Your startup journey begins here—compete for over $250,000 in cash and prizes.
The 2025 New Ventures BC Competition, presented by Innovate BC, is officially open for applications. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the competition has helped launch some of British Columbia’s most successful tech companies and continues to be a springboard for early-stage startups across the province.
Each year, hundreds of ventures from various sectors take part in the province’s largest and longest-running tech competition, all vying for the chance to be named BC’s most promising tech startup. Last year, 217 startups entered the competition, with Vancouver-based TIMEZYX taking the top spot. Since the program’s inception in 2000, more than 4,200 companies have participated, receiving mentorship, resources, and over $4M in cash and prizes to help scale their businesses.
Competition alumni continue to make waves around the globe. Ionomr Innovations (2016 Top 10 Finalist) was recently named to the Global Cleantech 100 List for the fourth time for their breakthrough ion-exchange membranes and polymers. pH7 Technologies (2021 Top 26 Finalist) — who joined Ionomr on the Global Cleantech 100 List this year — has spent the last two years rapidly scaling their venture, which included raising a $16M Series A round in 2023 while being named one of the country’s top startups by LinkedIn. And last year, Victoria’s VoxCell BioInnovation (2022 Third Place Prize Winner) outlasted more than 550 other startups to win first place in the last ever Collision PITCH competition.
The NVBC competition spans six months and includes multiple elimination rounds, providing startups with invaluable exposure, mentorship, networking opportunities, and expert-led educational sessions. Finalists will compete for a share of over $250,000 in cash and prizes, with the winners revealed at an awards ceremony later this year.
This year’s Competition takes place as part of the Road to Web Summit, powered by Innovate BC, and continues through the Fall. The Road to Web Summit features dozens of events and programs leading up to Web Summit Vancouver (May 27-30), with the Competition extending beyond the Summit to provide ongoing opportunities for participants.
For full details on this year’s competition, click here. Applications close on March 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST and can be submitted here.
QUOTES
“Celebrating 25 years of supporting BC’s innovation ecosystem is a milestone we’re incredibly proud of. This competition has helped shape the province’s startup landscape, and we can’t wait to see the next generation of entrepreneurs step up and create the province’s next homegrown success story.”
Angie Schick
Executive Director, New Ventures BC
“New Ventures BC is the Province’s premier event for helping prepare high potential B.C. startups for success. The competition, sponsored and supported by Innovate BC, helps our most promising innovators network, expand their knowledge and, most importantly, receive funding to grow their operations. While these companies are early stage, many past winners have gone on to become anchors within our tech sector. I’m excited to see what ideas this year’s groups bring to the table.”
Honourable Diana Gibson
Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
“Innovate BC is proud to support the New Ventures BC Competition once again, which has long served as a cornerstone of B.C.’s innovation ecosystem, empowering high-potential startups with the mentorship, resources, and financial support they need to thrive. By connecting visionary entrepreneurs with the tools to scale, we are creating avenues to strengthen our provincial industries, foster economic growth, and further our position as a leader in global innovation. We’re excited to see this year’s cohort of startups showcase their groundbreaking ideas and contribute to addressing pressing challenges and high-impact opportunities.”
Peter Cowan
President + CEO, Innovate BC
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Key Dates:
- March 11: Competition Info Session
- March 27: Kickoff Networking Event
- March 31: Application Deadline
- March 29: Start-up Sprint Education
Videos:
For 25 years, New Ventures BC (NVBC) has been part of BC’s startup community, empowering early-stage tech companies with the tools, mentorship, and funding they need to succeed. As a non-profit, NVBC programs include the annual New Ventures BC Competition, Accelerator Programs, Capital Compass, IP Pathway and AccelerateIP — supporting thousands of founders as they launch and grow. To date, NVBC has helped launch some of BC’s top tech success stories, contributing to a thriving innovation ecosystem that has created thousands of jobs and attracted over $2.7 billion in investment.
Innovate BC helps foster innovation in B.C. so that British Columbians in all regions of the province can benefit from a thriving, sustainable, and inclusive innovation economy. A Crown Agency of British Columbia, Innovate BC funds and delivers programs that support the growth of the B.C. economy by helping companies start and scale, train talent that meets labour market needs, and encourage technology development, commercialization, and adoption.
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