2022 Technology Impact Awards Showcases Ambition and Innovation in BC
TIAs Gala returns in-person and culminates in the dramatic conclusion of the Dragon's Den-style competition for Startup Company of the Year
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 7, 2022 /CNW/ - The Technology Impact Awards (TIAs) proved more ambitious than ever in their 29th annual celebration with a record-setting 48 finalists and 12 winners announced.
"We were thrilled to celebrate the innovative tech sector in BC and pulled out all of the stops to ensure the TIAs Gala reflected the theme of ambition," said Jill Tipping, CEO of the BC Tech Association (BC Tech), who co-hosted the event alongside Riaz Meghji, a Human Connection Expert and author of Every Conversation Counts. "In challenging times, innovation becomes more important than ever and through tonight's awards we were able to shine a light on the strength of BC's tech community."
Staged before a sold-out crowd at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the province's largest and longest-running tech awards program broke new ground declaring the "Company of the Year – Startup" winner following a dramatic new Dragon's Den-style format for category. VodaSafe, an underwater scanning technology used to help find drowning victims, emerged as the winner and went home with $10,000 from BC Tech to fuel their growth and $4,000 in PR support co-funded by BC Tech and Switchboard PR.
The inaugural award for the "GameChanger in Climate Leadership" was presented to HTEC. The Vancouver-based company was honoured for their commitment to unlocking the potential of hydrogen to reduce air pollution and the impacts of climate change. The solutions that they design and build are supporting the deployment of zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) across North America.
The evening's final award, "Person of the Year," ended the gala on an emotional note with Josh Nilson, originally from Willow River, BC and founder of the iconic East Side Games studio, receiving recognition for his leadership in the local tech ecosystem and commitment to advancing diversity in tech, specifically for Indigenous peoples.
"I think I'm a voice right now in getting the word out that 'tech is for everyone' and for what I can do to talk about diversity, equity and inclusion. But most importantly, I think my job is just to hold the door open, so other people can come in. And then I'll step back and let people that really can do it better than me have a huge impact and get the work done. And I'll help amplify their voices and support them wherever I can." Josh Nilson, East Side Games.
SPIRIT OF BC TECH – AMBITION
Finalists: Clio, Dapper Labs, LandSure, Trulioo, VanHack
Winner: Dapper Labs
GAMECHANGER – CLIMATE LEADERSHIP
Finalists: General Fusion, Global Relay, HTEC, Loop Energy
Winner: HTEC
GAMECHANGER – DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Finalists: Hootsuite, Jelly Academy, SAP
Winner: Hootsuite
EXCELLENCE IN INDUSTRY INNOVATION
Finalists: Seaspan Shipyards, TechBrew Robotics, Vancouver Airport Authority
Winner: Vancouver Airport Authority
EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
Finalists: Elevated Signals, ForwardAI, MeetAmi Innovations, Transoft Solutions
Winner: MeetAmi Innovations
EXCELLENCE IN COMPANY CULTURE
Finalists: Dapper Labs, FreshWorks Studio, Lumen5
Winner: Dapper Labs
COMPANY OF THE YEAR – STARTUP
Finalists: Carbin Minerals, Daanaa, MintList, VodaSafe
Winner: VodaSafe
COMPANY OF THE YEAR – GROWTH
Finalists: AOT Technologies, FansUnite, Oxygen8, StandardFusion
Winner: AOT Technologies
COMPANY OF THE YEAR – EXPORT
Finalists: Advanced Cyclotron Systems, Canalyst, Launchpad, Weir Motion Metrics
Winner: Advanced Cyclotron Systems
COMPANY OF THE YEAR – SCALE
Finalists: Freight Club, Lighthouse Labs, ReadyMode, Redlen Technologies
Winner: Redlen Technologies
COMPANY OF THE YEAR – ANCHOR
Finalists: GeoComply, Global Relay, LMI Technologies, Seaspan Shipyards
Winner: GeoComply
PERSON OF THE YEAR
Finalists: Joy Johnson, Josh Nilson, Pascal Spothelfer
Winner: Josh Nilson
The TIAs Gala also honours the partners and sponsors that make the awards possible every year. "This is the biggest fundraising event of the year for BC Tech, and it is essential to supporting the programs and activities we deliver to help tech companies grow and scale here in BC," Tipping said.
2022 TIAs sponsors include the Spirit of BC Tech Sponsor Amazon, Platinum Sponsors CIBC & Telus, Gold Sponsors Fasken, Finning & Weir Motion Metrics, Silver Sponsors Hudson Pacific & Switchboard, Award Sponsors AbCellera, Accenture, Clio, Deloitte, Export Development Canada, MDA, Microsoft, OSLER, PwC, SAP & Vancity, Bronze Sponsors Blakes, KPMG, Launchpad Technologies, Low Tide, NYIT – Vancouver and Media Partners BCBusiness, betakit, Business in Vancouver, DailyHive, techcouver & Vancouver Tech Journal.
As part of the 2022 TIAs, BC Tech proudly announced the TIAs Scholarship recipients in August.
BC Tech is the largest member-led technology non-profit in British Columbia, and is dedicated to turning startups into scaleups. BC Tech accelerates tech company growth by helping members expand and diversify their talent pools, acquire new customers, and access capital. Tech is a key industry for B.C.'s future and builds resiliency in every sector. Today, every company is a tech company. To learn more, visit wearebctech.com.
SOURCE BC Tech Association
Leann Yutuc, T: 778-895-5271, E: [email protected]
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