INNOVATE™ Vancouver Vol.2

World-Class Spirit & InnovationAs the World’s #1 university for Entrepreneurial Spirit and #1 in Canada for Innovation*, Simon Fraser University is recognized as one of Canada’s most supportive post-secondary ecosystems for innovative research and education across disciplines. The heart of its entrepreneurship education pillar beats in the Charles Chang Institute...

Better Basics is on a mission to eliminate homes of toxins and plastic. Their household cleaning personal care and cleaning industry. and personal care refill system is designed to make using all natural, high performing products that save plastic bottles easy and convenient. Better Basics makes “eco-friendly” beautiful and functional...

Attention entrepreneurs, CEO’s, and high-performance leaders who want to get ahead! The way we’re working is not working, it’s a crisis. Burnout is costing the global economy trillions of dollars in lost productivity and innovation. Not to mention, rising health care costs. Burnout feels like emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced...

“Touchless technology has become disruptive technology to convert high-touch surfaces to touchless ones across industries and sectors.” Contactless solutions are rapidly replacing buttons, keypads, and controls. Interfacing with machinery, equipment, and high-touch public surfaces has changed overnight: the COVID-19 pandemic most certainly accelerated this demand, while innovations in touchless technology...

In the face of climate change, the need for sustainable solutions has never been greater. Envisioning Labs, a Vancouver based deep tech firm, is at the forefront of this challenge, developing social and technological solutions that counter climate change and foster a carbon neutral future. Their focus on first principles-based,...

In the upcoming decades, global food systems will profoundly change as we adapt to more sustainable food production and distribution approaches. Farmers are currently being challenged to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Backed by years of research...

Hubly allows financial advisors and their teams to deliver a high-tough, stress-free customer experience at scale. Millions of people trust a financial advisor with their life savings. But as advisory firms scale, their operations, services, processes, and regulatory requirements become more complex. Soon, financial advisors are spending more time on...

Thrive Health is a digital healthcare platform company, founded in 2016 with a mission to make healthcare work better for everyone. The company provides an interactive patient engagement solution that enables healthcare providers to build custom clinical workflows, and offers patients enhanced access to their health data. Thrive Health’s innovative...

A community project since day one.You might think of ECOMsquare as a place. To its founder, Steve Krueger, the distinctive blue building on West 8th Ave represents the latest evolution of a community he’s been building since June 12, 2014. Krueger hosted an Ecommerce Town Hall to connect with professionals...

There are a million public relations agencies all catering to different needs, industries, and the like. Want to get your new app in front of gen-z? Get a PR agency to connect you with influencers. Launching a new product? A press release can help. If it sounds a little too...

By bringing together innovative software and best-in-class hardware solutions, Operto enables property owners/managers to efficiently run, scale and monetize their business, while eliminating common friction points associated with the guest journey. Operto has built a huge global footprint in the accommodation industry, with customers ranging from single Airbnb operators, up...

The Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) has been contributing to the development and competitiveness of Quebec as a world-class audiovisual production center for over fifteen years. It supports innovation in three major economic sectors in Quebec: live action, visual effects, and animation. In 2021, this creative and dynamic sector...

Specialized cleantech solutions.pH7 Technologies Inc. delivers specialized cleantech solutions for the extraction of critical metals necessary for the transition to renewable energies. We have pioneered a proprietary process that provides a near-net-zero environmental impact in the extraction of key metals and minerals. This sustainable closed-loop process makes it an ideal...

Chronic illness causes 71% of deaths worldwide and is responsible for the majority of the global burden of disease. Yet these conditions are preventable and can be managed proactively with medication and lifestyle modification. Pharmacies are looking at ways to meet this challenge and increase access to care by investing...

JIBE Ecommerce.JIBE is a digital ecommerce agency, originally founded in 2009 to help better-life brands transform into thriving ecommerce businesses by helping them navigate and build their growing technology ecosystem. In the decade or so since, JIBE has grown from building brochure business websites to a multidisciplinary team of developers,...

How Matidor.com StartedVincent and Sean are Vancouver-based serial entrepreneurs who come from very different backgrounds but share one vision. Vincent’s previous experience at Google Earth and as a product manager at Dassault Systèmes revealed a gap in how people in the field managed projects. When Sean moved back to town...

Beatdapp is a streaming fraud detection company. It helps music labels and artists track their songs to collect royalties. Think of it as a PWC for music play count. The company has a set of machine learning and predictive algorithms to detect streaming manipulation and has over 30 patents across...

What if you were challenged to go outside to solve puzzles, find and play with hidden objects, and enjoy sightseeing and off-the-beaten-path gems in beautiful Vancouver? Yes, we know you’d say yes. Foxtrail is a popular outdoor self-guided team-building adventure that combines scavenger hunts, escape games, and sightseeing. Founded 21...

Boast’s AI-powered platform maximizes R&D tax credits while accelerating access to funding The good news for companies of all sizes: Each year, the Canadian and U.S. federal governments provide businesses with more than $20 billion in research and development (R&D) credits. The bad news: application processes are cumbersome, time-consuming, and...

Frontier technologies are thriving in Vancouver. The region is a talent engine and hub for VR/AR, AI, Cleantech, Web3, Robotics, Biotech/Healthtech, and so many more industries. Vancouver has an immense opportunity to lead the world in frontier tech, ushering in a new wave of transformation, economic prosperity and high-paying jobs, but...

It is possible to have fresher breath and a healthier mouth with a tongue cleaner. gunkii brings affordable luxury oral care to the market. Founded in May 2020, gunkii is the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Jayesh and Nicole Parmar, who had the vision to offer a tongue scraper to help...

Across the province, innovators, entrepreneurs, and emerging businesses are evolving industries and creating positive impact for British Columbians and the rest of the world. Whether it’s finding sustainable solutions or creating breakthrough technologies, British Columbia is teeming with great ideas that are advancing how we work and live in exciting...

Rafael Santa Ana Architecture Workshop (RSAAW) is a Vancouver-based architectural practice that creates expressive, contemporary interventions that contribute to our communities in thoughtful and meaningful ways. The practice’s diverse team pursues projects where design can be developed, including residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, and mixed use development programs. RSAAW seeks creative...

BC entrepreneurs Bill Roche and Charles Chang have a vision to make Canada more competitive by nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit in young people. In 2017, they co-founded Young Entrepreneurs of Canada Association, a registered Canadian charity that operates under the name PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs. “Our mandate is to help school-aged...