Hi everyone,
This week in BC tech, the momentum is hard to miss.
pH7 Technologies’ $25.6M Series B brought global heavyweights like BHP into Vancouver’s cleantech orbit, while Simuhealth’s oversubscribed raise showed that strong founder–market fit still attracts capital even in a cautious market. The province also laid out an ambitious plan to grow the tech workforce to 400,000, signaling a clearer commitment to talent and innovation as economic drivers.
On the community side, Gumloop’s return to Vancouver drew 200+ builders to a packed demo night at North House—one of two big moments for the early-stage scene as the new coworking hub officially opened its Mount Pleasant space. Individual wins continued the theme: Sabrina Scott landed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Edward Chiang took home the Fasken Climate Tech Award, and Aspect Biosystems was highlighted at the BC Export Awards.
Layer in major partnerships—Trulioo joining Google’s AP2 network, Aquanow teaming up with Visa, and CVCA announcing a new CEO—and the throughline becomes clear: BC’s tech sector is scaling its influence at home and abroad.
Here’s what happened this week.
P.S. I want to know how we should change things up here a bit:
How can we make the Sunday Briefing better?
From The Journal
SPONSORED BY VRIFY
Why Data Integrity is Imperative for Successful Innovation | An Example from Exploration
Training machine learning (ML) models on inconsistent exploration data is like fine-tuning an LLM on nonsensical text: you simply can’t trust the output. This article explores why data discipline is the hurdle that needs to be overcome for ML to be effective. Legacy datasets are typically riddled with mismatched formats, missing context, and ad-hoc structures that even the most advanced algorithms can’t fix on their own. The piece outlines how automation, modern data schemas, and targeted human review can reconstruct these records into coherent, ML-ready inputs. While the learnings come from mineral exploration, the principles apply to any industry dealing with legacy data. Read more.
SPONSORED BY FORESIGHT CANADA
Nominations Open for Canadian Cleantech Awards
Celebrate innovation at the first-ever Canadian Cleantech Awards! Building on the success of Foresight's regional awards, this new national event recognizes leaders across the country, while fostering high-value networking and deal-making. Join us in beautiful Kelowna, BC, May 2026 for golf, wine, and economic opportunity. Submit your nomination!
Funding, Deals, and More
Simuhealth raises $2.6M+ to transform healthcare training: Vancouver-based Simuhealth has closed more than $2.6M in funding—oversubscribed 25% above its original ~$2M target. CEO Matthew Housser thanked partners including Looking Glass Capital, Parade Ventures, RiverPark Ventures, AltaIR Capital, Startup TNT, and several angels. The company is building simulation-based tools to modernize clinical training and address healthcare capacity challenges.
Read more →CVCA appoints Benjamin Bergen as new CEO: The Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) has named Benjamin Bergen as its next CEO. Bergen is known for his work in federal innovation policy and his advocacy for Canadian founders—an appointment that may shape how capital formation and venture policy evolve over the next decade.
Trulioo joins Google’s Agent Payments Protocol (AP2): Vancouver-based Trulioo is now part of Google’s new AP2 initiative, providing identity verification infrastructure for agent-led transactions. The collaboration is designed to improve security and reduce fraud across expanding payment networks.
Aquanow partners with Visa on stablecoin settlement: Digital asset infrastructure company Aquanow has partnered with Visa to enable faster cross-border settlement using stablecoins. The collaboration reflects the growing role of blockchain technologies in enterprise payments—an area where Vancouver continues to carve out an influential niche.
SPONSORED BY FASKEN MARTINEAU
Tomorrow starts here. Own it with Fasken
Fasken has been supporting founders, investors and acquirers in the emerging tech ecosystem for over 30 years. We offer a full suite of services that scale as your needs evolve. Let's build the future together. Learn more.
In Other News
Sabrina Scott named to Forbes 30 Under 30: Burnaby’s own Sabrina Scott, co-founder of CURA, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Science category. Scott’s work sits at the intersection of advanced materials, healthcare innovation, and commercialization—an increasingly important space for BC’s growing life sciences sector.
Moment Energy CEO wins Fasken Climate Tech award: Edward Chiang, co-founder and CEO of Moment Energy, has been awarded the Fasken Climate Tech Founder of the Year prize. Chiang’s leadership has helped propel the company’s battery-repurposing technology into large-scale production, positioning BC as a national leader in circular energy systems.
BC Export Awards spotlight technology innovators: The BC Export Awards highlighted several tech companies advancing innovation in the province, including Vancouver-based bioprinting leader Aspect Biosystems. The awards recognize businesses making significant contributions to BC’s global competitiveness.
Read more →
👀 What’s Next
December 10: #VTJTalks: Grading Vancouver's Innovation Economy in 2025 with Hiive, Planet Food, Reusables, and UBC
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