Turbulent times have arrived: A storm comprised of pandemic hysteria, inflation and recession fears, supply chain issues, spiralling housing costs, widespread layoffs—the list goes on. By 2025, half the workforce is expected to consist of Gen Z and Millennials, most of whom have never dealt with such cumulative chaos. To navigate such a volatile market, […]
News
Facebook Veteran Nick Gruden Departs for Dapper Labs as Crypto Startup Builds Out Team
Dapper Labs is gaining an asset. Nick Grudin heads to the Vancouver-based digital collectibles startup to take on the role of chief business officer. Gruden served 12 years at Facebook, where we was most recently vice president of content and community partnerships at Meta. “We’re grateful for Nick’s contributions over the last 12 years and we […]
Reusables Receives Seed Investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada
Vancouver’s Reusables has secured a $100,000 seed investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). Reusables’ tech-enabled platform for zero-waste packaging has emerged as an innovative solution to single-use plastic waste since its 2021 launch and has built a large pipeline of opportunities with food retailers and packaging distributors throughout North America. This investment from SDTC will […]
Vancouver’s Dooly Parts with a Dozen Staff
Software-as-a-service startup Dooly is another victim of the market downturn. The Vancouver-based SaaS firm, which uses AI to help salespeople, let go of a dozen of their 100-strong team. Kris Hartvigsen, who founded Dooly in 2014, expressed his sentiment surrounding the decision in a post on LinkedIn. “We might be a SaaS company where most […]
Vancouver’s Hero Wants To Help Raise Financially Empowered Kids
Vancouver fintech Hero Innovation Group has launched Hero Financials, a full-service alternative-to-banking solution for Canadian kids, teens, GenZers, and their parents. Hero allows kids and teens to make their own financial and spending decisions and set a strong foundation for themselves to make smart money decisions. The solution is paired with SideKick, a prepaid Mastercard […]
Origen Air Secures Seed Capital to Commercialize Plant-Based Office Purification System
Origen Air has secured a seed funding round in order to accelerate its commercialization efforts, the Victoria-based startup announced this month. Origen raised $1.5 million through a strategic investment from First Inflection Business Advisors, a Toronto-based organization which provides seed capital and business expertise targeted to early-stage Canadian technology companies. The BC startup is aiming the investment […]
Hootsuite Hammered by Downturn, Cuts 30% of Staff
Tech firms across Canada continue to face significant headwind. In just the Vancouver area, stable tech firms Unbounce and Article saw major layoffs within the past week. Across the land, we’ve seen rapidly growing companies like Ottawa’s Shopify and Toronto’s Clearco abruptly reverse course. Now it is Hootsuite’s turn. Despite scaling back hiring plans earlier […]
Four Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Water Tech in BC
Is water tech a hidden gem of the clean tech sector? At least one BC organization believes so. Invest Vancouver suggests water tech “provides an untapped economic opportunity for the Metro Vancouver region,” serving a multi-billion dollar global market. Wait—what is “water tech”? The term encompasses technology that mitigates risk for utilities and end water […]
BC’s ecologyst Acquires Frankie Collective On Way To TSX
BC’s ecologyst Outfitters is disrupting the legacy clothing industry by producing and selling sustainably and ethically produced fashion through its unique manufacturer-to-consumer (M2C) business model. Originally founded by CEO René Gauthier as surfing brand Sitka in 2002, ecologyst has evolved into an eco-friendly outdoor apparel company with a mission to create the world’s most sustainable […]
Victoria Startup MarineLabs Floats Tech to Gain Insight on Sooke Basin Decline
The ocean has a lot to tell us—but how to listen, and what to do in response, isn’t always obvious. Enter Dr. Scott Beatty’s MarineLabs Data Systems, a Victoria-based coastal intelligence company. This BC startup has created smart technology that can be attached to any floating surface that monitors wave activity wherever their sensors are […]