Today's News

$20 million to support innovation in British Columbia (CNW Group/Western Economic Diversification Canada)

Support will help British Columbia companies innovate, scale-up, and expand in Canada and around the world

Vancouver, BC, August 6, 2021--(T-Net)-- The Government of Canada announced today that 10 companies will receive support through its Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) program to grow these emerging sectors.

Together, these companies will receive a combined total of $20,699,782, including $4,000,000 for Big Mountain Foods Ltd. (BMF) to expand their operation by transitioning to a larger facility located in Delta, B.C. in order to meet the growing demand for their products.

The company will also use the funds to commercialize a new innovative chickpea tofu product line, and implement a new marketing plan. With their goal of manufacturing 100 per cent Canadian-made products, the project will provide supply chain benefits to the country's plant-protein sector. Supporting BMF aligns with WD's value-added agriculture and food ingredients processing cluster priorities.

Kelowna-based Hyper Hippo Entertainment Ltd. (HHE) is another company receiving support through the BSP program to expand internationally into new global markets. Funding of $2,804,000 will enable HHE to create and publish mobile incremental games, which progress without requiring constant interaction with the player. Federal support will also help the company promote its popular mobile games to multiple non-English speaking countries. Plans include conducting market assessments to identify target markets, adopting cultural references to make games relevant in foreign languages, and developing sales strategies and establishing partnerships.

Supporting innovative firms in a variety of key sectors in Western Canada is a priority for Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD). By providing interest free, repayable funding to help qualified companies grow and expand, WD says it is delivering on the government's commitment to grow the western Canadian economy through regional innovation.

In British Columbia, these investments will help create over 300 new jobs.

The projects announced today include:

"All across Western Canada, companies are creating innovative solutions to important problems we are facing. By investing in these companies, we empower them to expand on the valuable work they do, while strengthening our economy and creating quality jobs for generations of Canadians." said Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.

"Hyper Hippo is one of Canada's leading creative video game studios, and we are thrilled to have the support of our federal government in our ongoing efforts to entertain billions of players around the world. WD funding is allowing us to expand internationally into new global markets. In doing so, it is our privilege to create new jobs for innovative Canadians and be a part of making Canada a leading contributor in the global entertainment industry. Thank you WD for your amazing support!" said Simon Fisher, CEO, Hyper Hippo Entertainment.

Associated links

• Western Economic Diversification Canada
• Business Scale-up and Productivity
• Hyper Hippo Entertainment

For further information: Contacts: Ben Letts, A/Regional Communications Manager, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, 604-379-9626, ben.letts@canada.ca

Related Links

http://www.wd.gc.ca/