Vancouver Tech Journal

Did you know your employer could pay for your Vancouver Tech Journal membership? A reminder: membership only costs $8.25 a month on a yearly plan — and it’ll help you grow professionally. Remember: if you don’t use your professional development budget, you’ll lose it! Need help asking your manager to pay? Subscribers can check their email from us on Tuesday for a template to share with your boss. (Not a subscriber? Fix that first!) https://lnkd.in/g6KA2XtE

If you’ve been considering switching roles, now may be the time: the annual list of B.C.’s best employers was just released by MediaCorp Canada, organizers of the national Canada's Top 100 Employers project. Now in its 20th year, B.C.'s Top Employers is a special designation that recognizes the British Columbia employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. 

Clio - Cloud-Based Legal Technology has given a $3 million donation to UBC Sauder School of Business's Powerhouse Project: a new, state-of-the-art building on the university campus dedicated to helping advance students’ experiential learning and connections with the business community. The gift is one of the largest donations to the project, and will fund a purpose-built space that will house the Vancouver branch of the Creative Destruction Lab.

With President Trump's threatened 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods casting a shadow over cross-border trade, Vancouver leaders from InBC Investment Corp., Pender Ventures, GetFresh Ventures, and more give concrete strategies for startups to navigate political uncertainty. Leah Nguyen | Maria Pacella | Diraj Goel | Boris Wertz | Jill Tipping, FCPA, FCA | Melaniia Volkodav

If you're a Vancouver company trying to raise in the U.S. or Europe, investors often ask why you don't have local backing. For our members-only article this week, we’ve compiled a list of the 13 B.C.-based VC funds that made it onto the CVCA 50 for you to contact. Even better, each one has details on who to impress to get your money.

👀 Join us for #VTJTalks: The Global Risk Playbook, hosted in partnership with Global Public Affairs—an essential conversation on navigating uncertainty, managing risk, and seizing opportunities in today’s volatile landscape. 🌍 2025 is shaping up to be a year of massive change—politically, economically, and technologically. Canadian political shifts, a bold new U.S. government, and AI-driven disruptions are creating new risks and opportunities for the tech sector. Navigating this uncertainty will be critical for founders and business leaders. 📅 Wednesday, February 26 ⏰ 5:00-7:00 PM 📍 Northeastern University, Vancouver 🔗 https://lu.ma/eq483zop About Global Public Affairs: A leading Canadian government relations and strategic communications firm, Global Public Affairs helps businesses navigate complex policy environments, mitigate risk, and engage with key decision-makers. Agenda: 5:00-5:30pm Networking 5:30-6:30pm Panel Discussion with Q&A 6:30-7:00pm More Networking! A huge thank you to all of our core sponsors — who continuously support our events! SaaS Wealth Insurance, Segev LLP, Fasken, CBRE The High Technology Facilities Group, Float, Foresight Canada

Innovate BC and NRC IRAP are distributing $1.5 million to help B.C. businesses prove impact and customer value. Orca Water Solutions | pH7 Technologies | Peter Cowan

Pender Ventures, a Vancouver-based fund, released its annual report on the healthtech sector’s investment trends. Spoiler: early-stage Canadian startups are in trouble, AI funding has been up and down, and one type of product is ready to rocket.

Frontier Collective has announced that it will once again run its Frontiers of Innovation day at South By Southwest (SXSW) conference, and that applications are open to bring a new batch of startups down to the Austin, Texas showcase. Plus, CEO Dan Burgar shares his thoughts on Web Summit, and Vancouver's uncertain future as a tech leader.

‘If you're a Vancouver company trying to raise in the U.S. or Europe, investors will ask why you don’t have any local backers,’ says Pieter Dorsman, director of eFund. Read on to discover the state of venture capital, the city's fundraising challenges, and what it takes to scale a startup in an uncertain economic climate. Hilary Kilgour | Pieter Dorsman | Catherine Dahl, FCPA, FCMA | Mark Bakker | William Johnson