TOGETHER WITH

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

Now on to today’s briefing.

-Emily, [email protected]

By the way, if you're not already subscribed, you can fix that here.

VIATEC selected six Victoria tech companies for the third round of its BOOST initiative, providing $290,000 in funding to support growth projects totalling over $1 million in economic activity. The recipients will use the money for everything from international expansion and customer acquisition to intellectual property strategy and platform upgrades.

The BOOST program connects local startups and scale-ups with advisors and funding to execute their own growth plans. Companies go through a screening process that looks at their potential, leadership, and market readiness, then get up to $45,000 to tackle whatever they need most—hiring, product development, or breaking into new markets. With this third round, BOOST has now backed 23 projects representing $2.8 million in expansion activity with $850,000 in investment.

“BOOST is quickly proving what we hoped it would: when you give high-potential companies targeted support at the exact moment they need it, they grow faster and strengthen the entire tech community,” said Dan Gunn, VIATEC’s CEO. “These founders already have traction — our job is to remove barriers, open doors, and help them scale right here in Greater Victoria. With each new round, we’re seeing more local companies turn expertise into jobs, revenue, and global opportunity.”

This round's recipients include Atomic Crayon, Goverly, GreenBirdi, Sepura Home, Synergy Enterprises, and WikiSleep. Two companies from earlier rounds—Care2Talk and Fast Movn—also received extensions based on their progress so far. The program runs on a $2.5-million investment from PacifiCan's Business Acceleration Pilot

SPONSORED BY PRESSUREPROS

Moss and algae are destroying your home's value and creating dangerous surfaces. PressurePros uses eco-safe solutions to transform properties in hours—from heritage brick to modern siding.

PROVEN RESULTS: ✓ Save thousands vs. replacement ✓ Instant curb appeal boost
✓ Eliminate slippery hazards

Oak Bay transformation: Complete exterior cleaning in just hours using safe, effective methods that protect your investment.

LIMITED TIME: Spring slots filling fast! Get your FREE estimate plus complimentary gutter inspection ($75 value). Don't let the green monster win—reclaim your home today!

Call PressurePros NOW!

🏢 Home sweet home: MarineLabs celebrated its new Victoria headquarters with a grand opening attended by B.C. Premier David Eby and other dignitaries, marking a milestone for the coastal weather intelligence company and Canadian ocean tech innovation.

🎉 Celebration: Attendees shared insights and experiences from Discover Tectoria at the Victoria Conference Centre, where more than 75 Greater Victoria tech companies, research projects, and community partners gathered under one roof to showcase the entrepreneurial energy and innovation emerging from the region.

🤝 Get together: The South Island Prosperity Partnership brought together 90 regional leaders at its annual Local Leadership Forum, featuring Possibility Spotlight presentations from Indigenous Prosperity Centre's Tarrin Sam, Industrial Plankton's Robert Roulston, Ocean AID's Andrew Polanyi, and tourism entrepreneur Chris Nohr.

SPONSORED BY MATEINA YERBA MATE

Mateína’s new Zero Sugar line delivers smooth, organic energy from yerba mate — no crash, no weird ingredients. With clean caffeine and theobromine, it supports lasting focus and mental clarity. It’s plant-powered fuel that helps you stay sharp, alert, and energized — without the sugar. Try it out today.

Find your next career:

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

December 5 | Open Topics & Planning Session

Join VIATEC on December 5th for a candid discussion of challenges and opportunities currently in front of local tech companies. VIATEC will also use this meeting to plan out topics and facilitators for next year, so if you've got an area that you'd like to see presented and/or discussed amongst your peers, make sure that you come to this next session.

December 13 | Cafe Cursor Victoria

Join Cafe Cursor, a local cafe-takeover with a relaxed morning of building, learning, and connecting with other Cursor users in Victoria. Whether you want chill place to work on your side projects, or just grab a free coffee and chat about what you're building, this is the place to be.

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.