👋 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.
It’s been a notable week for Vancouver as Clio made history in Canada and globally with its Series F round, a local startup getting backing from First One Capital and other investors including Y Combinator, and a local founder interviewing Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg on a major moment in AI history.
Read on for the full details. It’s 1,100 words: a four-minute read.
-Lisa
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🤝 FUNDING & DEALS
Gumloop, an automation platform that lets anyone drag and drop to fully automate their work, raised $3.1M in seed funding led by First Round Capital with participation from Y Combinator and other investors to build its product faster.
Well Health Technologies, a healthcare provider and tech developer, and its partners raised $15.3M in funding for their $44M project to develop AI tech that helps doctors save time.
A new report revealed that Vancouver was the second city in Canada for VC financing deals through the first half of 2024 and that only a small percentage is private capital from within the country.
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🗞 IN OTHER NEWS
Rowan Cheung, founder of The Rundown AI, the world’s largest AI newsletter, interviewed Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg on Meta’s release of Llama 3.1 405B, the world's largest publicly available LLM, and why it marks a major moment in AI history.
Dipti Bhide, co-founder of LittleLit, an app to help kids learn how to use AI to make artwork, music, storybooks, designers, and more, announced the app is now being used in schools.
Global Relay, a communications compliance solutions provider for regulated industries, announced its financial compliance platform is integrating with OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise Compliance API to help their customers meet industry standards for business communications recordkeeping, data archiving, and surveillance.
VIA Rail is collaborating this summer with Hack Club, a global non-profit network of young coders, makers, and builders, for a cross-country train adventure from Vancouver to Toronto and then on to Montreal to build hands-on projects focused on sustainability, ecological science, and finding creative solutions to environmental challenges.
Self-driving robotic pods are being tested at the Vancouver International Airport to help passengers with varying mobility and guidance needs and those who may need assistance when travelling through the airport.
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💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
William Johnson was interviewed on the Alt-Text with Erin Gee podcast on Web Summit Vancouver and whether the conference will benefit the city and its tech community.
Sim Desai, co-founder and CEO of Hiive, the marketplace for private stock, was interviewed on the Smart Humans podcast on his startup journey and the launch of Hiive50, an equal-weight price index of the 50 most liquid securities on the platform.
Qaid Jivan, co-founder of TalentMarketplace, that provided a direct connection between clients and candidate, was featured in BC Business on exiting the startup to running a motel on the Sunshine Coast.
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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 companies 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 our 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: Connect with fellow VTJ members including local founders and 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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