👋 Good morning, and welcome to VTJ’s Sunday Briefing: your weekly digest of the city’s innovation news, deals, insights, and more.
Vancouver was left off the podium by this year’s Globe and Mail Report on Business. With the exception of Richmond-based ecommerce delivery outfit UniUni, the annual ranking of Canada’s top-growing companies of 2024 didn’t feature a single business from the lower mainland until 60th place. Couple that with CBRE’s recent report showing Vancouver has slipped out of the top 10 tech markets in North America, and it seems the local ecosystem has some work to do.
How can the city’s businesses solve this problem? One way is by doubling down on applied AI. Find out in our members-only long-read this week about how combining the technology with the city’s resource industries could provide a much-needed productivity windfall for Vancouver.
Oh — and if you’re not yet a member, you’ve got one week left to claim your 30-day free VTJ membership trial:
Join us! It’s pretty cool over here.
Now onto today’s briefing. It’s 1,151 words: a three-minute read.
-Kate
🗞️ FROM VTJ
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🤝 FUNDING & DEALS
KOHO, the Vancouver-born “challenger bank”, raised $190 million to continue its pursuit of a bank license.
Plurilock, a cybersecurity provider, announced a $26.2 million contract with a semiconductor company in the S&P 500 index.
Telus Corporation acquired shares of Telus Digital, giving the organization approximately 5.99% of outstanding subordinate voting shares.
DigiBC received $720,000 from PacifiCan for Signals, a Vancouver-based initiative combining a creative technology event with talent development opportunities for students and recent graduates.
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🗞 IN OTHER NEWS
The Globe and Mail Report on Business published its annual ranking of Canada’s top growing companies of 2024 — Vancouver businesses didn’t break the top 60.
That said, LinkedIn’s 15 Top Canadian Startups for 2024 featured three Vancouver companies: Hiive, Quandri, and pH7.
The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade released its survey of the top issues felt by businesses and residents.
The Fraser Institute, a Vancouver-based public policy think-tank, revealed that workers’ earnings were lower in every Canadian province than in every state in the U.S.
EA Sports launched NHL 2025 worldwide. The game was produced and developed in Vancouver.
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💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
Charlie Grinnell, co-CEO of Rightmetric — and insights service for marketers — revealed his five-step method to identify top-performing content.
Katie Fitzmaurice stepped into the role of executive vice president of Invest Vancouver, and reflected on what makes the city a vital tech market.
Leaders from the Council of Canadian Innovators argued that whoever forms the next Government of BC needs to have a strong innovation strategy.
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👀 CAN’T MISS
October 8 | Sustainable Production Forum: This one-day conference is an annual event that brings together the film and television industry to accelerate sustainable industry practices. Held in the Yaletown Roundhouse, the summit offers panels on climate, storytelling, greening production, and more.
➡️ Get tickets
October 8 | Inside the Series Entrepreneur’s Journey: This event brings together tech leaders and successful entrepreneurs who have launched multiple businesses, faced countless challenges, and emerged stronger with each venture. A panel discussion will delve into the key aspects of their journeys — how they navigate failure, pivot their strategies, and continue to scale businesses across different industries. VTJ members get 40% off.
➡️ Get tickets
October 9 | Richmond Founders Huddle: Are you a founder who is working on an exciting startup idea? Do you want to connect with other founders and get feedback, advice, and support? Founders Huddle is a monthly event where up to three founders can use 5-10 minutes to share what business they are building, what kind of challenges they are facing, and what kind of help they need from the community.
➡️ Get tickets
🚨 Remember: VTJ members get early access and 50% off all our events. Don’t miss out — become a member now.
👋 YOUR COMMUNITY
🗣 VTJ Community Slack | Can’t make it to any in-person events? Network and chat with your friendly neighbourhood tech professionals using our dedicated Slack.
🤝Vancouver Tech Jobs board | Looking for work? Looking for your next hire?
🗓️Vancouver Tech Events Calendar | All local events in one place.
💪 Become a VTJ Corporate Member | Get your brand in front of thousands of tech professionals, investors, decision makers, and leaders. Get in touch today.
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