👋 Good morning, and welcome to VTJ’s Sunday Briefing: your weekly digest of the city’s innovation news, deals, insights, and more.
Remember when that Vancouver lawyer got in hot water when she tried to use ChatGPT for a legal brief — and it gave her two cases that it completely made up? Check out our exclusive on the new Caseway AI, which works in a similar way to ChatGPT but is trained exclusively on Canadian court decisions. It’s worth knowing about next time you need a lawyer — or have to contest a parking ticket.
Plus, discover which 10 startups have made the finals of the prestigious New Ventures BC Competition, and what space tech is happening in your backyard.
Now onto today’s briefing. It’s 1,172 words: a three-minute read.
-Lisa
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🗞️ FROM VTJ
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🤝 FUNDING & DEALS
Non-profit Creative BC and public-private partnership Canada Media Fund announced a new program that will invest $1M in up to $200K grants to support B.C.’s video game businesses.
Purebread announced partnerships with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and ChopValue.
UBC Blusson Quantum Matter Institute put a call out for SMEs to apply for its nanofabrication accelerator program, and receive up to $18K for projects.
Tara Bosch, founder of Smart Sweets — the first brand to innovate candy without sugar — is accepting applications for Bold Beginnings, a program where eight female entrepreneurs will receive mentorship and up to $25K.
HybriGenix Futures, a Vancouver-based hydrogen tech integrator, and Nu:ionic, which combines electricity with low-cost hydrogen carriers, have signed an MOU to develop a power plant in Alberta.
Get the latest funding and deals announcements and stories curated in our Members-only Morning Report.
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🗞 IN OTHER NEWS
Amazon unveiled the atrium and collaboration space for employees in its new Vancouver office, and announced plans to open its Vancouver North building tower in 2026.
UBC was among six Canadian universities that was recognized as a top university for founders by Pitchbook, a resource for global capital market data, research, and insights.
Teck Resources, one of B.C.’s biggest mining companies, announced a new business structure and shift to an energy-transition metals business.
Vee Sharma, co-founder and CTO of Ad Aduris, a platform that helps digital publications convert their articles into high-quality audio, shared that the company is listed as one of the top 100 AI startups in Canada.
💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
Steve Lowry, the founding executive director of AInBC, which unifies local AI and ML communities, wrote about why he’s stepping back from the organization, as well as his thoughts on the latest AI activity in the province.
Chris Neumann, partner at Panache Ventures, wrote on his blog about how building a business is just like running a lemonade stand.
👀 CAN’T MISS
September 10 | Founders, Funders & Friends Fall Mixer: Join Startup TNT, Coho Growth Capital, Invoke, and Nevvco Strategies to kick off the busy fall season for a drop-in mixer designed for tech founders, investors, and local leaders to network, share insights, and reconnect. This private event offers a relaxed atmosphere where you can catch up with industry peers, explore potential collaborations, and maybe even do some deals.
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September 12 | Tech Talk: Career Roundtable: Whether you’re launching your tech career, considering a change, or you're a seasoned pro eager to explore different roles, this roundtable event is the perfect place to engage with tech enthusiasts and experts to navigate the tech career landscape.
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September 18 | #VTJTalks: BC Women Leading in Climatetech: Gain insights into what it takes to combat a warming world and learn from the experiences of experts who are leading the charge in climatetech. Their stories of resilience, innovation, and leadership are not just inspiring — they are essential to understanding how we can collectively rise to the challenge of climate change.
➡️ Get tickets
September 19 | RPAA Readiness for Payment Service Providers: Essential Steps to Compliance: This November, payment service providers (PSPs) offering services to the Canadian market must register with the Bank of Canada under the Retail Payment Activities Act. If you’re a PSP, join VTJ, experts, and industry peers to learn and ask questions about what you need to know to prepare.
➡️ Request
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