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BCIC Announces Winners of 2015 New Ventures BC Competition - Edvisor.io Takes Home $100K Top Prize
Tuesday, September 22, 2015Company Profile | Follow Company
Vancouver, BC, September 22, 2015--(T-Net)--BC Innovation Council (BCIC) and New Ventures BC announced today the 2015 winners of the biggest technology start-up competition for B.C.'s emerging innovators held last night in Vancouver, taking home awards valued at more than $300,000 in total cash and prizes.
Taking home first place in the 2015 New Ventures BC Competition was Edvisor.io, winning $100,000 in cash and prizes including access to the BCIC Venture Acceleration Program. Edvisor.io is a platform for large educational institutions. It tracks who has paid their tuition, updates currency exchange rates and provides sales statistics.
Edvisor.io staff in Vancouver, BC offices circa 2015
In second place was Ziva Dynamics, a company aiming to make graphics and virtual characters look more realistic. They were awarded $55,000 in cash and prizes, including access to the BCIC Venture Acceleration Program for one year.
In third place was Change Heroes, a “friend funding” company that has flipped the script on crowdfunding. Change Heroes was awarded $37,000 in cash and prizes, including access to the BCIC Venture Acceleration Program for one year.
Winning the BCIC Resource Industry prize package was Stem Shock, a “programmable herbicide” company. Stem Shock began by combating Scotch Broom, an invasive weed on Vancouver Island, and hopes to develop the company further. To help with this goal, Stem Shock was awarded $20,000, along with access to the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Program
Other award winners last night at the BCIC-New Ventures competition included:
The BCIC-New Ventures Competition supports business growth and job creation in BC. Many individuals volunteered time and energy to mentor, judge and organize the competition, making this event such a success.
The Venture Acceleration Program, which many of the winners were awarded access to, also supports startup growth through mentorship.
About BCIC-New Ventures Competition
The BCIC-New Ventures competition was founded in 2000 under the direction of Wal van Lierop as a means of recognizing and encouraging entrepreneurship in B.C.'s technology sector. The first board included representation from both public and private organizations, and many of the founding organizations and key individuals from the original group have provided continuous support to the competition.
Today, the non-profit New Ventures BC Society administers and operates the competition with generous support from the public and private sectors, including title partner BCIC.
The mandate for the New Ventures BC Society is to recognize, encourage, and develop entrepreneurship and innovation in B.C.'s start-up technology sector.
Program Manager Angie Schick plans and run the seminars and competition with support from the New Ventures BC Society Board of Directors. Mentor & Jury Wrangler Bob de Wit manages the mentor and jury network.
Each year, more than 150 B.C. business leaders—entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, academics and professionals—donate their time and expertise as mentors and judges.
To date, more than 1,700 aspiring B.C. entrepreneurs have entered the competition. Most winners have continued on to form viable companies, raising more than $200 million in financing and creating more than 3300 jobs.
Photo Credit: BC Innovation Council (BCIC) and Edvisor.io
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