Discover. Connect. Activate Here.
Vancouver has firmly established itself as Canada’s top-ranked startup ecosystem while gaining global recognition as the 15th strongest in the world. Our city is home to a thriving, knowledge-based economy – one that is attracting the attention of investors across North America.
Vancouver Startup City — which includes the ongoing Discovery Foundation Capital Mentorship Program — is a curated platform with which to leverage that attention. During these two weeks of curated events, workshops and programs, investors have the opportunity to discover Vancouver’s innovative and high-potential startups while sharing best practices and even portfolio theses. At the same time, founders and entrepreneurs will be able to plug into similar events to celebrate and activate Vancouver’s startup ecosystem.
Vancouver has reached an inflection point with regards to its number one weakness: growth-stage investment capital and funding. We have a firm understanding of how to induce a sharp uptick in funding activity and and truly take Vancouver’s performance to the next level.
Startup City is an opportunity for the entire ecosystem to tackle these weaknesses together. It will:
- CONNECT startup & investor communities locally and from across North America with Vancouver’s startup ecosystem
- SHOWCASE early- and growth-stage companies as potential Vancouver-based deal flow
- EDUCATE entrepreneurs and investors by providing access to best practices and networking opportunities
Vancouver Startup City is brought to you by Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) in partnership with a wide array of community partners.
This iteration of Startup City — which occurs alongside Vancouver Startup Week — will be the best and biggest yet!
Program Schedule
Registration Details
Tuesday, September 19
Capital Mentorship Breakfast with Jason Calacanis
Successful applicants of the Discovery Foundation Capital Mentorship Program’s MasterMind Capital series are invited to an intimate breakfast with investment expert Jason Calacanis. This is an invite-only event.
VEF | Early Stage Funding | 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM | PwC
Join us for a candid conversation with Jason Calacanis: technology entrepreneur, angel investor, and the host of the popular weekly podcast This Week in Startups. Jason – one of Silicon Valley’s most successful angel investors – shares his rules for investing in startups in his new book Angel. Whether you’re an aspiring investor or a budding entrepreneur, Angel will inspire and educate you on all the ins of outs. Buckle up for a great evening on angel investing!
Tuesday, September 26
Investor Insights with PitchBook
Learn from the experts on how to make the most of PitchBook in this intimate and invite-only session.
Vancouver Tech Showcase
The Vancouver Tech Showcase is an event designed to facilitate startups’ access to critical capital by providing deal flow opportunities with groups of engaged investors — and does so in an environment conducive to discussion and networking. In a departure from the usual showcase format, successful startups field questions from groups of investors in deep dive sessions. This format encourages investor engagement and facilitates discussion.
Wednesday, September 27
Accelerator Showcase | CIX Mixer Vancouver| 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM | The Vancouver Club
join tech investors and entrepreneurs at CIX’s 2017 Mixers for an evening of drinks, discourse and networking with industry experts. Hosted at Wavefront and part of Vancouver Startup Week!
Thursday, September 28
Catalysing Canada’s #1 Startup Ecosystem: How Vancouver Can Crack The Top 10
JF Gauthier CEO of Startup Genome will present The 2017 Startup Ecosystem Report to key stakeholders of the Vancouver Startup Community. This is an invite-only event.
AR/VR Association Presents: Branding for the Future | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM | Hootsuite
As technology has evolved, so too have people’s experiences with it. We’ve witnessed an evolution of mediums, from text to images to video, and it’s now a well known fact that Virtual and Augmented Reality are and will continue to change the way people and businesses work and communicate.Join expert panelists to learn how VR and AR stand to alter our perceptions and influence the future across diverse industries.
Community Partners
