This article is part of a series presented in partnership with BC Tech, profiling the finalists for the 2026 Technology Impact Awards‘ Company of the Year – Startup category. Canada produces more than 200,000 tonnes of mustard seed annually but extracting oil from those seeds leaves behind a substantial volume of solid residue with relatively […]
Why Vancouver Won’t Let Its Best Ideas Get Away
Two BC innovators on retaining tech talent and what’s at stake as AI raises the bar. Canada trains some of the best AI and technical talent in the world. The key is connecting these exceptional people with companies to help them grow, compete, and succeed. “Talent is Canada’s competitive edge, says Derek Newton, SVP of […]
Beedie Capital Acquires 50% Stake in Vistara Growth, Anchors New $500M Fund
Vancouver-based Beedie Capital has acquired a 50% ownership interest in Vistara Growth and will anchor the investment firm’s next major fund. The Vistara Growth Structured Opportunities Fund is scheduled to launch this fall with a target size of US$500 million. Beedie Capital plans to commit up to US$125 million, representing one-quarter of the fund’s target. […]
With Genome BC Support, BugSeq Advances Genomic Tools for Emerging Pathogens and Drug Resistance
The next infectious disease threat may not be one that public health laboratories already know how to find. Vancouver-based BugSeq is building genomic tools designed to help clinical and public health laboratories identify pathogens, track outbreaks, and understand antimicrobial resistance. With support from Genome BC—including one project also funded by Genome Canada—the biotechnology company is […]
BC Tech Finalist Simply Sweet Games Is Putting Players First in Word Puzzles
This article is part of a series presented in partnership with BC Tech, profiling the finalists for the 2026 Technology Impact Awards‘ Company of the Year – Startup category. Word games have become a dependable daily habit for millions of players, but Simply Sweet Games CEO Tina Merry believes too much of the category’s recent […]
BC Tech Finalist OverSushi Is Rethinking Salesforce Consulting for the AI Era
This article is part of a series presented in partnership with BC Tech, profiling the finalists for the 2026 Technology Impact Awards‘ Company of the Year – Startup category. For decades, technology consulting has operated according to a familiar formula: larger projects require more consultants, more time and more money. OverSushi CEO Dan Carabias believes […]
Vayu by Prana Labs Wants Smartwatches to Do More Than Measure Stress
Wearable devices have become good at telling people when they are stressed. Vancouver’s Prana Labs wants them to help people do something about it. The startup is behind Vayu, a wearable-first breathwork platform that combines biometric monitoring, artificial intelligence, and haptic feedback to deliver personalized breathing exercises through Apple Watch and Wear OS devices. Instead […]
Dennis Pilarinos Has Been Quietly Building Vancouver Tech for Two Decades
For someone who has played an outsized role in Vancouver’s tech sector, Dennis Pilarinos has spent much of his career avoiding the spotlight. His résumé stretches from Microsoft and Amazon to Buddybuild, Apple, and now Unblocked. Along the way, he helped establish Amazon Web Services’ presence in Vancouver, built and sold a developer tools company, […]
BC Tech Finalist hyperlocal Is Building the Missing Layer for Real-Life Connection
This article is part of a series presented in partnership with BC Tech, profiling the finalists for the 2026 Technology Impact Awards‘ Company of the Year – Startup category. Cities do not lack activities or people looking for connection. What they lack, according to hyperlocal CEO Hadi Ekaputra, is the infrastructure to reliably bring the […]
How GroundedAI Is Bringing AI Below the Surface
Canada is preparing to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on transit, energy, mining, and other major infrastructure projects. But some of the biggest threats to delivering that work on time and on budget lie beneath the surface. Unlike above-ground construction, where drones and satellite imagery have made detailed data easier to collect, tunnelling projects […]