BC Business
The Company of the Year: Startup category recognizes early-stage tech companies making waves in the industry.
It’s not easy to stick out in a tech hub like Vancouver, where talent (and competition) are everywhere. But a few local startups stepped up to the challenge and have made their mark in BC Tech Association’s 29th annual Technology Impact Awards (TIAs).
The Company of the Year: Startup category recognizes early-stage tech companies (with less than 10 employees) that are already creating a buzz in the industry. BC Tech organized a Dragons’ Den pitch night on September 15th to narrow down from 10 to four finalists, inviting B.C. “Dragons” to the judging panel. The final four are all based in Vancouver—and they’re one step closer to winning a $10,000 prize.
This environmental service company transforms carbon dioxide into rocks. An offshoot of UBC professor Greg Dipple’s research lab, Carbin Minerals is on a mission to turn mines (and mine waste) into carbon sinks by speeding up the natural process of atmospheric carbon mineralization.
Using chip-based technology to deliver sustainable energy transfer, this cleantech firm aims to reduce our collective reliance on wires and cables. Daanaa is backed by a team of engineers and entrepreneurs, and it partners with manufacturers to solve engineering problems across industries, ranging from solar power to electric vehicles to battery management.
This AI-based online marketplace helps consumers buy, sell and trade their cars. MintList partners with hundreds of dealers to offer new and used cars on its platform, relying on its own technology to inspect and detect any damages virtually. It then launches auctions to get offers on its inventory with consumers accepting the highest bid or choosing a new car that’s eligible for trading.
Another AI-based business, VodaSafe is innovating to make water rescue more reliable and efficient. Its AquaEye scanner uses ultrasound tech and AI to locate human bodies in the water, searching two acre bodies of water in less than five minutes. The technology is portable and easily deployable.
“B.C. is known for having bold innovative tech companies,” said Laurie Schultz, who won Person of the Year in 2021 and was on the judges panel this year, in a release. “And these final four finalists are ambitious and compelling enough to be the unicorns here in B.C.”
The winner will be announced on October 6th at the TIAs.