Last week marked a historic moment as North America hosted its first-ever Web Summit right here in Vancouver, drawing thousands of global innovators, investors, and media to our region.
Since February, Innovate BC has been preparing B.C. startups for this opportunity through our Road to Web Summit Vancouver (R2WSV) initiative — a province-wide effort to equip local companies with the tools, connections, and confidence to showcase their cutting-edge technology, pitch to international investors, and connect with potential partners at this landmark conference.
With so much preparation behind us, it was fantastic to see B.C. startups shine on the global stage during the main event – from spotlight moments at the B.C. Pavilion to high-impact engagements across the Summit.
Highlights from the B.C. Pavilion
At the heart of the action was the B.C. Pavilion – a vibrant showcase of British Columbia’s world-class innovation – made possible through a collaborative partnership between the Government of Canada, through Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan), Province of British Columbia, Innovate BC, Destination Vancouver, Invest Vancouver, and the City of Vancouver, with stage programming planned in collaboration with Digi BC, Life Sciences BC, Quantum Algorithms Institute, and AInBC.
From daily B.C. Venture Spotlights – featuring 72 trailblazing startups identified through the Road to Web Summit programming – to expert-led panels and high-impact announcements, the Pavilion brought B.C.’s innovation ecosystem to the forefront, helping connect local innovators with global audiences.
Highlights from the pavilion included The $10K Pitch: BC’s Startup All-Stars, co-hosted with New Ventures BC, spotlighting 12 standout startups – all of whom ranked in the Top 10 of the New Ventures BC Competition within the past five years. Over two rounds of rapid-fire pitching to panels of expert judges – including Innovate BC’s own President + CEO, Peter Cowan, and Sheila Schindel, Director of Commercialization + IP Programs – the competition narrowed to four finalists: VoxCell BioInnovation, yPilot, Glüxkind, and SkyAcres Agrotechnologies. These top ventures faced off in a high-stakes finale for a $10,000 prize, provided by Innovate BC.
VoxCell BioInnovation was awarded the top prize for their groundbreaking vascularized, human-like cancer tissue models — technology designed to help pharmaceutical companies accelerate drug development and bring life-saving treatments to patients faster.
We also marked a major milestone for the Province’s Integrated Marketplace initiative, delivered by Innovate BC, with the Hon. Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation, announcing an additional $30 million investment from the Province live on the Pavilion stage – supporting even more B.C. companies to scale real-world solutions and bring more good-paying jobs to people in British Columbia.
Following the announcement, Innovate BC hosted the panel discussion, Connecting B.C. Solutions to Global Opportunities through the Integrated Marketplace, exploring how the Integrated Marketplace is helping B.C. innovators scale their technologies, tackle global challenges like decarbonization and operational efficiency, and prove their solutions in real-world industry settings.
The panel featured Minister Gibson, alongside Scott Beatty, CEO of MarineLabs, and Jessica Yip, Co-Founder + COO of A&K Robotics – two local companies that have leveraged the Integrated Marketplace to drive growth and expand into new markets.
Innovate BC Beyond the Pavilion
Outside the Pavilion, Innovate BC was involved in key moments across the conference. Notably, Innovate BC’s Tomica Divic, Director of Strategic Partnerships + Ecosystem Development, served as a judge for Web Summit’s official PITCH competition, where three outstanding B.C. women founders advanced to the finals.
Roya Aghighi of Lite-1 was awarded the top prize for a biotechnology solution that transforms bio-waste into sustainable colourants. Fellow female founders Anne Hunger of Glüxkind and Carlyn Loncaric of VodaSafe also reached the finals, representing the province among an impressive cohort. Their presence stood out in a year where 44% of participating startups had at least one female founder — a milestone that reflects growing momentum for women in tech and entrepreneurship.
Innovate BC also took part in thought leadership conversations shaping the future of the tech sector. Sheila Schindel joined the panel Policy Meets Platform: Building Secure Tech Ecosystems, where she shared insights on the role of collaborative governance and public-private partnerships in driving innovation at scale.
The panel explored how stakeholders can co-create resilient, secure, and future-ready tech ecosystems – diving into real-world models of collaboration, the shifting regulatory landscape, and the importance of aligning policy, innovation, and infrastructure to enable meaningful impact.
From showcasing homegrown solutions to driving critical conversations on the global stage, B.C. showed up in a big way. Innovate BC, alongside partners across the ecosystem, were proud to help connect local innovators with international opportunities, spotlighting the talent, diversity, and impact that define our province.
And this is just the beginning. With Web Summit set to return to Vancouver for the next two years, the momentum we’ve built will only grow. We look forward to continuing to deepen partnerships, support founders, and ensure B.C. innovation continues to lead and scale on the world stage.