A RB Dispatch from Web Summit Vancouver 2025
Under the Vancouver Sky: Why Research Still Needs a Revolution
When Web Summit lands in a city, it doesn’t just host an event, it shifts the narrative.
This May in Vancouver, under misty peaks on unceded First Nations land, over 15,000 technologists, educators, founders, and media voices gathered to ask: What’s next? While many hunted AI breakthroughs or startup demos, we came with something quieter, but equally urgent: to revolutionise how we experience research.
No drones. No fireworks.
Just a-white table, a mic, and a Canadian startup mission:
Make research accessible. Audible. Free. In every language it’s needed.
We demoed audio summaries in English, Canadian French, and Mandarin, then asked, “ What if learning fit seamlessly into everyday life?”
- Academicians paused.
- Educators scribbled down notes.
- Researchers asked: “Can we embed this into our platform?
The World Listened
The feedback was global:
- Montreal and Ottawa attendees heard our Canadian French snippet and said, “Finally, something that sounds like home.”
- A teacher who heard our Tagalog preview teared up: “I wish my parents had this when they were younger.”
- And in 12+ languages, the most frequent response to “What do you wish you could understand better?” was: “Everything, I just don’t have time.”
Who We Met (And What They Taught Us)
Powerful insights came in quiet conversations:
- A First Nations educator from northern BC said: “We need this, but in our own languages too.”
- A startup founder from Lagos wanted to embed RB into their youth microlearning platform.
- A UBC student offered to narrate papers in Vietnamese: “So my cousins can follow along, too.”
That’s when it clicked: ResearchBunny isn’t just a product, it’s a movement. A bridge between knowledge and everyday life.
This isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about removing barriers.
What We’re Bringing Home from Vancouver (apart from Nanaimo Bar)
- Knowledge Deserves a Better Interface PDFs and paywalls are outdated. We’re building something portable, personal, playful.
- Audio = Access Listening fits into life in ways reading can’t, on commutes, during chores, or while texting.
- Language Is Inclusion If it’s not in someone’s native tongue, it’s not truly accessible.
🧡 Under the Vancouver Sky, We Heard What Matters
` Not just in the pitches, or the panels, or the product launches.
We heard it in the teacher who asked, “Can I build a playlist?” In the student who whispered, “Now I can learn on the bus home.” In the parent who said, “This makes research feel like it’s for me, too.”`
Because the future of research isn’t just written. It’s voiced. It’s shared. It’s felt.
Let’s keep building that future, one voice, one language, one listener at a time.
The Future of Research Isn’t Written. It’s Heard.
We heard it in:
- A parent whispering, “Now I can listen while I do dishes.”
- A teacher asking, “ Can I build a playlist for my students?”
- A student promising, “I’ll listen on my ride home.”
Because knowledge shouldn’t have a passport. Because curiosity lives in every language.
What’s Next for ResearchBunny ?
Fueled by Vancouver’s energy, we’re launching:
- Multilingual Audio Channels: Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic & more
- Educator Dashboards: Assign, track, and personalize research audio
- Open Submissions: Students/researchers can now contribute narrations
- B2B Integrations: Active pilots with LMS and edtech platforms
We’re not here to replace research.
We’re here to help it reach the people it was meant for.
Come listen. ResearchBunny is free, forever. For all curious minds, now available in 12+ languages.
Thanks for reading!
