RBC bets $1.4 billion on Canadian tech

Good morning,

A quick note for VTJ Insiders before we get into the week's news.

If you haven't registered for our computer vision workshop on September 17, now's the time. Dr. Lino Coria from Northeastern University will walk through how machines learned to see — from rule-based systems to today's vision-language models — through live demos and guided activities. No ML background required, and it's free for Insiders.

We've also got a VTJ Talks coming up on September 24 in partnership with Entax, digging into how AI is changing the mechanics of startup funding — SR&ED claims, CRA audits, how VCs are using AI to screen deals. It's a conversation that's relevant to pretty much anyone raising or thinking about raising in B.C. right now. Early bird tickets are available, and Insiders get 50% off.

The rest of the week's news is below.

—Emily

Events

Teaching Machines to See: From Rules to Vision-Language Models

Working with the same image classification task throughout the session, you'll experience three generations of AI: traditional rule-based computer vision, pretrained neural networks, and today's vision-language models.

#VTJTalks: How AI Is Reshaping Startup Funding

From how founders raise to how the government decides who gets funded, AI is reshaping the mechanics of startup capital in real time. Some of it is exciting. Some of it is murky. And a lot of it is happening faster than the rules can keep up.

#VTJTalks: Is it a Problem or a Puzzle? Building Technology the Food Industry Actually Needs

For tech builders and investors, the opportunity is enormous. But there's an important distinction to understand: are we solving real industry problems, or simply working on entertaining puzzles?

Tech Days Vol. 2

Vancouver Tech Days is back for round two. Vol. 1 sold out in five days and went over capacity — proof that this city's builders want more than another networking mixer.

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From The Journal

NorthX invests $2.5 million in five women-led climate tech ventures

Four of the five companies are Vancouver-based, working on everything from seaweed-based building materials to permafrost stabilization.

Vancouver Tech Journal • Emily Edwards

B.C. builds the robots. Someone else gets the productivity.

We have limited time to change that.

Vancouver Tech Journal • Partner Content

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Funding, Deals, and More

RBC has launched a $1.4 billion initiative to invest in late-stage Canadian technology companies, with a new RBCx Growth Fund I targeting sectors including enterprise software, health tech, frontier tech, energy and agtech. Read more →
Richmond-based Holinova and Abbotsford's Fast Air have received up to $1 million through B.C.'s Integrated Marketplace to test a mobile battery and solar power system at Abbotsford International Airport, replacing diesel backup power for emergency aviation operations. Read more →
Innovate BC has opened a second round of its Early-Stage Demonstration Call, with up to $2 million available for B.C. companies to pilot their technologies in real-world environments across sectors including health, forestry, mining and marine. Applications close October 30. Read more →
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In Other News

PacifiCan has extended the deadline for its Regional Innovation Ecosystems program to October 30, giving B.C. organizations more time to apply for funding to help SMEs commercialize technology, expand markets and build resilience. Read more →
The federal government has launched a National AI Literacy Initiative in partnership with Alberta's Amii, offering free AI training to up to one million post-secondary students and more than 50,000 K-12 educators across Canada. Read more →

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