Victoria Tech Community Awards Return December 8th

The Victoria Tech Community Awards will take place on Thursday, December 8th in Carson Hall at the Victoria Conference Centre.

For 20 years, the event has been produced by VIATEC, Victoria’s tech industry association, and known as the VIATEC Awards. The Gala has been a great success and considered a favourite event among the tech community and visiting guests alike. 

Building on this success, VIATEC has engaged with other local tech-focused organizations to gain insights into how the event can most meaningfully evolve. These organizations include:

• iWIST (Island Women in Science and Technology)
• The Coast Capital Innovation Centre (UVic’s venture incubator)
• CIN (Capital Investment Network)
• Women’s Equity Lab
• Alacrity Canada

The awards were created to bring the tech community together to connect with each other and take a moment to spotlight and celebrate some of the year’s most notable companies and individuals within Victoria’s $4 billion tech sector. This year the coalition is aiming to increase inclusivity and ensure that the broader tech community knows that they ‘belong’ even if they are not ‘members’ of one organization or another. Any Victoria tech company is welcome to nominate.

The coalition worked together to update and refine the award categories and recipients will now be chosen by either a panel of delegates from the coalition or audience polling at the event itself.

Nominations for the awards are now open and more details can be found at victoriatechcommunityawards.ca. 

“Our sector and tech community have flourished over the last 20 years bringing along with it new organizations and groups with similar overarching goals of supporting the people and ventures that call Victoria home. Having us all come together as a coalition to steer and shape the event is an ideal approach and further demonstrates what makes our tech community so special.”

Dan Gunn, CEO, VIATEC

“iWIST is excited to collaborate with VIATEC on the VIATEC award categories and build on inclusivity!”

Claire Skillen, Board Chair, Island Women in Science and Technology (iWIST)

"The VIATEC awards is a great annual tribute and celebration of all the impressive entrepreneurs, tech talent and innovation in our community.  We were honoured to be recognized with the Angel of the Year award in 2019.  Now we are thrilled to be a part of the diverse group of community-driven organizations that VIATEC has brought together to foster inclusivity and select the award recipients for this year's Victoria Tech awards. "

Claudia Blum, Founding Partner, and General Partner Women’s Equity Lab Victoria

“For 20 years, this event has played a big part in bringing our tech community together and raising awareness of the importance and impact of our sector. CIN has been partnering with VIATEC for years and having our offices in their building has brought us even closer together. We are thrilled to be included in planning this event and love that our city’s key tech organizations are working together to showcase and celebrate some of our most notable companies and people.” 

James DeGreef, President, Capital Investment Network

"Success has many forms. We're excited to collaborate with VIATEC to broaden the award categories, make the event more inclusive, and shine light on those who are making an impact beyond traditional metrics."

Andrea Hayes, Program Manager, Coast Capital Innovation Centre (CCIC)

"We're so impressed with the amazing job Viatec has done with this event over the years. We're really proud to be part of it."

Owen Matthews, Chairman, Alacrity Canada

The Victoria Tech Community Awards Categories 

Anchor Company of the Year (30+)

These companies are the foundation on which our $4.06+ billion tech sector was built. They are established with a sizeable headcount and they are bringing in considerable revenues. They are growing, expanding and taking the time to give back to our community as mentors, advisors and cheerleaders for the up and coming tech companies. Judges will consider growth, impact, product innovation, diversity + inclusion, market share and community involvement.

Scale Company of the Year (11-29)

These companies are the anchors of tomorrow! They are bringing in considerable revenues, they are growing, expanding and taking the time to give back to our community as mentors, advisors and cheerleaders for the up and coming tech companies. Judges will consider growth, impact, product innovation, diversity + inclusion, market share and community involvement.

Growth Company of the Year

These are the Greater Victoria companies that have figured out what their chosen market wants, and they've got busy selling and growing revenues. They're young with stable products, and focused on sales. They've left the launchpad, and are headed for the stars! Judges will evaluate revenue growth and team growth over multiple years, and good old business fundamentals.

Startup of the Year

These are some of Victoria’s newest tech companies. It’s early days but they are getting investor and customer interest (if not already raising money and sales), based on the prototypes and/or early product versions. Examples of market opportunity, executive leadership, investment and a letter of support from an investor. 

Product of the Year

Where innovation rubber hits the road. These products have market traction and that means sales. Judges will consider total sales and sales growth, customer adoption, market share along with market disruption and level of innovation.

Innovative Excellence - Hardware, Software or Service

This category is for those Greater Victoria companies on an entirely different wavelength. They have researched and designed an emerging, innovative service, process or product that is expected to revolutionize a sector, method of business or way of life. Judges will consider just how disruptive this tech is likely to be. Prior commercial success is not a priority.

Leader of the Year

These role models have had a significant impact on the success of an organization as a direct result of their leadership and are respected by the team they lead and by other senior leaders. For this award, executives are considered to be those that typically hold senior titles, eg. Founder, CEO, CFO, COO, President, Vice-President. Other examples taken into consideration include: glowing anecdotes from their teams and other leaders, demonstrated results, examples of mentorship, or helping to remove barriers to minorities in their company or community.

Emerging Leader of the Year

These are the up and coming executives that have started to breakthrough as valuable leaders to a local tech firm. They're young or at least new to leadership, but they have demonstrated dedication, passion and an ability to inspire others. Judges will consider role (less than 5 years in role), impact and related career highlights e.g. glowing anecdotes from their teams and other leaders, demonstrated results, examples of mentorship, or helping to remove barriers to minorities in their company or community.

Employer of the Year

These are the companies who never forget to pause and take the time to think about their staff and provide a positive, welcoming work environment where team members feel they belong and are valued. This award is based on a company survey of staff and is the tech company most respected and appreciated by their staff. 

The Colin Lennox Award for Technology Champion

Recognizes an individual who has demonstrated passion and commitment to the Greater Victoria technology sector for at least 10 years. Their long-standing support has been instrumental in Greater Victoria ‘s continued success on the world technology stage. This award is appointed (no nominations or finalists).

The Janet Baird Award for Community Champion

This category is for a tech company making an effort to improve our community and being successful at it on a regular basis. Efforts can include (and are not limited to): supporting charities with monetary funds or non-perishable donations, putting on fundraising events, volunteer work or creating a foundation/scholarship and time spent on volunteering. This award is appointed (no nominations or finalists).

Inclusion Champion

This award celebrates an individual, or company that is championing diversity and inclusion issues by leading actions to remove barriers, driving an inclusive culture in the work place and taking steps to eliminate discrimination. Examples of how these actions have created a more diverse and inclusive workplace, leading to positive actions or interventions to enable talented employees to realise their full potential regardless of identity, sex, gender, race, or culture, as well as minimising discrimination will be considered.

Social Impact Award

This award will celebrate a company that is driving significant, positive change that addresses social, political, environmental or economic challenges for communities. This recipient has demonstrated how they are pioneering social change, internally or externally by measuring and achieving real world results. 

Angel of the Year

Awarded to a local angel investor who does far more than actively invest in startups. This individual or group raises the profile of local angel investing, demonstrates a high level of investor acumen, serves as a mentor to other angels and entrepreneurs and sets a positive example within the angel community with a high level of ethics. The Angel of the Year has also made notable contributions to the angel community through her or his community service through activities such as leading significant angel rounds. The recipient of this award is selected by the Capital Investment Network and presented during the Victoria Tech Community Awards (no nominations or finalists).

Media Contact

Dan Gunn, CEO, VIATEC

dgunn@viatec.ca / 250-882-2820

ABOUT

Alacrity Canada

Alacrity Canada is driven by its mission to support Canadian entrepreneurs as they grow and scale their businesses. As a non-profit, built by entrepreneurs with a track-record of growing successful businesses, Alacrity takes a market-first approach and aligns business direction with market needs.

Alacrity’s services and supports are available to businesses across many sectors and help entrepreneurs connect with the people and tools that enable their advancement. Alacrity today offers initiatives that help with professional training, digital adoption, digital marketing, sales, credit, and investor relations. And with a global ecosystem, Alacrity brings unique international opportunities to Canadian companies.

Capital Investment Network (CIN)

The Capital Investment Network (CIN), was founded in 2015 by Stephanie Andrew and Peter Elkins. We are a BC-based organization dedicated to connecting, strengthening, and growing the angel investment community to facilitate the flow of investment capital into promising nascent and demographically diverse businesses. The goal of CIN is to act as a medium for fostering connections with other investment groups and like-minded individuals and improving access to more resources and opportunities to strengthen the local investment community. 

iWIST (Island Women in Science and Technology)

iWIST aims to support women and allies in STEM by building a trusted community that promotes and facilitates access to peer connection and individual development. As the STEM sector continues to evolve, iWIST aims to support and encourage all women to engage with and thrive in STEM.

Women’s Equity Lab (WEL)

Our vision is a future with equitable shareholder representation. WEL represents a powerful and growing network of over 130 women investors, with Investing Groups across Canada and Silicon Valley.

We have collectively invested in over 25 businesses so far, including personal health, agritech, e-commerce, green tech, SaaS, self-publishing and plant-based food products.

Coast Capital Innovation Centre (CCIC)

UVic's venture incubator provides entrepreneurs and innovators with the fundamental support, hands-on training, mentorship, connections, seed funding and other resources that are necessary to bring their ideas to market. The Centre provides access to free cohort-based training every semester and one-on-one support, along with access to pitch competitions, tools, prototype funding, subject matter expertise and co-working space. CCIC is grateful to have connections with advisors and mentors from inside and outside the university who provide valuable input and connections to help entrepreneurs expand their network.

VIATEC (Victoria Innovation Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council)

VIATEC's mission is to cultivate the most cohesive tech community in the world by providing resources to tackle shared opportunities and challenges while boosting a sense of belonging and shaping our region.

VIATEC works closely with its members to offer a variety of events, programs and services. In addition, VIATEC serves as the front door of the local tech sector and as its spokesperson. To better support local innovators, they acquired their own building (Fort Tectoria) where they offer flexible and affordable office space to emerging local companies along with a gathering/event space for local entrepreneurs.