Last month underscored the growing momentum of British Columbia’s innovation economy, as the province’s tech community took centre stage at two of the year’s most significant industry gatherings: Vancouver Startup Week and Web Summit. Together with our partners, we were proud to help amplify these landmark events—each playing a vital role in showcasing and strengthening Vancouver’s tech ecosystem and the broader innovation landscape across BC.
From our IP Summit to our $10K Pitch: BC’s Startup All-Stars competition on the BC Pavilion stage, May was filled with opportunities to connect, share insights, and elevate BC’s tech and startup community. Here’s a look back at our highlights from May.
IP Summit – May 21, Vancouver Startup Week
Vancouver Startup Week featured a wide range of programming, including the 2025 IP Summit—held in partnership with Innovate BC and the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, which brought IP strategy to the forefront. This half-day conference offered critical insights into the evolving IP landscape and empowered founders and tech leaders to build stronger, more actionable IP strategies.
Attendees engaged with curated panels, networked with key stakeholders, and deepened their understanding of how IP can be a competitive advantage—not just a legal safeguard. With BC startups increasingly focused on global growth, events like our IP Summit are foundational to ensuring startups are prepared to scale and protect their inventions. With experts from Uber to UnitedLex, we were able to engage in critical conversations around IP strategy and policy, and discussed how improving IP literacy among founders and innovators can lead to smarter commercialization strategies and a more competitive innovation economy.
In addition to our panelist sessions, we featured a dedicated policy session where stakeholders from across the IP education ecosystem—joining both in person and online—discussed a proposed coordinated IP curriculum for Canadians. As part of BC’s Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy, the session fostered meaningful dialogue on how best to collaborate in shaping the future of IP education policy for Canadian businesses.
Startup Seminar Series – Road to Web Summit Vancouver (R2WSV)
Throughout May, we supported and hosted a series of practical, founder-first seminars designed to equip innovators with the knowledge and confidence to navigate early-stage growth—and get the most out of Web Summit Vancouver. These sessions were part of R2WSV, an initiative driven by Innovate BC aimed at preparing BC innovators for the international spotlight.
Our May programming featured a series of founder-focused sessions designed to build skills and confidence ahead of Web Summit. We kicked off with The Mic is Always Live on May 7, where Rochelle Grayson (Co-Founder, Circles of AI), Ingrid Broussillon (Founder, The Wow Culture), and Ada Slivinski (Vice President, Talk Shop Media) shared tips on maximizing conference presence through powerful communication. On May 14, AI for Customer Discovery offered product-driven founders a hands-on, workflow-focused session led by James Rowe (President & Lead Strategist, Insightful Innovation). David Steinley (Founder, Future Standard and Fractional CFO) guided founders on how to streamline their fundraising process through secure and transparent data-sharing systems with his seminar on Frictionless Data Rooms (May 20). We closed the month with VCs Unpacked, held on May 26, which was a candid conversation about how investors raise, evaluate, and deploy capital—hosted by Vallen Li and Jason Yen of RBCx’s Early Stage Banking team.
Our Startup Seminar Series offers free educational workshops tailored to support companies participating in our Annual Competition—but it’s open to anyone interested in attending. This year, we’ve seen incredible turnout, reflecting the strength and momentum of Vancouver’s founder and startup ecosystem. With more sessions ahead in June and July, we’re looking forward to continuing our seminars as we head into the final stretch of the competition.
$10K Pitch: BC’s Startup All-Stars – May 28–30, Web Summit Vancouver
For the first time ever, Web Summit brought its global event series to Vancouver—and BC’s startup ecosystem rose to the occasion. The conference featured renowned speakers and panelists from around the world, while providing a high-profile stage for B.C. startups to pitch directly to investors. The event drew over 15,000 attendees, 681 investors, and a record-breaking 1,108 startups—setting a new benchmark for a debut Web Summit.
In partnership with Innovate BC, we held our $10K Pitch: BC’s Startup All-Stars on the BC Pavilion Stage. Twelve standout startups—all alumni of the New Ventures BC Competition—took the stage to compete for a $10,000 prize package and gain international visibility. Each company had just two minutes to make their case, with finalists pitching in front of a packed audience and an esteemed panel of judges. The high-energy round of pitches led to four finalists; yPilot, SkyAcres Agrotechnologies, glüxkind, and VoxCell BioInnovation.
After a tight race, VoxCell BioInnovation, a healthtech startup revolutionizing drug discovery with vascularized, human-like cancer tissue models took home the top prize. Operating as a screening platform without FDA approval, they accelerate therapy development, ensuring life-saving treatments reach those in need faster. In addition to the cash prize, VoxCell also received mentorship from successfully exited tech leaders, PR and media exposure, co-working space, and more.
This pitch competition offered a one-of-a-kind opportunity to see just how far our top alumni have come—growing their teams, expanding traction, and increasing revenue since their time in the competition. Web Summit served as both a showcase of the province’s top early-stage talent and a testament to the strength of our innovation pipeline. With over 250 B.C. startups who participated across Web Summit programming, it’s clear that our local tech community has earned its place on the global innovation stage.
May marked a month of meaningful progress for BC’s startup community—one that brought global attention to local ventures and strengthened the networks that help founders grow. With both Web Summit and Vancouver Startup Week set to return next year, we’re thrilled to continue the journey and bring programs and opportunities that scale startups. Together, we’re building a startup ecosystem that’s bold, connected, and ready to accelerate impact in BC and beyond.
