AI Highlights from Web Summit Vancouver 2025

The 2025 Vancouver Web Summit drew tech enthusiasts from around the globe, with 15,727 attendees from more than 100 countries. The event attracted 681 investors and 159 partner firms, including Microsoft, Mastercard, IBM, and Figma. 

The event also brought in a record-breaking 1,108 startups from 64 countries and 50 trade delegations– the largest-ever debut for a first-year Web Summit. For four days, Vancouver was the epicenter of global tech, with attendees swapping ideas, forming cross-border collaborations, and showing off the projects they’ve nurtured for years.

AI was front and center for every company, from the most humble startups to multinational titans. Gary Marcus, a bestselling author and notable AI critic, acknowledged a few of generative AI’s merits while warning of its limits. Many of the speakers who stepped up to the stage went over potential real-world AI applications, their potential pros and cons, and how they have recently changed. 

With that said, here are a few of the AI highlights from Web Summit Vancouver 2025.

Web Summit AI Innovation Insights from Industry Leaders

With so many industry leaders and experts attending, it should come as no surprise that some of the most thought-provoking moments at Web Summit Vancouver 2025 came from their insights.

Generative Engine Optimization with Jim Louderback

One notable takeaway came from Jim Louderback, the CEO and editor of Inside the Creator Economy. In his talk, Louderback discussed the idea of Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, which is reshaping how companies build their organic marketing strategies. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on search rankings, GEO is about getting content recognized and surfaced by generative engines like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

“When you ask ChatGPT or Google Gemini something, it's a discussion, and the things that it surfaces are very different from what Google's actual search engine does,” says Louderback. “If you want to take [your content] and get it surfaced in this new version of search, you have to think about the trusted AI.” 

The Inevitability of AI with David Shim

David Shim, the CEO of productivity startup Read AI, emphasized that companies can no longer afford to shy away from AI. He compared today’s landscape to the early days of smartphones, when organizations hesitated to allow work emails on mobile devices—an idea that now feels almost unthinkable. “You can’t stop it,” Shim said, simply. 

However, Shim also stressed the importance of oversight and accountability when using AI tools.  “Just as a manager guides, gives feedback, and stands behind the team’s results, we will need to oversee, interpret, and take responsibility for what AI produces,” he explained. “If the AI makes a mistake, it’s on us to answer for it. The real value and strategic edge come from our ability to govern, exercise judgment, and be accountable.”

Real-World AI Applications Unveiled at Web Summit Vancouver 2025

The Summit gave thousands of attendees the chance to demonstrate the real-world AI applications they’ve been working on, and many didn’t disappoint. 

Waabi: Autonomous Trucking

Waabi, a Toronto-based startup, stood out among the Web Summit Vancouver 2025 AI highlights for its ambitious push into autonomous trucking. Unlike other companies in the autonomous vehicle market, Waabi took a simulation-based approach. It uses generative AI to create lifelike driving scenarios, which, according to founder and CEO Raquel Urtasun, have a 99.7% success rate in replicating real-world conditions.

The company now has over $280 million in funding, which, along with lucrative partnerships with Uber Freight and Volvo, shows the promise in Waabi’s goals. It plans to deploy fully driverless long-haul trucks on Texas highways by the end of the year, easing some of the strain on human drivers.

MaisonAI: AI Concierge for Luxury Real Estate

MaisonAI launched its conversational AI assistant for luxury real estate professionals at Web Summit Vancouver 2025, offering a real-world solution for agents juggling high-value, multilingual clients. The tool automates lead qualification, property recommendations, and client communication—reducing administrative load and accelerating deal cycles. 

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Designed for global markets, MaisonAI is already in use by select brokerages across North America and the Middle East, signaling strong early traction in a high-touch industry.

AI in Healthcare Technology: Highlights and Happenings at Vancouver Web Summit

Web Summit 2025 showcased impressive applications for AI in healthcare technology. From tools that support faster, more accurate diagnoses to platforms improving patient care, these press releases highlight the ways that AI can benefit the healthcare industry.

• ClaraWell: ClaraWell is a personalized AI health assistant developed in-house by Canadian-founded Godly Labs Inc. It’s designed to make early risk detection more accessible through user-friendly, condition-specific micro-screeners, while also giving users the tools and feedback they need to improve their health.
  
  ClaraWell launched with two public-facing screeners for sleep apnea and ADHD, and is designed to grow into a full personal health assistant powered by the company’s proprietary ClaraBrain system.
  
  
• Teddy Chat: Teddy Chat, created by Toymint, is an interactive AI platform designed to comfort and engage children in healthcare settings. Its latest feature introduces an emotionally intelligent, in-room AI companion that provides emotion-aware chat loops, interactive animations, and seamless integration with clinic screens or tablets.
  
  “Kids often feel scared or isolated in clinical environments,” said Zoran Kovacevic, CEO and co-founder of Toymint. “This new experience helps children feel seen, supported, and empowered through playful AI and soothing…video loops.”
  
  
• VoxCell BioInnovation: Vancouver-based VoxCell BioInnovation won the $10,000 grand prize at The $10K Pitch: BC’s Startup All-Stars, coming ahead of 12 top BC startups.
  
  Its development of vascularized, human-like cancer tissue models could help pharmaceutical companies screen drug candidates earlier, potentially accelerating life-saving treatments and reducing late-stage failures. 

AI Startups in Canada: Key Highlights from Vancouver Tech Summit 2025

While Tech Summit 2025 drew global startups, an unsurprisingly large number hailed from Canada and even Vancouver itself. These AI startups in Canada stood out for their creative approaches to real-world challenges.

• Nemu: Canadian startup 925 Labs launched Nemu, an AI-powered sleep companion app designed to transform bedtime into interactive, wellness-focused adventures. By analyzing users’ sleep patterns, environment, and chronotype, Nemu can provide them with personalized insights and recommendations to help them get better rest.
  
  
• Budgety: Vancouver-based personal finance platform Budgety launched Buddy AI, a conversational assistant designed to help users manage their money and build financial confidence.
  
  Built into the Budgety app, Buddy AI uses AI trained on real-world financial behavior and user feedback to provide spending insights, answer financial questions in plain language, flag unusual transactions, and offer goal-based reminders.
  
  
• eeva: Montreal-based startup eeva unveiled a major upgrade to its home life management app at Web Summit Vancouver 2025, following a $2.8 million pre-seed funding round. Designed to lighten the mental load of modern life, eeva centralizes tasks, calendars, documents, and reminders into one simple, collaborative hub.
  
  The latest version offers faster performance, smarter interconnected features, and an upcoming AI chatbot to help automate daily organization, making it easier for users to stay on top of their busy lives.
  

From Web Summit to Strategy: What Comes Next

As the excitement from Web Summit Vancouver 2025 winds down, many are turning their attention to what lies ahead. The event wasn’t just a showcase of innovation; it also raised important questions about where technology is headed and how businesses, industries, and individuals will need to adapt.

“We’re at a pivotal moment in history,” says Web Summit founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave. “Technology is advancing faster than ever, transforming how we live, work, and connect…And everyone’s asking: What will our future look like?”

Fortunately, while the Summit raised questions, it also provided answers. Through real-world AI applications, emerging product launches, and candid conversations from the main stage, it became clear that the future of AI isn’t a distant concept– it’s already here. The question for companies is no longer whether they should adopt AI, but how to do it wisely, strategically, and in ways that deliver tangible value.

Interested in exploring what AI can add to your operations? 

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