TOGETHER WITH

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

Now on to today’s briefing.

-Emily, [email protected]

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SPONSORED BY REED POPE

Reed Pope Business Lawyers is a leading business law firm based in Victoria, offering top-tier service to a wide range of clients involved in local, national, and international transactions. For over 18 years, Reed Pope lawyers have served as trusted counsel to entrepreneurs, start-ups and emerging companies, established businesses, high-net-worth individuals, investment funds, and other investors. The firm has deep expertise in entity formation and structuring, capital raising and investments, acquisitions, exit transactions, and general start-up advisory services.

Reed Pope is proud to support the local and provincial tech sector and is excited to partner with Victoria Tech Journal to help increase visibility for innovative start-ups, scaling technology companies, and the broader ecosystem. Learn more.

VIATEC is launching Victoria Tech Week this November, and instead of herding everyone into a single convention centre, the five-day event will spread across dozens of venues throughout the capital region. Local tech companies will host events in their own spaces from November 17-21, giving people a chance to see what's actually happening inside the businesses that typically operate behind closed doors.

The approach is borrowed from similar events in Boulder, Seattle, and New York, and it's designed to get people moving around the city—from James Bay startups to downtown office towers to Saanich tech hubs. "Instead of being locked in a single convention hall, people will be moving through neighbourhoods, stepping inside local companies, and experiencing the culture that drives our sector," said Dan Gunn, VIATEC's CEO. The format also means attendees will naturally end up supporting local cafés and restaurants as they hop between events.

The week wraps up with two bigger gatherings: the Prompt Victoria AI Conference on November 20 and Discover Tectoria on November 21.

SPONSORED BY COAST

The COAST Hub is a vibrant, versatile venue in downtown Victoria providing competitive rates for private offices and coworking desks, plus configurable spaces suitable for everything from meetings and workshops to events. Also available: a state-of-the-art podcast studio perfect for businesses and creatives. Book a tour today.

🏥 Help!: Comox Valley Hospital received AI-enhanced MRI technology and advanced airway equipment from local donor Frank Carter, cutting scan times by up to 40 per cent and improving emergency care capabilities for Vancouver Island patients.

🤖 Under the sea: Victoria-based Open Ocean Robotics expanded to Halifax's COVE facility while partnering with B.C. ocean tech company Rockland Scientific on an autonomous monitoring project funded by Canada's Ocean Supercluster.

🏢 Come together: COAST began accepting bookings for its downtown Victoria Hub at 517 Herald Street, offering coworking space, meeting rooms, a soundproof podcast studio, and event facilities for up to 140 guests near the Inner Harbour.*

_*Sponsored

SPONSORED BY REED POPE

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.

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October 16 | IP Pathways

Canadian businesses have generated over $8.6 billion through exporting technology. Turn your innovations into valuable assets with the IP Pathways Program — an accelerated course offered by New Ventures BC to gain the skills and knowledge to protect and leverage your business’ intellectual property.

Take the first step toward a stronger IP strategy now! New cohorts start every month, offering both virtual and in-person options. This course is available for free to participants located in British Columbia.

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.

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.