Techcouver.com

What if two major challenges—B.C.’s wood waste and global plastic pollution—could help solve each other? UBC researcher Dr. Feng Jiang is transforming discarded forest material into biodegradable alternatives for packaging, insulation, clothing and more. Among the innovations is a lightweight biofoam designed to replace Styrofoam—and compost in soil within weeks. The work is already moving beyond the laboratory through DicinFoam, a collaboration with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation that could create local employment, training and manufacturing opportunities. It’s a compelling glimpse of a future where B.C. turns an underused resource into the foundation of a circular, post-plastic economy. #UBC #BCtech #CleanTech #CircularEconomy #Biomaterials #Sustainability #Innovation https://lnkd.in/gKXC8pfc

A 13-year technology partnership is entering its next chapter. Vancouver-based GeoComply and FanDuel have renewed their multi-year partnership, deepening a collaboration that helped FanDuel expand from a single regulated state to more than two dozen. GeoComply will continue supporting FanDuel with geolocation, identity verification and real-time fraud prevention—technology that has already handled billions of player checks with 99.999% service availability. #VancouverTech #GeoComply #FanDuel #DigitalIdentity #Cybersecurity #iGaming https://lnkd.in/gQ3vCQyD

How cool is Founders Day branded drinks!!!! Thank you Locality Brewing. If you don't have your ticket yet you best be on vacation! :)

Plastic pollution in food supply chains begins long before products reach grocery-store shelves. PhyCo Technologies is developing a seaweed-based alternative to conventional agricultural plastics—and its work has now received a $25,000 boost through Shift Browser’s 2026 Impact Grant. Founded by marine biologist Ranah Chavoshi and biotechnologist Stacey Goldberg, PhD, PhyCo uses enzyme technology and green chemistry to transform seaweed into a petroleum-free material designed to biodegrade safely in soil. The company is initially targeting plastic mulch films widely used on farms. The grant will help move the technology beyond the laboratory and closer to the farmers and industries that need practical alternatives. With a production-scale pilot underway in Portugal and a dedicated kelp-growing partnership in Nova Scotia, PhyCo is building an encouraging bridge between marine biotechnology and sustainable agriculture. #CleanTech #BlueEconomy #Biotechnology #SustainableAgriculture #PlasticAlternatives #CanadianInnovation https://lnkd.in/gpDt6t6Q

Metro Vancouver has many of the ingredients needed to lead in the global energy transition—but a new report argues that the region must turn those strengths into a coordinated economic strategy. The Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC) highlights Vancouver’s clean electricity, technical talent, supportive institutions, and growing cleantech ecosystem. It also identifies local companies including Moment Energy, Mangrove Lithium, SHARC Energy, and Awesense as notable players advancing clean-energy solutions. With more than $3.6 billion in urban electricity and thermal-energy infrastructure under construction or proposed, the opportunity is significant. The challenge is connecting that investment with local procurement, demonstration projects, commercialization, and global export growth. Metro Vancouver doesn’t need to build its clean-energy ecosystem from scratch. It needs to help an already promising ecosystem scale. #CleanEnergy #CleanTech #EnergyTransition #Vancouver #CanadianInnovation #Sustainability https://lnkd.in/gqgSUCBh

What if existing plant-floor cameras could do more than record—they could help manufacturers understand where productivity is being lost? With support from the Canadian Food Innovation Network, B.C.-based FabriSight is piloting OverView, an AI-powered platform that uses computer vision to identify workflow inefficiencies and production losses in food manufacturing facilities. The project is one of eight receiving support through CFIN’s latest Innovation Booster round, which combines more than $700,000 in funding with industry contributions for a total investment of nearly $1 million. It’s a practical example of how applied AI can help Canadian food processors improve visibility, strengthen productivity, and make faster operational decisions. #FoodTech #ArtificialIntelligence #ComputerVision #Manufacturing #CanadianInnovation #BritishColumbia https://lnkd.in/g_-tyAve

A Vancouver climate-growth firm is opening a new door to the U.S. market. ClimateDoor has acquired New York-based Standard Demand Partners, marking its first acquisition and largest expansion to date. The combination brings two critical pieces of climate-company growth under one roof: ClimateDoor’s early-stage commercialization expertise and Standard Demand Partners’ project-finance and institutional-capital capabilities. Together, the firms have supported more than 150 energy, agriculture, and critical-resource companies, facilitated over $600 million in capital, and built relationships with more than 750 institutional investors. For founders, the promise is continuity—from securing early customers and funding to raising the larger pools of capital needed to build and scale projects. It’s an important milestone for a Canadian firm growing its international footprint while tackling one of climate technology’s biggest challenges: turning promising innovation into commercially successful infrastructure. #CleanTech #ClimateTech #CleanEnergy #CanadianTech #SustainableFinance #ClimateInvestment https://lnkd.in/ga9knBgS

In venture capital, the biggest outcomes rarely begin with consensus. They begin with someone recognizing an outlier before the rest of the market does. In Episode 6 of Borderless AI’s Make It Click podcast, host Willson Cross speaks with Boris Wertz, General Partner at Version One Ventures, about founder ambition, category creation, Canadian deal flow, marketplaces, and the changing AI application layer. Drawing on his experience as both a founder and investor, Wertz explains why early conviction matters—and how Version One identifies companies with the potential to define new markets. The conversation also explores the firm’s new $78 million Fund Five and $30 million opportunity fund. For founders, operators, investors, and talent leaders, the episode offers a valuable look at what it takes to build an enduring technology company before the opportunity becomes obvious. #VentureCapital #CanadianTech #ArtificialIntelligence #Startups #Entrepreneurship https://lnkd.in/gTCvzdG3

British Columbia’s AI community is heading back to the national stage. AInBC has opened applications for its second annual Team BC delegation to ALL IN 2026, taking place September 16–17 in Montréal. Organized with Invest Vancouver and DIGITAL, the delegation will showcase the strength and diversity of BC’s AI ecosystem at an event expected to attract more than 6,500 business leaders, founders, investors, researchers, and technology experts. Selected participants will receive a complimentary conference ticket, access to the Team BC booth, and an invitation to a private networking reception. Up to 16 companies will also have the opportunity to demonstrate their products. After bringing more than 150 delegates to ALL IN last year, Team BC is building on that momentum—helping local innovators connect with customers, capital, talent, and strategic partners. Applications are open to BC-based AI startups, scaleups, research-driven companies, individual innovators, and enabling-service providers. #ArtificialIntelligence #CanadianAI #TeamBC #BritishColumbia #TechBC #ALLIN2026 https://lnkd.in/gcbQ4H9p

Could your research solve a real-world problem? Lab2Market is offering Canadian graduate researchers a practical way to find out. Applications are open for the free Lab2Market Validate Foundations Pacific program, delivered online by Innovation UBC in partnership with SFU VentureLabs. Running September 8–10, the program includes one two-hour session per day. Master’s and PhD students and postdoctoral researchers will learn how to: • Identify real-world problems • Develop customer-discovery skills • Test assumptions about their research • Explore potential commercial applications No previous entrepreneurship or commercialization experience is required. Applications close Friday, September 4. Online information sessions will also be held August 19 and September 2. #ResearchCommercialization #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Lab2Market #CanadianResearch https://lnkd.in/gXU3vnEn