, operators, and executives from companies that have actually broken through — nine-figure revenue, eight-plus figures raised. Speakers include Hiive co-founder Sarah Huggins, Safe Software CEO Don Murray, Moment Energy CEO Edward Chiang, and Ideon Technologies CEO Gary Agnew, among others.
The rest of the week's news is below.
-Emily
Events
SPONSORED BY PHS COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY
Help PHS Community Services Society match a $500K grant today
PHS Community Services Society is working to launch a life-changing commissary kitchen by matching a $500,000 grant from the Al Roadburg Foundation, and they need your help.
After a two-year search, PHS secured a former restaurant that now requires seismic, building, and operational upgrades. This new facility will expand PHS’s Food Program, which already prepares and delivers over 3,900 meals daily, including 2,000 hot meals in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
The current kitchen was designed for just 200 meals, creating urgent safety and capacity challenges. A purpose-built facility will increase meal production, expand storage, and ensure uninterrupted service for thousands who face poverty, food insecurity, and complex health challenges.
This is more than a building—it’s a lifeline.
From The Journal
SPONSORED BY RIIPEN
Practical AI adoption starts small
Riipen's AI Action Gap white paper explores how organizations can build AI readiness through focused, student-supported projects that deliver practical results. Download the white paper to learn how founders can turn AI opportunities into actionable projects. Click here.
Funding, Deals, and More
General Fusion has begun trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker "GFUZ," becoming the first publicly listed fusion energy company, with roughly US$150 million in cash to advance its technology toward key technical milestones in 2028. Read more →
Zymeworks is acquiring California and Ireland-based Theravance Biopharma for US$929 million, adding a commercialized respiratory drug to its portfolio as the Vancouver biotech moves to diversify beyond oncology. Read more →
Vancouver's LōD Technologies has been selected to pilot its grid-responsive AI inference technology with Dominion Energy, one of North America's largest utilities, in a region experiencing some of the fastest data centre growth in the US. Read more →
In Other News
The League of Innovators is accepting nominations for its 2026 Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards until tomorrow at 11:59 PM PT, with winners receiving national recognition and an invite to an awards weekend in Vancouver and Whistler in September. Read more →
Xtract One Technologies, whose AI team is based in Vancouver, has deployed its SmartGateway screening system at the Pacific National Exhibition ahead of this summer's FIFA-related fan festival events. Read more →
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