This announcement is long overdue but at least two of you will be happy.
Brother Canada was kind enough to sponsor our Small Business Week contest and have provided Techvibes with two Brother Colour Multi-Function Centers (valued at $350 each) to give away. In order to enter the contest, all you had to do was comment on one of the following Small Biz profile blog posts:
And the winners are... Jess Sloss and Rory Hansen. I'll be in touch to coordinate delivery and/or pickup.
Thanks to everyone who entered.
Brother International Corporation (Canada) Ltd. markets a range of business machine products known for their originality and creativity. A Japanese... [more]
Just a quick post to wrap up the loose ends from Monday's 24th Angel Forum in Vancouver. Overall, the day was a huge success and the Angels singled out the following companies in the Investor Choice Awards (award sponsors included):
Congratulations to all the winners! And for those of you who are looking for money for your own venture, the next Angel Forum will be in early 2009. Start polishing those pitches!
Our goal is to inspire the world to learn. But that inspiration must start with you. Be inspired. And let that inspiration flow through everything... [more]
General Bio Energy Inc. has solidified their position as an industry leader in the emerging renewable fuel and energy business in North America... [more]
In the fall of 2001, after spending nearly 10 years designing and providing custom storage solutions for major industry, Kurt Geffe was ready for a... [more]
The novaNAIT Centre for Applied Research and Technology Transfer is running a new competition for local entrepreneurs. The novaNAIT Technology Commercialization Challenge aims to introduce and generate interest around applied research. Any Edmonton-area resident 18 years of age and older can submit a business idea for the chance to win up to $10,000 worth of services.
NovaNAIT is the new technology transfer arm of NAIT, much like TEC Edmonton is the technology transfer arm of the U of A. The goal is to help inventors and entrepreneurs get their ideas into the marketplace. The challenge is novaNAIT’s way of introducing itself to the community, and was inspired by an internal challenge held for NAIT staff in December 2006.
When I first came across the challenge, I noted that it seemed similar to TEC Edmonton’s VenturePrize. I asked David Burry, Coordinator of novaNAIT’s Prototype Development Program, about the similarity and he told me that he feels the competition compliments VenturePrize. The prizes for the novaNAIT Challenge aren’t quite as big, but they are tailored to the specific needs of the winner. Also, the competition is open to everyone whereas VenturePrize focuses on high-tech and fast-growth sectors. Burry said both competitions share the goal of “assisting in small business development and enhancing the entrepreneurial culture” in Edmonton.
If you’d like to participate in the novaNAIT Challenge, you need to submit an entry form (pdf) no later than 4pm MST on November 21st, 2008 (a week from today). Those entries will be judged and successful entrants will be invited to give a five minute presentation on their idea to a panel of judges on December 11th, 2008. The winner will be chosen and announced the following day.
The judges will evaluate entries on how innovative they are, the commercial and technical viability of the idea, the marketability of the solution, and the potential for economic impact in Alberta. The initial submission should not contain confidential details, but the presentations in phase two can (judges will sign a non-disclosure agreement). Entrepreneurs who choose to participate retain full ownership of their ideas.
I think we could use more competitions such as this one. Having participated in VenturePrize myself, I know how much work goes into a submission, and I think it turns many people away. The novaNAIT Challenge seems more accessible, and is a good way for local entrepreneurs to get some practice articulating their ideas to others in the community.
For more information on the novaNAIT Challenge, visit the website or contact David Burry via email or at 780.378.6187. If you’re planning to participate, I’d love to hear about it!
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology is a leader in technical training and applied education designed to meet the demands of Alberta's... [more]
When Calgary Technologies Inc. (CTI) launched the TechRev program last year the goal was to elevate the profile of Calgary’s Technology Sector by celebrating local successes. It can be hard for our Tech Companies to get the recognition they deserve, and all too often great success stories are obscured in the shadow of Alberta’s huge Oil & Gas Sector. While TechRev isn’t going to change the world, it is a great podium from which we spread the Tech Gospel. (amen brother)
The next TechRev event coming up on November 18th, 2009 will be spotlighting three Calgary companies and their experiences in CleanTech innovation. New Energy Corporation and Sustainable Energy Technologies are leading edge CleanTech solution developers while ENMAX is recognized as a pioneer in CleanTech development and deployment (check out each Company’s profile below).
This event is SOLD OUT but if you are a CleanTech Entrepreneur or an Investor who’s interested in CleanTech plays, you can call Pam Boytinck and get your name on the waiting list. Pam can be reached at 403- 284- 6417.
For more information and to sign up for the TechRev newsletter visit www.techrev.ca.
Presenting Company Bio’s:
Michael Carten, Founder and CEO,
Sustainable Energy Technologies
Sustainable Energy Technologies designs, manufactures and distributes advanced power inverters for grid connected solar power systems. The unique system design can be installed anywhere by anyone, increasing the energy yield from solar power systems while reducing the installed cost.
Clayton Bear, Founder, President and CEO,
New Energy Corporation Inc.
New Energy is a manufacturer of in-stream hydrokinetic power generation systems. The company's proprietary EnCurrent Turbine is an economical hydroelectric generating product that has an extremely small environmental footprint and can be used in a large variety of settings where traditional hydro plants are not practical.
Doug Sullivan, VP Distribution Services,
ENMAX Energy Corporation
As an industry leader with a history of deploying CleanTech solutions, ENMAX is committed to evaluating alternative energy technologies that have the potential to fundamentally change the way people consume energy. They are committed to providing environmentally responsible energy solutions to the communities they service and to improving their environmental performance as well.
Calgary Technologies Inc. (CTI) works with entrepreneurs to help them accelerate the success of their technology company, and looks for... [more]
From February 6-8, 2009, join over 450 of the nation’s brightest students, industry professionals, and young entrepreneurs at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver in experiencing innovation and entrepreneurship through Enterprize Canada 2009, Canada's largest student-run business plan competition and one of the nation’s leading entrepreneurship conferences. Tickets for the 2009 Entrepreneurship Conference on sale now.
With twenty distinguished presenters and two keynote speakers, the Entrepreneurship Conference will provide students with the most relevant tools and knowledge applicable to their current academic careers. The Conference will be complemented by a solid line-up of interactive activities, professional networking opportunities, and top-notch social events. Tickets on sale now - click here to register online or for more information about the Entrepreneurship Conference.
Interested in competing for a prize pool worth over $100,000? The National Business Plan Competition will showcase some of the best and brightest business plans from across Canada. Students compete against over 100 teams for a chance at cash prizes, mentorship opportunities, and even an opportunity to audition in front of a panel of venture capitalists on CBC’s “Dragons’ Den”. Deadline for registration and submissions: November 30th. Space is limited, so register today.
Two weeks ago, nPost hosted their networking and startup demo event at Columbia City Theater. It was an opportunity to get to know five local startups and the turnout was great. Seattle 2.0 was there to speak with the five founders about their new businesses - so check out the video below if you'd like to learn more about Pathable, Divvy, Tatango, ScrapWalls, or Frugal Mechanic.
Video spoiler: ScrapWalls won the top prize.
nPost.com is a site devoted to entrepreneurship and startups. The nPost.com Tech Startup Job Board features opportunities with Internet, Software,... [more]
ScrapWalls lets you build and share photo collages online. You can upload pictures, arrange them with our easy drag-and-drop edit interface, and... [more]
The Canadian New Media Awards take place November 18, 2008, as part of the nextMEDIA conference. In the lead up to this event, we're profiling the categories and finalists on Techvibes. Today's category is Company of the Year and it looks like T-dot is in fact the media capital of Canada as all three finalists call Toronto home.
Big Blue Bubble - Established in 2004, London's Big Blue Bubble is an award winning developer of video games. The company philosophy is based on these simple guiding principles – to design compelling multi-platform games, to develop them to the highest quality possible, and to deliver them on time and within budget. With over 35 games in its portfolio and games distributed in 80+ countries, Big Blue Bubble leads the way in becoming a cornerstone of the gaming world.
marblemedia - Toronto's marblemedia is a content creation company on the forefront of television and new media production, devoted to telling stories that entertain and engage audiences across all platforms. Some of marblemedia’s notable projects include the teen competition series The Adrenaline Project; the hit preschool series This is Daniel Cook and This is Emily Yeung; the first television series and website in American Sign Language, deafplanet.com; and the mobile short film anthology Shorts in Motion: The Art of Seduction.
Moment Factory - Montreal's Moment Factory is a new media arts and entertainment studio that specializes in the creation, design and control of immersive environments, media installations, and new media content. Their innovative approach of seamless integration is the key to their success. Blending and merging the mediums of video, lighting, performance, architecture and sound, Moment Factory has created and executed outstanding installations for some of the worlds largest entertainment companies.
Vision Critical - A real revolution is happening in the way organizations engage with their customers which is pushing market research to become more captivating and Vancouver's Vision Critical is leading the charge. Vision Critical is the world’s leader in providing the technology and expertise to help companies recruit, engage and learn more from their own customers.
Vision Critical is a leader in the development, marketing and deployment of online research software in North America. The company''s innovative... [more]
Big Blue Bubble was founded by game industry veterans in February 2004 with one driving goal in mind – to become the leader in the video game... [more]
marblemedia is a content creation company on the forefront of television and new media production, devoted to telling stories that entertain and... [more]
Moment Factory is a new media arts and entertainment studio with HQ in Montreal - specialized in the creation, design and control of immersive... [more]
The Canadian New Media Awards take place November 18, 2008, as part of the nextMEDIA conference. In the lead up to this event, we're profiling the categories and finalists on Techvibes. Today's category is Most Promising Company of the Year and it looks like T-dot is in fact the media capital of Canada as all three finalists call Toronto home.
b5media is a blog network covering a wide variety of topics in entertainment, technology, beauty, health, music, travel, sports, business and lifestyles. With content written by passionate people from all over the world, their blogs attract a large, loyal audience for companies looking to build major brand appeal.
Filemobile is an on-demand (software-as-a-service) social media platform company specializing in user generated content, social networking, contests, and broadband video. Their proprietary platform called Media Factory is a content management system, widget publisher, and application development environment for rich media.
Viigo develops and markets mobile content and services applications for smartphones. With over 5,000 channels and information services, Viigo customers around the world enjoy up‐to‐the minute access to news, weather, sports, stocks and markets, entertainment, and blogs in one intuitive, simple, freely-downloadable application.
b5media is a global new media network featuring more than 255 blogs on a wide variety of subjects ranging from entertainment and news to technology... [more]
Filemobile is a media management and social media platform, providing services and tools to enable social media and networking. Filemobile’s... [more]
Viigo Inc. develops and markets one of the world's most popular mobile content and services applications for smartphones. With over 5,000 channels... [more]
The Canadian New Media Awards take place November 18, 2008, as part of the nextMEDIA conference. In the lead up to this event, we're profiling the categories and finalists. Today's second category is Excellence in Social Media.
Kinzin's These are My Kids is a Facebook Application that resolves the headaches and problems of posting photos to multiple publishing networks and accounts. Most importantly, it's private - only those friends explicitly invited to view your photos will be able to see them.
The Traveller IQ Challenge from TravelPod is addictive game (available both on and off Facebook) designed to test how well you know your geography.
RealChampions is an amateur sports social networking site powered by Olympic sponsor Bell. Originally the site acted as an information portal for Canadian amateur sports enthusiasts and athletes but was repurposed to rally virtual support for Canada’s Olympians in Beijing. Montreal-based digital branding agency CloudRaker was responsible for the redesign.
Kinzin is an online gathering place for families that’s safe and secure. At Kinzin, you can: Connect … Stay in touch with all the family’s... [more]
TravelPod lets you share your trips using your own online travel blog ( also known as a travel diary, travel journal or travelogue ). You can post... [more]
CloudRaker is a digital branding agency based in the creative wilds of Montreal. We believe that ideas are more powerful than noise. But not just... [more]
