Edvisor Takes $100,000 Prize in BCIC-New Ventures Competition

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Sept. 22, 2015) - New Ventures BC and the BC Innovation Council (BCIC) awarded over $300,000 in cash and prizes to top tech ventures at their 15^th annual awards ceremony, which also kicked off Vancouver Startup Week. 2015 top winners include Edvisor, an online management system for education agencies to coordinate studying abroad programs, Ziva Dynamics, a virtual character development tool with applications that range from film characters to surgery simulation, and Change Heroes, a video-driven platform that changes the way Millennials fundraise.

The BCIC-New Ventures Competition is the largest of its kind in Canada and sets the standard for similar competitions across the country. More than just a contest, the annual competition offers mentorship, business development opportunities and cash prizes. The Competition is known for attracting top ventures from information and communication technology, health, and clean tech sectors. Alumni competitors are frequently recognized by existing industry-leading businesses as B.C.'s fastest-growing and most promising companies on track for significant venture capital investments or acquisition.

B.C.'s technology sector generates more than $23 billion in revenue and is the second fastest private job creator in the province. Over the past 15 years, companies in the BCIC-New Ventures competition have contributed to this vital part of B.C.'s economy by creating more than 3,300 jobs and raising more than $250-million in financing.

"By advocating and promoting new ventures, we are helping to support innovation in B.C.," said Amrik Virk, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services. "Our government is a proud supporter of this annual competition and its impact on generating new businesses, employment and growth in B.C."

"The BCIC-New Ventures Competition helps fuel the growth of technology startups in B.C.," says Greg Caws, President & CEO of BCIC. "Each year we are excited to see the ingenuity, innovation and initiative shown by the entrepreneurs in the program, and pleased to help accelerate the growth of their ventures."

"We want to thank New Ventures BC and our mentors who helped take Edvisor to the next level," said Shelley Chen, Design Co-Founder of Edvisor. "Vancouver is a perfect multicultural place to start kick start our education technology business."

"We were impressed with the quality of submissions this year," said New Ventures BC Program Manager Angie Schick. "It's testament to the increasing sophistication and growth of the tech ecosystem in B.C. Many successful companies have come through this competition-we wish all of our winners and entrants success and look forward to seeing their continued progress."

The 2015 BCIC-New Ventures Competition Winners:

• $100,000 BCIC First Prize Package and Rocket Builders GotoMarket Prize: Edvisor

Edvisor built an online software platform that connects language schools directly with education agencies, making the process of studying abroad a one-stop-shop to view courses, prices, student history and manage business operations.

• $55,000 BCIC Second Prize Package and Rocket Builders Most Promising Pitch Prize: Ziva Dynamics

Ziva Dynamics is transforming human interaction in virtual spaces-from gaming to film to surgery simulation.

• $37,000 BCIC Third Prize and $16,000 Vancity Social Venture Prize: Change Heroes

Change Heroes is an online fundraising platform. To date, platform has raised over $1M to fund 217 projects for over 200,000 people.

• $22,000 BCIC Resource Industry Prize Package: Stem Shock

Stem-Shock is a programmable non-GMO herbicide to aid the fight against invasive or herbicide-resistant weeds.

• $20,000 BC Bioenergy Network Prize and $10,000 City Innovation Prize: Recycle Now

Recycle-Now! provides tailored recycling and education services to clients in Vancouver.

• BCTIA Centre4Growth Accelerator Program Prize Package: Dooly Noted

Dooly Noted is a platform for salespeople that tags meetings notes, share information, and automatically updates the right fields within their CRM.

• Wavefront Wireless Prize Package: CamDo

CamDo expands the application of GoPro cameras for numerous markets, including: deep-water and extended time-lapse.

• Plug and Play Tech Centre Prize: Prollster

Prollster is an educational technology start-up dedicated to making online learning more social. It engages students and boosts their academic results in the process.

About the BCIC-New Ventures Competition

The BCIC-New Ventures Competition is an annual competition for tech startups in B.C. Established in 2001, the BCIC-New Ventures Competition is operated by the non-profit New Ventures BC Society and made possible through the generous support of BCIC, private and public sponsors, and volunteer mentors, speakers and judges.

http://www.newventuresbc.com / @nvbc

About BCIC

BCIC encourages the development and application of advanced or innovative technologies to meet the needs of industry in British Columbia. We accelerate technology commercialization by supporting startups and developing entrepreneurs. With our partners, BCIC delivers programs and initiatives that promote company growth, resulting in jobs, increased revenue and economic development in B.C. BCIC is a Crown Agency of the Province of British Columbia.

www.bcic.ca / @bcic