2021 Awards Ceremony Program

Thank you to everyone joining us to celebrate BC tech startups.

Join us online with our Live Stream

Click below to learn more about the Awards program, the top 10 finalists, sponsors, prizes, and our amazing community of volunteers who make this Competition a success.

Meet our emcees:

Wal van Lierop, Executive Chairman, Chrysalix Venture Capital and Chair, NVBC Board of Directors

Angie Schick, Executive Director, New Ventures BC Society

Program of Events

5:10pm: Welcoming Remarks

Video remarks from Hon. Minister Ravi Kahlon, Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation

NVBC Thank-yous

5:20pm: Prize Presentations

$7,000 Luminaries Diamond-in-the-Rough Prize
Presenter: Kate Dilworth, Director Health Programs, SFU Beedie School of Business

Alumni Impact Award, presented by Beanworks
Presenter: Katherine Flandez, VP of Marketing, Beanworks

Remarks from Innovate BC
Raghwa Gopal, President & CEO, Innovate BC

$10,000 Innovate BC Regional Impact Award
Presenter: Paul Cubbon, Site Lead, CDL-Vancouver and Assistant Dean, Innovation, UBC Sauder School of Business

5:45pm: Top 10 presentation
Presenter: David Shore, CFO, CodeZero Technologies and NVBC Jury Chair

5:55pm: Prize Presentations

$10,000 Innovate BC Social Venture Prize
Presenter: Dr. Alexandra Greenhill, CEO, Careteam Technologies

$10,000 Innovate BC Woman-led Venture Prize
Presenter: Dr. Sarah Lubik, Director of Entrepreneurship, SFU and Innovation & Entrepreneurship Lecturer, SFU Beedie School of Business

$35,000 Innovate BC Third Prize Package
Presenter: Udi Daon, CEO, Daanaa, 2021 2nd prizewinner

$60,000 Innovate BC Second Prize Package
Presenter: Eric Byres, Founder & CTO, aDolus Technology, 2021 1st prizewinner

$110,000 Innovate BC First Prize Package
Presenter: Raghwa Gopal, President & CEO, Innovate BC

First prize acceptance speech

Wrap-up and farewell

Meet our Top 10 finalists:  

• LetHub – Victoria
  • NVBC Mentors: Andrew Mosawi, Nari Rampersad, Ian Banks
• Matidor – Vancouver
• Moment Energy – Vancouver
  • NVBC Mentors: Gurminder Minhas, David Dunnison, Kyle Cheriton
• Pocketed – Vancouver
  • NVBC Mentors: Emily Wu, Shreyas Sali, Steve Lowry
• RightMetric – North Vancouver
  • NVBC Mentors: Kiana Mohseni, Bijan Vaez, Greg Fitzgerald
• Rootd – Victoria
  • NVBC Mentors: James de Greef, Ladan Fotoohi, Floyd Sijmons
• Streamline Athletes – Vancouver
  • NVBC Mentors: Adam Lorant, Angel Pui, Kevin Jampole
• Total Flow Medical – Vancouver
  • NVBC Mentors: Hugh MacNaught, Mark Thomson, Paul Lomonossov
• TrafficDriven – Vancouver
  • NVBC Mentors: Chris Chong, Gautam Banerjee, Judy Bishop
• Train Fitness – Vancouver
  • NVBC Mentors: Blake Ponuick, Craig Thompson, Byron Thom

Thank you to our government and corporate sponsors.

Thank you to our volunteer mentors, jurors and speakers who generously share their time, knowledge and expertise with start-up companies across BC. 

Round 3 and 4 Jurors:

• Dr. Alexandra Greenhill
• Andy Edelmeier
• David Shore
• Julien Sellgren
• Maria Pacella
• Natalie Dakers
• Rasool Rayani
• Rochelle Grayson
• Thealzel Lee
• Zach Jonasson

Round 2 and 2.5 Jurors:

• Aaron Cruickshank
• Aaron Davey
• Alan Foster
• Alfred Lam
• Ali Pourdad
• Alvin Chubbs
• Andrew Csinger
• Bill Archer
• Blake Ponuick
• Brian Kahnert
• Brian Martin
• Brodie Desimone
• Catherine Dahl
• Chris Chong
• Chris Wiesinger
• Cynthia Shipham Brett
• Darren Frew
• Daryl Hatton
• Dave Thomas
• David Berkowitz
• Dean Pick
• Doug Manness
• Drew Lau
• Elayne Wandler
• Emily Wu
• Floyd Sijmons
• Gabe Kalmar
• Gautam Banerjee
• Gavin Henry
• Geoff Catherwood
• Geoff Fawkes
• Geoff Hultin
• Geordan Hankinson
• Glen Sampson
• Gordon Deans
• Greg Fitzgerald
• Gurminder Minhas
• Havind Sehmi
• Helen Goddard
• Hugh MacNaught
• Jacques Farges
• James DeGreef
• Jan Langton
• Jay Crone
• Jeff Calvert
• Jeff LaPorte
• Jeff Sinclair
• Jennifer Hamilton
• Jim Pratt
• John Carter
• Kalen Stewart
• Karen Chiang
• Kate Dilworth
• Kevin Jampole
• Kiana Mohseni
• Kirk Hamilton
• Kookai Chaimahawong
• Kyle Cheriton
• Lauren Kulokas
• Laurie Schultz
• Lesley Esford
• Luke Krueger
• Malcolm Kendall
• Maureen Hatanaka
• Mike Hilton
• Mo Mostafei
• Mustafa Mohamedali
• Nana Collett
• Nari Rampersad
• Natalia Mainprize
• Neil McPhedran
• Peter de Verteuil
• Peter Parrish
• Peter Payne
• Peter van Bodegom
• Ray Silva
• Rob Muir
• Rob Peets
• Sean Hodgins
• Sharon Barnes
• Simon Backer
• Steve Lowry
• Steve Szabo
• Stewart Marshall
• Suman Majumder
• Tim Collings
• Veronica Zammitto

Mentors:

• Adam Lorant
• Alicia Lenis
• Allan Grant
• Alvin Chubbs
• Amber Hayes
• Andrew Mosawi
• Angel Pui
• Arik Broadbent
• Bijan Vaez
• Bill Archer
• Blake Ponuick
• Bob Harper
• Brady Fletcher
• Brian Kahnert
• Bruce Sharpe
• Byron Thom
• Chris Chong
• Christene Best
• Colin Farrell
• Craig Thompson
• Craig Thomson
• Daryl Hatton
• Dave Thomas
• David Dunnison
• Dean Pick
• Ean Jackson
• Emily Wu
• Eric Bukovinsky
• Floyd Sijmons
• Frank Leffelaar
• Gabe Kalmar
• Garland Sharratt
• Gautam Banerjee
• Geoff Fawkes
• Grant Lawrence
• Greg Fitzgerald
• Gurminder Minhas
• Herman Lo
• Hugh MacNaught
• Iain Ball
• Iain Begg
• Iain McLean
• Ian Banks
• James de Greef
• Jeff Churchill
• Jeff LaPorte
• Judy Bishop
• Kathleen Landry
• Katrina Carroll-Foster
• Kevin Jampole
• Kiana Mohseni
• Kyle Cheriton
• Ladan Fotoohi
• Mark Thomson
• Mark Trevitt
• Mike Radano
• Mike Winterfield
• Mustafa Mohamedali
• Nana Collett
• Nari Rampersad
• Paul Brassard
• Paul Koros
• Paul Lomonossov
• Paul McAfee
• Peter de Verteuil
• Riad Hartani
• Richard Miller
• Rob Atwell
• Rob Fuller
• Robert Owen
• Rupert Whiting
• Sandra Wear
• Shreyas Sali
• Steve Lowry
• Steve Lukas
• Suman Majumder
• Troy Anderson
• Udi Daon
• Veronica Zammitto
• Victor Holysh
• Vivek Thomas
• Walter Wardrop
• Wendy Hurlburt

Speakers:

• Allison Guld
• Amber Hayes
• Brian Martin
• Dave Thomas
• David J. Raffa
• Hardeep Gill
• Jessie Tai
• Jonathan Conlin
• Keith Ippel
• Lesley Duncan
• Ling Wong
• Mike Volker
• Mo Mostafaei
• Paul Brassard
• Rashaqa Rahman
• Roger Kuypers
• Samuel Li
• Sean Hodgins
• Shannon Ward
• Stephanie Lyster
• Tamara Tarnowsky

$115,000 Innovate BC first-prize package:

• $80,000 cash from Innovate BC plus complimentary access to the Innovate BC Venture Acceleration Program for one year, valued at $2,400
• $6,000 in-kind services from EY
• $9,000 in-kind services from Fasken
• $10,000 in-kind video services from pushr video
• PR Prize pack from Switchboard PR
• $6,750 in-kind services from NVBC’s silver & bronze sponsors

$60,000 Innovate BC second-prize package:

• $45,000 cash from Innovate BC plus complimentary access to the Innovate BC Venture Acceleration Program for one year, valued at $2,400
• $6,000 in-kind services from EY
• $6,000 in-kind services from Fasken
• $2,000 in-kind services from NVBC’s silver & bronze sponsors

$35,000 Innovate BC third-prize package:

• $25,000 cash from Innovate BC plus complimentary access to the Innovate BC Venture Acceleration Program for one year, valued at $2,400
• $6,000 in-kind services from Ernst & Young
• $3,000 in-kind services from Fasken
• $2,000 in-kind services from NVBC’s silver & bronze sponsors

$10,000 Innovate BC Social Venture Prize

Awarded to a for-profit venture, placing in the Top 10 or Top 25. The venture must aim to create a strong social or environmental impact that creates shared value to the local community and society at large, in addition to economic profits.

• $10,000 cash from Innovate BC
•  A guaranteed top 20 spot in the next Spring Impact Investor Challenge

$10,000 Innovate BC Regional Startup Prize

Awarded to the most promising startup placing in the Top 10 or Top 25, that is positioned to make a significant regional impact. The venture must located outside of the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

$10,000 Innovate BC Woman-Led Venture Award

Awarded to the most-promising venture with a woman CEO or Co-Founder in the Top 10 or Top 25. Preference will be given to CEOs, then to Co-Founders who hold 20% or greater ownership. This prize is open to anyone who self-identifies as a woman.

$7,000 Luminaries Diamond-in-the-Rough Award

Awarded to a promising company that is pre-revenue and pre-investment as of April 12, 2021 (less than $50K of dilutive financing or revenue). This award is generously funded by members of NVBC’s volunteer Luminaries program, including:

• Lauren Kulokas
• Paul Koros, Cassandra Strategy Group Ltd.
• Alvin Chubbs
• Alfred Lam
• Dave Thomas
• Acetech
• Andrew Mosawi, iATS Payments
• Kate Dilworth
• Harper Grey LLP
• Blake Ponuick, Moventis Growth Strategies, Inc
• Iain G. Ball, Financial Consultant
• Byron Thom

Alumni Impact Award Presented by Beanworks

This community-nominated prize is awarded to one Competition alumni that has made a significant economic, social, environmental, or community-based impact to BC’s tech ecosystem.

New Ventures BC Team: 

• Angie Schick, Executive Director
• Susan Richards de Wit, Mentor & Jury “Wrangler”
• Rachel Burns, Program Manager
• Lucas van Lierop, Program Coordinator
• Liz Bowell, Bookkeeper and Events Coordinator
• Sabrina Minosola, Marketing Communications Specialist

New Ventures BC Society Board of Directors, 2021

• Norma Biln, Past competition winner, CEO Augurex
• Paul Cubbon, Assistant Dean, Innovation at UBC Sauder School of Business and Creative Destruction Labs – Vancouver Lead Moderator
• Todd Farrell, President, UBC Seed Fund
• Geordie Henderson, Past Competition winner and General Manager, AWS Cloud Messaging
• Wal van Lierop, President and CEO, Chrysalix Energy
• Sarah Lubik, Director of Entrepreneurship, SFU Co-Champion, Technology Entrepreneurship@SFU Lecturer, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Larkin MacKenzie-Ast, Director, Chief Member Experience Office, Coast Capital Savings
• Iain Mant, Partner, Fasken
• Richard Mockett, Partner, Ernst & Young, Vancouver
• J. Brock Smith, Professor, Winspear Scholar, Peter B Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria
• Michael Volker, CEO, WUTIF Capital
• Bob de Wit, Angel Investor