👋 Good morning, and welcome to (or welcome back to) VTJ’s Sunday Briefing: your weekly digest of the city’s innovation news, deals, insights, and more.
First! From science fiction to reality — General Fusion is using fusion energy, the same process that powers the sun and stars, to create commercial clean energy from Richmond. Discover how much more financial backing it’s received to put its ambitious idea into practice, which major Vancouver tech conference has pushed pause in 2025, and discover 14 other local tech stories you’ve missed.
This week’s briefing is 1,170 words: a four-minute read.
-Lisa
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🗞️ FROM VTJ
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🤝 FUNDING & DEALS
Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, is investing $61 million in a suite of research and development tech at its corporate office in Vancouver and Indigenous-owned aerospace and defence company COTA Aviation.
InBC, B.C.’s strategic investment fund, is investing an undisclosed amount in Mangrove Lithium, which helps turns lithium into batteries and is backed by Bill Gates.
VC firm Raven Indigenous Capital Partners announced it’s among the five VC fund managers to receive an investment from the federal government’s Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative.
VC firm Active Impact Investments shared a list of recent follow-up investments as well as an updates on its other portfolio companies.
Tradable Bits — a fan engagement, data, and marketing solutions provider — is partnering with DAZN, a Taiwan-based sports destination platform, to make telecasts more engaging.
Zafin, a product and pricing platform for banks and credit unions, is partnering with 10x Banking, a cloud banking platform, to accelerate innovation for the financial sector.
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🗞 IN OTHER NEWS
Remitly, a U.S.-based online remittance service, announced it’s opening its first Greater Vancouver area office in New Westminster.
Clio, the legaltech unicorn, announced that it’s been named to the Forbes Cloud 100 List, which ranks the top private cloud companies around the globe.
Developers East Side Games and and Mighty Kingdom announced the launch of a new mobile game in collaboration with leading toy and game company, Hasbro.
Foresight Canada, a cleantech accelerator, shared its Foresight 50 program alumni’s achievements toward advancing their solutions and supporting Canada’s economic growth.
💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
Justin Reist, writer at publication Climate Tech Canada, unpacked green construction tech company Nexii’s journey from reaching unicorn status to declaring bankruptcy, and then recently relaunching.
Shawn Pang, TikTok’s first product manager in Canada and co-founder of agency HashMatrix, shared the biggest takeaway he’s learned from creating growth strategies with notable clients like FlowGPT and Rabbit R1.
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👀 CAN’T MISS
August 14 | #VTJTalks: Non-Dilutive Capital: Secure a Strong Balance Sheet in Uncertain Times: Many questions remain about the impact of changing global economic trends on companies and what CEOs can do to position their businesses for success. Join this event to learn about the different types of non-dilutive capital and to hear first-hand experiences of local companies that leverage this type of financing to scale their business.
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August 20 | WTF: How VCs and Startups Can Navigate Global Uncertainty: In a year marked by geopolitical, economic, and social volatility, the landscape of private investing and capital allocation is undergoing significant transformation. Moderated by VTJ’s very own William Johnson, this event brings together industry leaders, seasoned investors, and innovative startup founders to explore the multifaceted impacts of global uncertainty on private capital markets.
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August 22 | VTJ Members Only Social: Meet fellow VTJ members and various founders, tech leaders, and enthusiasts at a local pub. There’s limited capacity so register as soon as you can. We’ll be hosting socials on a regular basis and hopping around the city to try out different spots within Vancouver's restaurant scene.
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August 22 | AI for Impact: Connect with industry leaders and enthusiasts to learn about the latest AI advancements. This summit aims to foster knowledge sharing, inspire collaboration, and showcase how AI is transforming various sectors. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, this event will provide valuable insights into the future of AI.
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August 29 | End of Summer Soiree: Kick off the end of the summer with RBC Dominion Securities and its community of of investors, entrepreneurs, startups, founders, and funders. Attendees can expect to network over appetizers, canapés, and drinks.
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VTJ Members get early access and discounts to all our events. Don’t miss out.
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