The winners of the 13th annual BCIC-New Ventures Competition were announced today in Vancouver. From this year’s 146 applicants, top prizes were awarded to a cloud-based business management system, a biotech company that works with monoclonal antibody therapeutics and a cloud-based communications platform for medical practices and hospitals.
“This year’s finalists were the strongest and most promising set of companies we’ve seen over the 13-year history of the competition,” said Angie Schick, Program Manager, BCIC-New Ventures Competition. “Congratulations to all our winning companies. The BCIC-New Ventures Competition looks forward to following their continued development and success.”
“For more than a decade, the BCIC-New Ventures Competition has helped to encourage new technology leaders and entrepreneurs,” said Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Minister Andrew Wilkinson. “We are proud to support programs like this that encourage innovation and help develop the talent that is so important for new companies to grow and thrive. Our tech sector is a vital part of the economy, and as it expands it creates new jobs and prosperity for BC families.”
The 2013 BCIC-New Ventures Competition Winners are:
- $107,000 BCIC first prize package: Vonigo
Vonigo is a cloud-based business management system that addresses the operational challenges faced by on-site service companies, such as cleaners, painters, movers, and maid services, who operate on site, at client homes and businesses. Vonigo offers a unified suite of configurable modules including: CRM, internal & client-facing scheduling, work order management, estimating, dispatching, invoicing, payments, reporting, and more – all accessible over the internet from any mobile or desktop device.
- $62,000 BCIC second prize package: AbCellera
AbCellera is a biotechnology company that works with pharmaceutical industry partners to accelerate the discovery of monoclonal antibody therapeutics (mAbs) – molecules that are naturally produced by the immune system to fight off infections and diseases.
- $42,000 BCIC third prize package: SmartPager Systems
Developed in response to the massive volume of phone calls and messages doctors, medical practices and hospitals receive every day, Victoria-based SmartPager Systems unifies pager systems, answering services, and texting into a secure multimedia cloud-based communications platform.
- $40,000 Wavefront Wireless prize package: MetaOptima
MetaOptima is a Burnaby-based digital health technology company that offers Molescope, a user-friendly smartphone app that helps monitor, record and assess potentially cancerous skin lesions.
- $20,000 BC Bioenergy Network prize: Industrial Plankton
Industrial Plankton Inc. is developing a series of cost effective, highly automated bioreactors for aquaculture hatcheries, the industrial biotech sector, and biofuels research.
- $15,000 Vancity Social Venture prize: Two Hat Security Research Corp.
Kelowna-based Two Hat Security is making the world a safer place for online kids. Its latest product, PottyMouth Chat Tools helps block cyber-bullying and child predators by instantly mining and measuring children’s chat for risk before it even goes on the screen.
“Over the history of the New Ventures Competition, we have found that winning is an indicator of future potential – more often than not, the top teams in this competition go on to create successful businesses,” said Jill Leversage, Chair of the BCIC Board of Directors. “BCIC is proud to support the growth of BC entrepreneurs, and we look forward to seeing these businesses create jobs and economic growth.”