Web Summit Report
11-14 May 2026
Denan Kuni, our Manager for Economic Development and Policy, attended Web Summit from May 11-14. Denan had the privilege to be part of the Invest Vancouver team at the event. BBOT was joined by the City of Delta, Coquitlam, Richmond and North Vancouver amongst others, that made up the Team Invest Vancouver.
A half-day of investment training and pitching to investors was conducted at the Invest Vancouver offices in Burnaby prior to the event. An “Event Playbook for Member Jurisdictions”, a document designed to guide member jurisdiction’s participation (like the BBOT) in events as Invest Vancouver representatives, was discussed in detail. Participants had to prepare a pitch utilising value proposition highlights and respond to a series of statements/questions that a prospective investor could make in a hypothetical prospecting interaction.
In addition to the Web Summit “meet ups”, seminars, panel discussions and curated talks, BBOT was also invited to attend “closed” meetings with international investors through the Invest Vancouver team. These included a Foresight Networking lunch with the Dutch delegation, the Climate Global Conference 2026, BC FDI Regional Networking event, EU-Canada: From CETA to the Digital Partnership business seminar, and the Invest Vancouver Seminar Series.
Web Summit Vancouver reinforced BC’s emergence as a globally connected innovation economy centered on AI, clean technology, advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure, and international investment attraction. These areas strongly align with Burnaby’s economic strengths. The summit highlighted the importance of scaling Burnaby-owned companies, commercializing local research, attracting global talent, and strengthening partnerships between industry, government, and post-secondary institutions.
For the Burnaby Board of Trade, the event demonstrates a major opportunity to position Burnaby as a leading hub for technology, investment, and trade by advocating for business-friendly policies on housing, transit, workforce development, permitting, and innovation infrastructure, while also helping local companies connect to global markets, investors, and strategic partnerships through international events and trade initiatives.
BBOT is continuing to follow-up with trade and investment leads from the Summit. A potential investment into Burnaby’s health tech sector from the UK and a domestic investment expansion for an IT security company from Toronto to Burnaby, is being urgently worked on. We will continue to keep our members informed as these investment and trade opportunities begin to materialize.
