Web Summit Vancouver hits the city next month. The annual affair is set to take over over the Vancouver Convention Centre May 11th through 14th. At the event, the BC Pavilion will serve as a showcase for high-potential innovation, connecting investment-ready companies with founders, investors, and media. This year, the Pavilion will feature 10 startups […]
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‘Cutting-Edge’ Robotics Technology Set to Enhance Wood Production in B.C.
Canada’s vast forests have powered local economies from coast to coast to coast for centuries. The federal government describes the forest sector, which employs nearly 200,000 Canadians, as “more than an industry”—something closer to “lifeline” for many smaller communities. But in recent times, the country’s forests sector has faced challenges, such as pressure from tariffs. […]
B.C. Firms Selected to Power Coast Guard Decarbonization
Four British Columbia-based companies have been selected to participate in a new Innovation Challenge aimed at reducing diesel reliance across remote Canadian Coast Guard operations. Delivered through Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace and enabled by the BC Marine Energy and Decarbonization Hub—a joint initiative of COAST and the University of Victoria—the Challenge is focused on advancing […]
Innovate BC Adds Four Leaders to Board
Innovate BC is strengthening its leadership ranks with the appointment of four new members to its Board of Directors, bringing a mix of deep tech, life sciences, and public sector experience to the province’s innovation agency. Andrew Fursman, Nancy Harrison, Dr. Ray Muzyka, and Christina Zacharuk have been appointed effective April 7, 2026, with terms […]
IBM Taps Web Summit Vancouver for Sports Tech Push
IBM is bringing its global search for the next wave of sports innovation to Vancouver, positioning Web Summit Vancouver as a key stop in a new international startup challenge focused on artificial intelligence. The company this week announced the IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge, a year-long initiative that will spotlight startups building AI-driven solutions for […]
pH7 Closes Oversubscribed Series B to Accelerate Deployment of Cleantech
Vancouver-based pH7 Technologies today announced the oversubscribed final closing of a Series B financing round. The B.C. company raised approximately US$32 million in equity, with new backing from Asahi Kasei and the Circular Innovation Fund building alongside previously announced investors including Fine Structure Ventures and BHP Ventures. In addition, pH7 secured venture debt financing from […]
Tydra Labs Raises $1.2M to Turn Waste Into Biomaterials
A Vancouver-based startup is advancing a new approach to materials innovation by turning waste into high-performance biomaterials. Tydra Biomaterial Labs has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding to scale a proprietary process that converts local waste streams into chitin-based materials—an abundant but historically under utilized resource with applications across packaging, cosmetics, food, and agriculture. The […]
UBC-Born Sonibel Brings AI-Powered Quality Control to Welding
Vancouver-founded Sonibel is bringing artificial intelligence into one of the most manual corners of industry, using sound to detect welding mistakes in real time. The startup has developed a system that pairs acoustic sensors with machine learning to identify defects as they happen, offering welders immediate feedback before errors turn into costly rework. The approach […]
New Ventures BC Launches Capital Raising Index to Spotlight Active Fundraises
New Ventures BC is aiming to streamline access to capital across the province’s startup ecosystem with the recent launch of BC’s Capital Raising Index, a centralized, publicly accessible list of companies actively raising funds. Designed to address one of the most persistent challenges for founders—visibility during a raise—the Index aggregates B.C.-based ventures across stages from […]
Ryan Holmes Returns as Hootsuite CEO
Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes is returning to the CEO role, stepping in as interim chief executive as the Vancouver-based social media company navigates a period of leadership change and public scrutiny. Holmes announced the move today in a LinkedIn post, confirming he will replace outgoing CEO Irina Novoselsky, who shared in a separate post that […]