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.

Victoria-based Shift Browser has reopened applications for its $25,000 USD Impact Grant, now in its second year. The grant supports early-stage startups, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs in Canada and the U.S. working at the intersection of technology and environmental sustainability, with applications open from June 2 through July 2, 2026.

The grant is unrestricted, giving recipients the flexibility to deploy funding where it will have the most impact. Shift, which is part of the Victoria-based Redbrick portfolio and a Certified B Corporation, launched the programme last year as an extension of its broader sustainability commitments — which include a Carbon Meter tool that lets users measure and offset the environmental footprint of their digital activity.

Last year's recipient was FireSwarm Solutions, a Canadian company developing drone swarm technology for wildfire response and emergency operations. The inaugural grant drew applications from across North America, signalling strong interest in sustainability-driven tech innovation.

"The tech community doesn't lack ideas. It often lacks investment and that push to move forward," said Shift CEO Neil Henderson. "This grant exists to provide that momentum and help accelerate solutions that make the digital economy more sustainable."

The recipient will be announced in August 2026. Applications are open at shift.com/impact-grant.

🌊 Oceans apart: Three UVic-based research institutes teamed up with COAST to help the Canadian Coast Guard replace diesel generators at remote B.C. light stations, marking a significant step forward for the province's marine renewable energy sector.

🌲 Money for nothing: The federal government launched a Forest Sector Action Plan backed by close to $130 million for 56 projects across Canada, focusing on innovation, modernization, and expanding markets for the sector.

☁️ We built this city: UVic's Arbutus Cloud — Canada's largest academic research cloud computing site — received a major upgrade, bolstering computing power for more than 1,200 research teams and reinforcing Canada's ability to keep sensitive research data on home soil.

🌿 New from Mateína: A zero sugar, organic yerba mate that delivers clean energy — no crash, no weird ingredients. Just plant-powered fuel that works.*

_{*Sponsored listing}

Find your next career:

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

June 29 | Vital Data Mini-Con 2026

Health data has never been more important, but it’s also more fragmented than ever. Across the country, valuable data is often locked away in separate systems that don’t communicate effectively, if at all. At the same time, there is growing pressure to actually make use of this data—especially with the rapid development of new AI tools.

July 9 | VIATEC Summer Social at the HarbourCats

Trade the laptop for a ballpark hot dog. On Thursday, July 9th, VIATEC takes over the Canadian Club House at Royal Athletic Park for an evening of baseball, cold drinks, and the tech community under the summer sky. The Victoria HarbourCats are hosting the Bend Elks, and you've got one of the best seats in the park.

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.