Good morning everyone. It’s 2022! In addition to a surprising 30+ stories from the first week of the year, we have some big news of our very own. I’m thrilled to share that Nathan Caddell has joined Vancouver Tech Journal and the Overstory Media Group family as a Senior Editor. He'll be working with me and the team to elevate how we uncover and tell the defining stories of our tech ecosystem.

I’ve been a fan of Nathan’s writing since I moved to Vancouver in 2015. Throughout that time he’s contributed immensely to the local media environment as a writer for the Georgia Straight and as an associate editor of Vancouver Magazine and BCBusiness.

Now, in the midst of explosive growth — VTJ increased subscribers from 1k to 15k last year — we get to benefit from Nathan’s unique mix of knowledge, skills and experiences. The team and I couldn’t be more excited.

Say hi to Nathan on Twitter, LinkedIn and at nathan@vantechjournal.com.

-William (@notionport)

Cymax CEO Rizwan Somji leaves it all on the table

Here’s the harrowing tale of how Rizwan Somji fled chaos and corruption as a 14-year-old in the Congo, and the long road that eventually led to him heading Cymax, the fast-growing Burnaby-based furniture e-tailer. » Read now.

The best tech representations in popular culture in 2021 and their real-world parallels

These movies and TV programs showcased tech in thought-provoking ways. » Start reading.

Former BBTV executive Ali Adab joined sneaker marketplace SoleSavy as chief content officer

Adab will lead content initiatives, drive Web3 and NFT strategy and secure partnerships with brands, creators and media companies. Adab joins SoleSavy during a period of rapid growth. Last year, the startup raised $15.5 million in Series A funding less than six months after an initial $2.5 million seed round. » Get the full story.

🤝 Funding and deals

• Tribe Property Technologies said it’s raising $18.3 million to fuel acquisitions. » Get the details.

• Fantasy 360 Technologies Inc announced the closing of the company's acquisition of Synthesis VR, a location-based VR content store and technology engine. » Continue.

• Kevin O’Leary-backed WonderFi Technologies Inc. has agreed to buy Toronto crypto exchange Bitbuy for $206 million in cash and shares. » Continue.

• Redbrick, the Victoria-based company specializing in digital products, announced the acquisition of Delivra, a provider of advanced email marketing automation. » Continue.

Helping innovators and changemakers tell their stories

Switchboard Public Relations works with some of the most progressive and innovative teams in the tech sector.

Tech leaders know their products and services are brilliant, but sometimes need help explaining why they matter and how they will create positive change. Switchboard communicates game-changing ideas to target audiences in a way that’s accessible and exciting.

Is your team on a mission to disrupt the status quo? See how the country’s top tech PR firm can help you.

* Partner Message

🗞️ In other news…

• BuildDirect appointed David Lazar as interim CEO to replace Dan Park who stepped down at the end of last year and was recently named CEO of Imperfect Foods. » Continue.

• FansUnite, the global iGaming company, hired Dennis Williams to be its payments director. » Continue.

• Anna Sainsbury, chairperson of unicorn GeoComply, will return to the role of CEO, a position she previously held for seven years from when she co-founded the company in 2011. » Continue.

• Annika Lewis, grants program lead at Gitcoin, wrote on Twitter: “As a former B2B investor, I, too, used to think Web3 wasn't B2B-ready yet… But Web3 B2B is already here”

• Shahrzad Rafati, founder and CEO of BBTV, shared advice, among five other female entrepreneurs, with the Globe and Mail: “don’t solve a small problem if you can solve a larger one”

• Dapper Labs became the first NFT-focused company to register to lobby the US federal government, using Crossroads Strategies, a lobbying firm. » Politico.

• Six BC-based companies were selected for the 2022 Women in Tech California Program, a business development and venture capital program hosted by Canadian Consulates in Palo Alto and Los Angeles. » Continue.

• Damon Motors unveiled its latest electric motorcycle, the HyperFighter Colossus. » Continue.

• Foresight opened nominations for the 2022 BC Cleantech Awards. » Continue.

• Zymeworks named Kenneth Galbraith as chair and CEO to succeed Dr. Ali Tehrani. » Continue.

• Perk Labs, a mobile commerce platform, hired Justin Strange as its new vice president of franchise sales and operations. » Continue.

• Clariti, a software firm digitizing permitting and licensing processes for state and local governments, was the only Canadian company recognized on the global GovTech 100 list. » Continue.

• Clio, the BC legaltech unicorn helmed by Jack Newton, poached the CFO of Clearco, Curt Sigfstead, for the same role, as it prepares for an IPO. » Continue.

• The Discovery Foundation has partnered with Acetech for many years. Here’s why as told by CEO Dr. David Harper. » Continue.

• Former Telus No. 2 Josh Blair shared details on his new startup, Impro.ai, a microcoaching service. » Continue.

• Mitchell Richardson, a former Sun Life strategy lead for Asia, joined Rhino Ventures, which just closed a $120M fund, as an investor. » Continue.

💡 Ideas and insights

• Kathleen Reid, founder and chief communications officer at Switchboard Public Relations, in Vancouver Tech Journal: Four ways for tech companies to get the attention they deserve in 2022

• Michael Gilbert, CEO at Semios, in Worth: How ‘Purpose’ Has Become Our Competitive Advantage (And How To Find Yours)

• Roger Patterson, CEO of Later, in Entrepreneur: How to Turn Former Employees Into Advocates

• Jill Tipping, president and CEO of BC Tech Association, in Business in Vancouver: Three new year’s resolutions for the BC government

• Kari LaMotte, managing director of entrepreneurship@UBC, joined CKNW to discuss the opportunities for entrepreneurship to positively impact the world.

• Dan Burgar, president of the Vancouver VR/AR Association, joined the BIV Today podcast to discuss how the metaverse is poised to shake up business.

• Dave Dinesen, CEO of CubicFarms, in Entrepreneur: Why Every Leader Could Benefit From Adopting a Gen Z Mindset

• Joel Hansen, head of marketing at LOI Venture, in The Personal Brand Brief: 80% Quit New Year's Goals by February. Here’s How to Stick With Them

Jobs at MacroHealth

MacroHealth is building the most advanced and trusted technology and analytics platform that connects healthcare payers with provider networks. They are solving complex problems and building a microservices-based SaaS platform — some of them using scala, react and Mongo.

• Senior SDET - Data & Analytics

• Senior Software Engineer in Test

👋🏾 Before you go…

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