👋 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.
With July here, we were curious about what the most popular stories in 2024 were so far.
From the backstory of why a wealth advisor quit their job to innovate toilet paper to the need to pay attention to Calgary becoming one of the fastest-growing hubs in the world, read on for a pulse on who and what’s been making noise across the community.
Now onto today’s briefing. It’s 1,549 words: a four-minute read.
-Lisa
P.S. We’re trying a new look and would love to know what you think! Take our poll at the bottom so we can make your experience even better.
🗞️ FROM VTJ
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Vancouver's tech office experts - Celebrating 30 years!
Connect with The High Technology Facilities Group at CBRE – leaders in sourcing office space for BC’s startup and unicorn companies. The HTFG excels at helping clients find unique workspaces that drive productivity, reflect values, attract top talent, and fuel workplace culture.
This year, the team is celebrating its 30th anniversary! It’s been an incredible journey since the team formed in 1994 with talented individuals shaping Vancouver’s tech scene. Together, they've navigated through market changes, expanded their reach and built a reputation as creative problem-solvers. Here's to many more years of helping Vancouver's tech tenants!
Read more about their 30-year journey.
🤝 FUNDING & DEALS
adMare BioInnovations, which uses its own scientific and commercial expertise, specialized research infrastructure, and seed capital to help build other life sciences companies, received $10 million from the B.C. government to build a new wet laboratory that early-stage ventures could use.
GeoComply, a cybersecurity company that specializes in geolocation and identity verification, acquired a 40 per cent share in U.S.-based Betting Hero, a platform that helps businesses and influencers to generate additional income from the sports betting industry.
Damon Motors, an electric motorcycle and maker behind the award-winning HyperSport EV Motorcycle, is planning on going public in the coming months on the NASDAQ through a reverse merger.
Nexii Building Solutions, the green building company that claimed a valuation of $2 billion back in 2022, has been sold in a court-approved bankruptcy sale to Nexiican Holdings Inc. and Nexii Inc. for $500,000 and an assumption of $20 million in debt obligations.
Get the latest funding and deals announcements and stories curated in our Members-only Morning Report.
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🗞 IN OTHER NEWS
Henry Yang and Ming Liu announced the public beta of Eat n' Log, an AI-powered food diary to help restaurant goers, chefs, bloggers, and travellers record their dining experiences, is now live on Product Hunt — the online community for sharing the best new products.
Josh Grift created an open API that makes searching for government RFPs easier and more efficient — now available for BC and Nova Scotia — and put out a call out for anyone interested in trying for free.
Clio, the cloud-based law practice management software, is partnering with Amii, an AI research institute and one of Canada's three centres of AI excellence, to drive advancements in legal tech.
Vancouver’s Westport Fuel Systems and Sweden’s Volvo Group formed a new joint venture to develop components for hydrogen combustion engines for the heavy duty trucking sector in Vancouver.
entrepreneurship@UBC, the university’s incubator to help entrepreneurs build their ventures from the infancy to growth stage, celebrated five startups that graduated from its HATCH Venture Builder program.
Innovate BC, a crown corp. to foster innovation across BC, announced two new board members, Marilyn Loewen Mauritz and Hana Doubrava, and the reappointment of returning member, Edoardo De Martin.
Statistics Canada’s latest labour force survey, which shares current, monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment, revealed that BC's tech sector took a massive hit — losing over 15K jobs in June when compared to May.
💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
Qingyue Annie Wang, a Google software engineer, was featured in Business Insider on her journey of getting rejected by Google seven times before getting hired — from what kept her motivated to keep trying and what she learned that landed her an offer.
Paschal Okwundu, founder of Binta Financial, which offers tools to help newcomers build and maintain a robust financial identity and credit profile, was featured as one of the founders that showcased at AfroWorld, Western Canada’s biggest expo of African and Caribbean products and culture held at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Jeff Ward, founder of Animikii, an Indigenous tech company with products and services focused on website and software development, was featured in the Toronto Star as one of Canada’s visionaries and shared his thoughts on one of the most significant Canadian innovations of all time.
Peter Smyrniotis, executive operator and VC, shared critical and sometimes overlooked steps that founders need to take when launching a new product to market — from keeping your team motivated and informed to using all the tools in your box to get the product into the right hands.
👀 CAN’T MISS
July 9 | VTJ Coffee at WeWork on Main: Ease into the week with new connections and fresh ideas and inspiration by meeting the VTJ team and tech community over coffee. And if you’re looking to collaborate or partner with the VTJ, be sure to find Nicole to talk ideas!
➡️ Register
July 9 | VTJ Members-Only Co-Working Day: Are you a VTJ member and work from home but miss the camaraderie of the watercooler? Join us and and other members for a free co-working day at WeWork. Make sure to request in advance as spots are limited.
➡️ Request
July 9 | PNW Climate Week Happy Hour: Celebrate PNW Climate Week by making some new connections while chatting about all things climate — from exciting areas in climate tech to projects that you’re working on. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just dipping your toes into the climate world, this is the perfect place to learn, connect, and have a few laughs!
➡️ Register
July 12 | Climatetech Startups & Investors, Assemble!: Climatetech startups and investors in Vancouver will gather to discuss what can be done to collectively increase the positive impact on climate. Startups include Lite-1, Moment Energy, General Fusion, and Rohe Homes, and investors include Yuan Shi and Jerrod Shin.
➡️ Register
July 17 | VTJ x WeWork: The AI Adoption Equation: The Impact On Diverse Industries: Learn about the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, the role of data and ethics, and the future landscape of AI-driven industries. Whether you're a business leader, tech enthusiast, or policy maker, this session will provide valuable insights into the dynamic world of AI and its far-reaching implications across different sectors — from education and finance to manufacturing and retail.
➡️ Register
July 24 | #VTJTalks: From 0 to $100K ARR: Vancouver Founders' Playbooks: With growth at all costs being dead, achieving a healthy ARR growth rate is more critical than ever. Learn from inspiring founders’ own journey from going from 0 to $100K ARR and their tips and advice for other startups. Plus, you’ll get to ask your burning questions during the Q&A. Founders include Shawn Hewat at Wavy, Bernie Florido at Cocoflo, and Theo Yeung at The Bullpen.
➡️ Register
VTJ Members get early access and discounts to all our events. Don’t miss out.
👋 YOUR COMMUNITY
🗣 Online
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🤝 At the office
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🗓 In real life
See our local community calendar at VancouverTechEvents.com.
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