June 19, 2025
Hunter Hub showcases entrepreneurial spirit at Vancouver tech gathering
In late May, the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking attended Web Summit Vancouver, North America’s fastest-growing tech conference.
Previously known as Collision, and hosted in Toronto, the event brought together investors, startups, and media for three days of discovery and connection.
Hunter Hub’s presence at the conference sent a clear message: the University of Calgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, and its students, researchers, and alumni are building the future of innovation.
Diverse startups supported by UCalgary
Maple Scan founder Sasha Ivanov poses with the Hunter Hub's booth mural.
Ricky Lam
Featured at the UCalgary booth were eight ventures, many have been supported by Hunter Hub programs, such as Launchpad, e2i, and Innovation Sandbox:
- Maple Scan
- bondr
- Syncmed
- CraftXR
- Campus Buddy
- MLCAN
- Dev Search
- nLITEn Tech
These startups are involved in a wide range of industries including healthcare, AI, education tech, and social platforms. Each one is an example of how the university supports ventures from early ideas to global opportunities.
“This has been a wonderful experience for our company,” said Brandon Blondeau, co-founder of SyncMed, a UCalgary-supported company working on systems for communication and data sharing in medicine. “Being in an environment where we can learn how to grow our business and connect with other entrepreneurs and see what’s working for them and what’s not working for them has been very valuable for us.”
Launchpad ventures recognized on the global stage
The Hunter Hub booth during Web Summit Vancouver.
Ricky Lam
Two alumni ventures, IMOnline and Phanvic X, supported by the Hunter Hub program, Launchpad, were selected for Web Summit’s ALPHA program, which spotlights high potential early-stage startups from around the world.
In addition, e2i and Launchpad participant, CraftXR, who provide extended reality simulation training for healthcare professionals, was invited to pitch during the AI Startup Showcase, sharing their venture with a global audience of investors and tech leaders.
Booth promotes Calgary coffee and art
Alex Titov and Ashley Regnier of the Hunter Hub at their booth during Web Summit Vancouver.
Ricky Lam
The Hunter Hub booth had two draws, encouraging repeat visits from attendees during the two days of the conference: freshly brewed coffee from Phil & Sebastian, a UCalgary Alumni Built Business, and a live mural created by Calgary artist Mike Hooves, who illustrated snippets of the conversations heard around the booth in real time.
Visitors were excited to see their stories reflected in the mural, and the booth was a popular choice for photo opportunities and conversation.
A milestone for UCalgary entrepreneurship
Hunter Hub’s attendance at Web Summit was a milestone for UCalgary’s innovation ecosystem, demonstrating how ideas developed on campus are reaching global audiences.
The event marked an exciting step forward as Hunter Hub continues to grow its impact and support the next generation of changemakers.