TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo, brought to you by Easly. In this issue, learn more about Origen Air’s crowdfunding campaign, discover how employers can help parents, check back in with Chamber Chats, and plenty more.

Now, onto today’s briefing. It’s 834 words, a three-minute read.

-James, @jimmermatthews

Solaires shares its newest innovation

Battery-driven devices — such as electric vehicles and smart gadgets — are booming, creating a higher demand for energy to recharge them. Instead of upgrading the power grid, it seems much more efficient to provide each device with the ability to generate its own energy from renewable resources.

This is the key question behind Solaires, the Victoria-based cleantech company developing a material that will better capture solar energy: perovskite. Rather than silicon, Solaires uses the emerging composite to transform clean technologies.

“In order to produce our product, it's a chemical composition — we don’t use any scarce resource,” co-founder Fabian de la Fuente told Victoria Tech Journal. “Our technology is very light, flexible, and translucent; something that silicon cannot be.”

Its newest innovation recycles indoor light to create a renewable energy source:

Solaires is a spinoff from UVic, co-founded by de la Fuente alongside Sahar Sam, the company’s chief science officer. Sam completed her PhD and postdoctoral work at the UVic in materials and mechanical engineering, where she developed transparent and conductive films for applications in touchscreens and solar cells. The company also recently added Sri Peruvemba to the C-suite as CMO.

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📰 More Victoria innovation news

🌬️ Crowd: Local cleantech outfit Origen Air has launched a public crowdfunding campaign.

👶 Caregivers: Christie Horsman, the Victoria-based VP of marketing at Vancouver-based Thinkific, wrote in Entrepreneur about how employers can help working parents during the busy fall season.

🚘️ Cars: A recent episode of the Chamber Chats podcast featured Amy Jones of Galaxy Motors and Mandu Goebel of the Campus Auto Group in conversation with Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Williams.

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Victoria’s Vital Signs 2023 is here!

5,319 Greater Victorians were surveyed on the most pressing issues facing the region. The results are in!

Victoria’s Vital Signs 2023 report found cost of living and housing among the top issues. Read the full report online or in print, and visit the Victoria Foundation’s data hub for more info!

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Program & Marketing Coordinator at New Ventures BC

• Front Desk Volunteer Coordinator (Mat Leave Cover) at Together Against Poverty Society

• Administrative Services Coordinator at Camosun College Faculty Association

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

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📅 Upcoming events

Oct 20 | Toast x Checkfront: Pathways to tech: Toast co-founder April Hicke will lead the conversation with a panel of experts who have navigated unique pathways to success in the tech industry. No matter if you're a seasoned pro or just starting your tech journey, this event promises valuable insights, inspiration, and actionable advice.

Oct 25 | Diversity Equity and Inclusion in STEM: How Migrant Women Can Leverage the Power of Networking: Whether you're a migrant woman already thriving in STEM or aspiring to make your mark, join to gain tools and connections that will help you excel in your STEM journey.

Oct 25 | ProductTank Victoria & ProductBC Fall Mingler: Join for an evening of networking, learning, and exchanging ideas about product design, development, management, business modelling, metrics, user experience, and more. This session will have live music, networking, and 20-to-30 minutes to present your product or side project.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

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Email your requests to [email protected].