After a whirlwind seven days, Vancouver Startup Week is finally over — but your networking doesn't have to be.
Tomorrow, keep an eye on your inbox for a special email from me. We’re offering you a chance to keep building your community with a one-week free membership to test-drive Vancouver Tech Journal’s exclusive community events, opportunities, perks, and giveaways, so you can keep growing your network.
Today, though, I’ve got a whole load of great stories for you — including the news from Mayor Ken Sim that the City of Vancouver will be hiring a Chief AI Officer. Interested in the job? Think it’s a great idea? Worried about what it means for the city? Vote in our poll, or drop me an email with your comments. I’m always here for you at [email protected].
Now onto today’s briefing. It’s 1,212 words: a four-minute read.
-Kate, @KateWilsonSays
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The serial-entrepreneur-turned-mayor shared his experiences navigating the lows of building businesses, the highs of leading Vancouver, and the newest position for hire at the city.
A Panache Ventures partner tells you how to get their money.
Sam Gharbi, co-founder and CEO of Arya Health, details how his startup’s adoption of AI could change the industry.
The local telecommunications giant is all-in on Vancouver, putting money into everything from cellular infrastructure to sponsoring the Whitecaps.
The SaaS company, which has an office in Vancouver, is backed by local investors Panache Ventures, among others.
Read our top members-only briefing from last week — including news of legal and financial trouble for a Vancouver unicorn.
Join the Movement: Clean Transportation Month
You may be aware that Metro Vancouver has among the highest rates of EV ownership in North America. However, did you know that the region is also a leading developer of clean transportation solutions?
The burgeoning clean transportation sector has a crucial role to play in helping the region to achieve significant emissions reductions and build a low-carbon, resilient future — in particular supporting the rapid development and scaling up of zero-emission and low-carbon options and bringing new innovations to market.
This June, Invest Vancouver is celebrating the region’s clean transportation innovation. Join their team this month in reimagining the regional transportation experience and engaging with policy and business leaders from around the world.
🤝 Funding and deals
Spare — a demand-based transport company — has partnered with Uber to integrate its transit platform into Uber's extensive driver network.
Local VC firm Rhino led the $8 million Series A round of Twig Fertility, a Toronto-based company working to improve the process of fertility treatments.
Version One Ventures led the $2 million seed round of Antimatter, a company building a peer-to-peer learning network that’s centred around memes.
The Province is providing $4 million to support the BC Hydrogen Ports Project, a collaboration between public and private sectors, led by HTEC
For more local funding news, become a Vancouver Tech Journal member »
Helping innovators and changemakers tell their stories
As the country’s leading tech PR firm, Switchboard – an Earnscliffe Strategies company helps innovators create positive change by driving communication strategies that get results. Whether you need brand positioning, media relations, issues management or content creation, see how they’ll get you real results.
🗞️ In other news
The local construction unicorn Nexii is facing legal trouble in both B.C. and the U.S.
The BC Securities Commission suspended the former CEO and CFO of BLOK Technologies from the investment market due to the pair’s admitted misrepresentation.
HelloSafe, which helps Canadians compare financial products, ranked Canada as the fourth best country in the world for startups in 2023, and Vancouver as the 41st best city worldwide.
Local unicorn Trulioo released new capabilities to help with its automated business- and person-verification workflows.
For 10 more stories and our daily coverage, become a Vancouver Tech Journal member »
Lease opportunities at Centre for Digital Media
Embed your organization in Vancouver's vibrant Creative District and gain access to Centre for Digital Media's ecosystem.
- Unit 160: Bright, open concept with a two-storey ceiling and coverable skylights. This is a versatile production/programming/maker/office space.
💼 Take your career to the next level
There are hundreds of Vancouver tech businesses searching for talent, including Montra Interactive, BC Public Service, Boomi, UrbanLogiq, The Coaches Site, Ari, and Brainstation.
Check out who else is hiring on our Vancouver Tech Job Board »
Growing your team? Post a job with us »
Teach computing part time
Want to teach what you do all day? BCIT Computing is looking for part-time instructors in subjects from games design to cloud computing. Learn more.
💡 Ideas and insights
Brandon Chapman, principal at Saas Wealth Insurance, interviewed in Wealth Professional: Why is tech not on advisors' succession-planning radar?
Greg Smith, co-founder and CEO of Thinkific, writing in his LinkedIn newsletter: Think you're ready to scale your creator business? Read this first.
Brian Hill, founder of Aritzia, was featured in Forbes discussing how the company has grown into one of North America’s largest fashion brands.
Shafin Diamond Tejani, CEO at Victory Square Technologies, writing on LinkedIn: Four ways to use AI to create opportunities
Ryan Wong, CEO of Visier, writing on LinkedIn: How to retain top talent in a downturn
👋 Before you go…
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