👋 We’ve officially completed our membership drive! Thank you so much to everyone who signed up. Because of you, Nicole, William, Emily, and I can continue to provide the best quality news and events for you and your Metro Vancouver community. And as a way to show our appreciation, we’ve secured you a members-exclusive 20% off deal for Web Summit tickets this year (worth $99). The discount code will be in your members-only newsletter on Thursday morning! (And if you’re not yet a member and want to get that deal too, there’s still time to join us for less than $2 a week.)
🗞️This week, InBC — the province’s $500 million investment fund — has been busy, announcing a $10 million investment into Vanedge Capital, as well as a partnership that will ramp up its focus on intellectual property. (Plus, last week, InBC was part of Novarc’s $50 million funding round.) Meanwhile, there’s been news of three more Vancouver acquisitions (scroll down to the “in other news” section to learn more), including one by UniUni, which is B.C.’s fastest-growing company. Oh, and find out which popular Vancouver business paid a six-figure settlement for unregistered trading, read about the launch of a platform for fintech innovators and regulators, and check out the business opportunities for B.C. companies as the provincial government rallies against Elon Musk.
-Kate Wilson, managing editor
🗞️ FROM VTJ
The province’s $500-million investment fund is the latest crown agency to ramp up focus on IP. (🔒 Members only)
The platform has paid a $100,000 settlement to the BC Securities Commission.
The provincial government, B.C. Hydro, the Vancouver International Auto Show, and private citizens have publicly rallied against the tech CEO this week. (🔒 Members only)
The Vancouver-based venture fund will support early-stage hard tech companies in the province.
The move strengthens the Richmond-based company's position in e-commerce logistics.
The BCSC has launched CSA Collaboratory: a digital platform for regulators and fintech innovators to work together to support Canada’s financial markets, and asks for your feedback.
Read more at vantechjournal.com
SPONSORED BY STARBOARD RECRUITMENT
Vancouver's trusted recruitment partner.
Starboard Recruitment specializes in finding quality talent for Vancouver's top tech companies. A trusted partner, they are highly recommended by many industry leaders. View testimonials here
💸 FUNDING & DEALS
While leading electric-car-maker Tesla is in hot water with the provincial government, the feds are throwing their support behind hydrogen-powered vehicles.
HTEC — which develops hydrogen fuel solutions for all kinds of transportation methods — has received a hefty $49 million from the federal government’s Strategic Investment Fund. The money will support the company's $472 million project to build and operate a facility that will capture and liquefy 15 tonnes a day of industrial by-product hydrogen in North Van, turning waste into a valuable, clean fuel.
HTEC next plans to build up to 20 hydrogen refuelling stations across B.C. and Alberta, three hydrogen production facilities, and a fleet of 100 hydrogen heavy-duty fuel cell electric trucks.
Why does it matter? Over the next three decades, global demand for clean hydrogen is expected to increase tenfold. Canada has already signed an agreement with Germany to be its reliable supplier of hydrogen, which the country hopes will power its economy. The federal government is likely backing HTEC to help fulfil that promise.
🚨 Want all of the latest funding and deals announcements? VTJ members got it in their newsletter. Not a member? Fix that now.
SPONSORED BY AEROPRESS
Enjoy the world-renowned flavor of AeroPress, a velvety-smooth coffee without the grit or bitterness found in other methods. Loved globally, with 55K+ 5-star reviews.
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
We’re living in the midst of a Vancouver acquisition boom. Last week, we reported that four companies — Pocketed, Hubly, Clio, and Apply Digital — were all involved in acquisitions. This week, there’s three more.
Firstly, Speedsense, which works on e-commerce web performance optimization, was acquired by Yottaa. Yottaa believes web performance isn’t just about page loads but is the ultimate revenue driver, and acquired Speedsense to help customers measure revenue impact.
Klue, an AI-powered competitive intelligence platform, acquired fellow Vancouver company Goldpan, which works on AI-driven win-loss research. Goldpan has been building AI tools in stealth over recent years, and its specialized tools for marketing and buyer insights will be added to the Klue platform.
And finally, UniUni, a last-mile delivery service, acquired Toronto-based Shippie to improve its position in e-commerce logistics. UniUni ranked 11th on Deloitte’s Fast 500 list in 2024, making it the fastest-growing company in B.C., with a 12,853 percent increase in headcount.
What does the acquisition boom mean? The Vancouver tech ecosystem might be finally maturing. When companies are bought, it implies that a community’s startups have proven technology, customer traction, and growth potential, making them attractive to larger firms. Meanwhile, the Vancouver players absorbing smaller companies are ready to strengthen their market position.
🚨 VTJ members got 12 more stories like these in their Morning Report newsletter. If you’re not already a member, fix that now.
SPONSORED BY WEWORK
Whether you're an established enterprise or a scaling startup, find a coworking space that's right for you. Connect with a WeWork expert today.
💡 IDEAS & INSIGHTS
Diraj Goel, founder of Vancouver-based venture catalyst firm GetFresh Ventures, has published a cheatsheet on different fund types.
“Micro Fund VCs ($5-50M) care about finding the next unicorn with minimal capital,” he writes. “Their entire fund is 10 to 15 investments, so each one must return the whole fund. They believe in your vision but can't write meaningful follow-on checks.
“Family Office VCs care about preserving wealth first, [and] growing it second. They want conservative bets with established patterns. They operate on a timeline that exists in a different dimension than startup time.
“Traditional VCs, the ones who have dominion on the term, care about fund returns and raising the next fund. Your company is one of many swing-for-the-fences portcos [portfolio companies]. They're under tremendous pressure to deliver results within specific timeframes, so growth is paramount.”
👀 CAN’T MISS
March 26 | 🎟️ #VTJTalks: SaaS 101: Boosting Revenue at Seed, Scale and Beyond: Scaling a SaaS business is a game of strategy — one that requires founders and investors to navigate pricing models, go-to-market motions, and sustainable growth tactics. Whether you're building your first software startup or scaling an established SaaS company, this session will provide practical insights to help you optimize revenue at every stage. (VTJ members get 50% off tickets).
April 3 | 🎟️ VTJ Members-Only Workshop: Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with AI: Join us for an exclusive VTJ members-only workshop with Kushank Aggarwal, a creator entrepreneur with over a million followers and an AI SaaS founder. This session isn’t about the AI basics you’ve already seen. Instead, Kushank will dive into surprising, practical, and game-changing AI use cases — from workflow automation to unexpected productivity hacks. You’ll leave with immediately actionable insights that go beyond ChatGPT prompts. (Want to attend but not a member? Become one now.)
April 9 | 🎟️ Vancouver Tech Morning Coffee: Join Vancouver Tech Journal and Segev LLP for a morning of excellent coffee and pastries, great conversations, and even better connections. This meetup is your chance to connect with fellow founders, investors, and industry pros, and exchange ideas and spark new opportunities — all before your first meeting of the day. It’s free to attend, so please register to let us know how many to expect.
🚨 Remember: VTJ members get early access and 50% off all our events as well as exclusive gatherings. Don’t miss out — if you’re not already a member, fix that now.
👋YOUR COMMUNITY
🗣 VTJ Community Slack – reply back if you need access.
💪 Become a VTJ Corporate Member and get your brand in front of thousands of tech professionals, investors, decision makers, and leaders. Get in touch today.