BCBusiness
From artificial intelligence to the elusive Gen Z market, here’s what the world’s tech community couldn’t stop talking about
Vancouver’s big tech moment has arrived. Web Summit Vancouver kicked off this week at the Vancouver Convention Centre, drawing over 15,000 attendees, thousands of startups and hundreds of speakers from around the globe. Here are five major takeaways from the event (so far).
Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave wasn’t sold on Vancouver as the host city—at first. The Web Summit founder had initially dismissed the city without setting foot in it. But a chance meeting in Rio de Janeiro with a delegation of Canadian officials—armed with what he described as “incredible levels of Canadian politeness”—changed everything. After finally visiting, Cosgrave was taken aback by Vancouver’s natural beauty and the strength of its tech scene. What he once overlooked, he now calls an “understated” world-class city that’s been “below the radar” on the global tech map. That shift in perspective led to the decision to bring Web Summit—and 15,000+ international delegates—to Vancouver, redefining the city’s place in the global innovation economy.
Keeping tech talent in B.C. is no easy feat. With high living costs, limited salary competitiveness and the allure of better-paying jobs just across the border, the province faces a real retention challenge. Mayor Ken Sim isn’t shying away from it. He points to a multi-pronged solution: boosting housing affordability, improving public safety, creating a more vibrant urban experience and attracting marquee events like Web Summit and FIFA World Cup. By spotlighting local strengths in AI, blockchain and AR/VR, Vancouver aims to do more than just hang on to talent—it wants to become a top-choice destination for tech professionals looking to build long-term careers.
“Sometimes breakthroughs happen because of humans—because of dissonance, because of friction, because of things that don’t make sense,” said keynote speaker Michael Treff, CEO of Code and Theory, during opening remarks. While Treff critiqued AI’s emotional intelligence, contextual awareness and intuitive decision-making skills, elsewhere at the summit, Pfizer’s Lidia Fonseca joined Hootsuite CEO Irina Novoselsky for a fireside chat on how the technology is radically improving the healthcare industry. From naysayers to optimists, technologists and entrepreneurs obsessed about artificial intelligence at Web Summit Vancouver—fueling conversations about what’s next across industries.
“Gen Z is full of contradictions,” said Hootsuite CEO Irina Novoselsky in a session on social media’s business boom. “They’re doing things differently and turning the usual playbooks upside down.” At Web Summit Vancouver, Gen Z wasn’t just part of the audience—it was a recurring theme. Founders and marketers across the board zeroed in on how to connect with the TikTok generation. From masterclasses on unlocking Gen Z’s spending power to workshops on riding viral trends with authenticity, reaching this elusive demographic was top of mind for many brands.
Forty-four percent of the startups at Web Summit Vancouver were founded by women—and many of them were local. From customized bra brand Doubl to period underwear startup Revol Cares and menstrual pad innovator Aruna Revolution, a number of local Canadian and B.C.-based companies showcased products for women, made by women. These female-led ventures didn’t just highlight innovation in traditionally overlooked categories—they also underscored a growing movement in the tech and startup space: designing solutions by and for those who’ve historically been left out of the conversation.