Vancouver's R&D landscape features a mix of large organizations and established companies across diverse sectors. Key players include TELUS, a telecommunications innovator, lululemon, an athletic apparel company, and The University of British Columbia, a global research and teaching center. The Provincial Health Services Authority coordinates specialized health services, while Aritzia designs luxury apparel. Global Relay provides compliance solutions for financial organizations.
A notable pattern among these companies is the strong presence of healthcare and biotechnology, with organizations like Provincial Health Services Authority, Providence Health Care, BC Cancer, STEMCELL Technologies, and AbCellera all contributing to advancements in these fields. Additionally, there is a significant cluster of companies in the entertainment and digital media sector, such as Sony Pictures Imageworks, EA SPORTS, and Scanline VFX.
| # | Company | Employees | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38,236 | ||||
| 2 |
lululemoncorporate.lululemon.com
A lifestyle inspired athletic apparel company that creates transformational products for yoga, running, training, and other sweaty pursuits |
25,212 | |||
| 3 |
The University of British Columbiaubc.ca
a global center for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities worldwide. |
25,036 | |||
| 4 |
Provincial Health Services Authorityphsa.ca
Coordination and delivery of specialized provincial health services including hospitals, emergency, cancer, transplant, and disease control programs across BC. |
11,766 | |||
| 5 |
Aritziaaritzia.com
Design house creating Everyday Luxury with exclusive brands, premium fabrics, meticulous construction, and timeless style while prioritizing people and planet |
8,295 | |||
| 6 |
Providence Health Careprovidencehealthcare.org
Faith-based health care organization in Canada providing compassionate care across 17 sites for heart, lung, HIV/AIDS, mental health, renal, seniors, and urban populations |
3,828 | |||
| 7 |
Providence Health Careprovidencehealthcare.org
Faith-based health care organization in Canada providing compassionate care across 17 sites for heart, lung, HIV/AIDS, mental health, renal, seniors, and urban populations |
2,570 | |||
| 8 |
BC Cancerbccancer.bc.ca
A provincial cancer control program offering prevention, diagnosis, treatment, research, and supportive care with a vision of a world free from cancer |
2,549 | |||
| 9 |
Global Relayglobalrelay.com
Provider of integrated compliance solutions including compliant communications, intelligent archiving, data connectors, and surveillance for regulated financial organizations worldwide. |
1,777 | |||
| 10 |
STEMCELL Technologiesstemcell.com
Provides specialized cell culture media, instruments, and services supporting stem cell, immunology, cancer, and regenerative medicine research worldwide. |
1,749 | |||
| 11 |
Sony Pictures Imageworksimageworks.com
An Academy Award-winning visual effects and animation unit known for live-action effects, dynamic character animation, and all-CG animation Positions available |
1,621 | |||
| 12 | 1,334 | ||||
| 13 |
Scanline VFXscanlinevfx.com
Award-winning global leader in visual effects with studios in 7 locations, specializing in innovative tools and technologies for filmmakers |
1,043 | |||
| 14 | 758 | ||||
| 15 |
AbCelleraabcellera.com
Innovating antibody drug discovery with advanced technology and data science to accelerate drug development and provide a competitive advantage to biotechs and pharma companies |
591 | |||
Want more companies than this list?This page shows the largest ones only. Connect to Tamtam to see every company that matches, filter by size, industry or growth, and reach their decision-makers. | |||||
| 16 |
Westport Fuel Systemswfsinc.com
Innovative company developing clean-burning fuel systems and components to address global climate change and urban air quality challenges Serving customers worldwide |
472 | |||
| 17 |
GeoComplygeocomply.com
GeoComply provides fraud prevention and cybersecurity solutions for online industries, detecting location fraud and verifying user digital identities with advanced technologies |
459 | |||
| 18 |
BC Women's Hospital and Health Centrebcwomens.ca
Specialized women's health facility in British Columbia providing maternity services, research, education, and professional development for healthcare professionals |
436 | |||
| 19 |
BC Centre for Disease Controlbccdc.ca
Provincial and national leader in public health, providing surveillance, detection, treatment, prevention, and consultation services for diseases of public health importance |
378 | |||
| 20 |
ScanlineVFX - Vancouver, Montreal, LAscanlinevfx.com
A VFX company known for photorealistic effects in films, winning awards for proprietary software, and working on major blockbusters Opportunities available to join their creative team |
368 | |||
| 21 |
Zymeworks Inc.zymeworks.com
Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation biotherapeutics and innovative drug candidates for solid tumors and other therapeutic areas through strategic partnerships |
271 | |||
| 22 |
EarthDailyearthdaily.com
Provides daily global Earth observation solutions, combining expertise and technology to deliver actionable intelligence across various sectors for improved decision-making. |
250 | |||
| 23 |
Hinterlandhinterland.com
An independent video game developer and IP creator based in Vancouver, creating thought-provoking, story-rich entertainment experiences set in compelling original worlds |
87 | |||
| 24 |
Acuitas Therapeuticsacuitastx.com
Acuitas provides premier LNP technology for nucleic acid therapeutics, enabling partners to advance new treatments for unmet clinical needs globally |
77 | |||
| 25 |
iHeartgoiheart.com
Develops hardware and software health monitoring products to measure Aortic Stiffness, providing users with information to improve internal health and lifespan |
44 | |||
| 26 |
PhotoSatphotosat.ca
Produces geospatial data from satellite imagery with deep learning for engineers and geologists worldwide, supporting resource development and infrastructure projects. |
34 | |||
| 27 | 27 | ||||
| 28 |
Theory+Practicetap.work
Platform integrating pricing, demand, marketing, and supply chain data to optimize pricing, personalize promotions, and forecast demand accurately. |
21 | |||
| 29 |
Hillcrest Energy Technologies Ltd.hillcrestenergy.tech
A clean tech company developing innovative power conversion technologies and control system solutions for next-generation powertrains and grid-connected systems Publicly traded |
14 | |||
| 30 |
AI/ML Innovations Incaiml-innovations.com
Specializing in AI and ML technologies, the company focuses on investing in digital healthcare startups, aiming to address societal needs and maximize stakeholder returns |
12 | |||
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How this list is built
Every company on this list has a Tamtam company profile. The industry is the one the company gives on LinkedIn; categories such as SaaS or fintech are classified by Tamtam's AI from the company's website and LinkedIn page; and the headquarters city must match the company's own address. Companies are ranked by the number of employees on LinkedIn, and the list is refreshed every night. Classifications can be wrong, so treat the list as a starting point rather than an official ranking. Last updated Nov 12, 2026.
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The same list elsewhere in Canada
- Companies with in-house R&D in Canada 678
- Companies with in-house R&D in Ontario 300
- Companies with in-house R&D in the province of Quebec 159
- Companies with in-house R&D in British Columbia 76
- Companies with in-house R&D in Alberta 74
- Companies with in-house R&D in Toronto 93
- Companies with in-house R&D in Montreal 59
- Companies with in-house R&D in Calgary 39