Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue:

Now on to today’s briefing.

-Emily, [email protected]

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Victoria-based MarineLabs closed a $4-million seed extension led by BDC Capital's Sustainability Venture Fund with participation from InBC Investment Corp. The funding will help the maritime weather intelligence company expand its network of rugged sensors that deliver real-time wind, wave, and weather data along with AI-driven forecasts to help ship operators make safer decisions.

The company is already working with four of Canada's five largest ports, providing its CoastAware platform to help ports, pilots, and terminals cut down on costly downtime while improving safety. The platform pulls together real-time sensor data with hyper-local, AI-powered 10-day forecasts so operators can make calls about whether conditions are safe for their operations.

"We're proud to be building Canadian-made technology that's already making maritime operations measurably safer and more efficient across North America," said Dr. Scott Beatty, founder and CEO. MarineLabs, which was founded in 2017, develops its technology and intellectual property on Vancouver Island.

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⚓ Breaking up is hard to do: Advocates called for the establishment of a ship recycling facility on Vancouver Island to handle decommissioned vessels more sustainably and address environmental challenges from aging maritime infrastructure.

✈️ Leaving on a jet plane: Harbour Air unveiled plans to expand its Victoria network with new and returning routes, including Victoria-Seattle service starting in 2026 to enhance travel options across the West Coast.

🌊 I will survive: A sensor from Victoria's MarineLabs kept transmitting through a 30-foot wave strike at the Columbia River bar during U.S. Coast Guard testing, demonstrating the equipment's resilience in extreme ocean conditions.

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Reed Pope is a leading business law firm with longstanding ties to the Victoria tech sector, advising local start-ups, emerging companies, and investors on entity formation and structuring, financings, M&A transactions, and general corporate matters.

October 26-29 | Ocean Floor Explore

No one is systematically exploring the 75% of undiscovered ocean floor. Ocean Floor Explore aims to change that by uniting leaders in blue investing, philanthropy, technology, and exploration to pioneer a new funding model for ocean discovery.

October 28 | Future Innovators: Empowering Women in STEM

Join an inspiring evening with a panel of women in STEM. Island Women in Science and Technology is bringing together future innovators from middle school, high school, and post secondary along with professional women in STEM for a candid conversation about their STEM careers. All are welcome.

November 17-21 | Victoria Tech Week

Inspired by successful models from Boulder Startup Week, Seattle Tech Week and NY Tech Week, this new event adopts a decentralized format that turns Victoria into a city-wide innovation showcase, with dozens of events hosted by local companies in their own venues across the capital region.

November 20 | Tour of Reliable Controls Manufacturing Facility

Join an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Reliable Controls, a leader in building automation systems. Discover how their technology supports sustainable, energy-efficient building operations worldwide—all designed and manufactured right here in British Columbia.

Have something or someone we should know about?

Reply or email [email protected] so we can work together to spotlight the lesser-known stories of Victoria's tech ecosystem.