New Ventures BC

Former NVBC winner Augurex Life Sciences Corp was recently featured in the December 2008 issue of Healthcare World Magazine (go to page 80).

SFU TIME Ventures Incubator Milestones to Success: SME Seminar Series will once again be offered in early 2009.

Build your SME to Raise Capital on Monday, January 12, 2009

This seminar describes the qualities that make an SME attractive to seasoned early-stage investors and a strategy for building this compelling SME.

Raise Serious Capital for your SME on Monday, February 9, 2009

This seminar builds on the material presented in the Build your SME seminar and provides a proven, step-by-step approach to raising serious early-stage capital for your SME.

The principal presenter is a seasoned and respected speaker on this topic, Mr. Roger Killen.

To register online and for more information please visit:  http://www.sfu.ca/time

The Canadian Financing Forum (a bronze sponsor and supporter of NVBC) is coming up soon, on January 29, 2009.

The Canadian Financing Forum matches North American Corporate and VC investors with serious entrepreneurs looking to build world-class technology companies. The Forum is one of the most respected resources for North American investors who seek to recognize, gain exposure to, and facilitate partnerships with the best and most promising Technology entrepreneurs and companies that are based in Canada. We look forward to having you and your team join this exclusive group of business leaders and innovators on January 29, 2009 in Vancouver.

Details and Registration.

Upcoming Vancouver Enterprise Forum Event

Venture Capital Outlook 2009
A Panel Discussion with US and Canadian VCs
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

In a break from our Technology Legends theme, the VEF is presenting a panel discussion on the outlook for venture capital financing in 2009. Every day we hear about how the economic crisis is affecting the technology sector and causing the retreat of venture capital financing. But against this backdrop, everyone knows that great companies and great returns emerge from troubled financial times. How has the current environment changed how and where VCs invest? Will this slowdown affect all technology sectors? What can companies do to increase their chance of raising money? What creative financing strategies are emerging on both sides of the border?

VCs from both sides of the border will get to the bottom these questions and more.  The evening will be moderated by VEF Board Member Jonathan Bixby, CEO of Strangeloop Networks.  Panellists include John Albright of JL Albright Ventures, Mike Satterfield of Yaletown Venture Partners, Anthony Lee of Altos Ventures, and Bill Bryant of Draper Fisher Jurvetson.
Click here for Express Registration.

Get Investor Ready - an Angel Venture Capital overview
Poor preparation is #2 reason why investors reject entrepreneurs

Full-day seminar comprised of a balance of expert presentations, panel discussions and small group case studies, it is designed to be highly interactive. A faculty of experienced local angel investors, serial entrepreneurs and expert service providers, delivers the content. The seminar is segmented with several opportunities to encourage networking between participants and the faculty. .

First 15 registrations -  20% off - $275 for this Angel Venture Capital workshop on January 26 in downtown Vancouver.

Why attend? If you are planning to invest or raise private equity in the next 6 to 12 months, ask yourself:
1    With public equity markets down 35+ %, how do you correctly value a private company?
2    Do you have a good overview of the language and ramifications of a term sheet?
3    Are you familiar with how to conduct due diligence?
4    What post investment activities (Board of Directors, Mentoring, Communication) is required?
5    Almost mandatory for pre-revenue companies wanting to present at the next Angel Forum

Content by the US Angel Capital Association with help by angel experts, these workshops are ranked 4.5 or better out of 5.0. 100+ people attended the first two workshops in this region. No comparable content offered in Canada. “Great info, must have to complete a deal”

Seminar Leader is Bill Payne who is an active private investor, board member and advisor to entrepreneurs. He is an involved member of San Diego’s Tech Coast Angels, Vegas Valley Angels and Aztec Venture Network and has successfully founded or invested in 41 start-up companies. “Bill Payne has a particular knack of delivering his great knowledge of angel capital, worth the price of admission.”

Who should attend: High net-worth individuals with senior business experience and interested in investing in early stage companies, Entrepreneurs wanting to learn about the angel capital process to raise money for their company and Service Providers who work with entrepreneurs.

Bring a friend - 10% less for 2nd person on same registration. For info and registration, click on Workshop page at www.ANGELforum.org

Former NVBC Sustainability Prize Winner recently announced a partnership with Comverge and their PowerTab technology will also be included in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralymic Village. Great news!

Energy Aware Technology and Comverge Form Partnership to Provide ZigBee In-Home Display

October 22nd, 2008 - Energy Aware Technology, a Canadian developer of demand side management products, announced today that it has licensed the technology for its innovative PowerTab to Comverge, Inc, a leading provider of clean energy through demand response. The PowerTab is an In Home Display (IHD) designed for ZigBee® that provides homeowners with real-time information on power consumption, electricity rates and messages from their utility service provider.

Under the terms of the agreement, Comverge will have exclusive distribution rights to the PowerTab in North America. Comverge will distribute the PowerTab under the brand PowerPortal®. Commenting on the arrangement, Janice Cheam, Energy Aware President, said, “We’re excited to be working with Comverge. They are an industry leader in this field and bring to the table significant expertise and partnership opportunities.”

Energy Aware’s aim in developing the PowerTab was to create a product that would raise energy awareness and reduce energy waste without requiring significant lifestyle changes. The PowerTab has a sleek design and simple user interface that encourage ongoing interaction by the end user.

Energy Aware is a Participant member of the ZigBee Alliance and chose to use the  ZigBee Smart Energy profile because it offers utilities and utility customers a reliable open smart energy standard for implementing secure, easy-to-use wireless communications for managing energy.

About Energy Aware Technology
Energy Aware Technology is a Vancouver based company providing innovative demand management solutions for today’s changing electrical grid.  Energy Aware’s home energy monitoring products will also be included in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Village.  For more information, visit www.energy-aware.com.

About Comverge
Comverge is a leading provider of clean energy solutions that improve grid reliability and supply electric capacity on a more cost effective basis than conventional alternatives by reducing base load and peak load energy consumption. For more information, visit www.comverge.com.  PowerPortal is a registered trademark of Comverge, Inc.

About the ZigBee Alliance

Zigbee is the global wireless language connecting dramatically different devices to work together and enhance everyday life. The ZigBee Alliance is a non-profit association of more than 280 member companies driving development of ZigBee wireless technology. The Alliance promotes world-wide adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in energy, home, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit: www.ZigBee.org

For additional information contact:
Colin McKerracher
Business Development Manager
Energy Aware Technology
778-858-8650
Colin.mckerracher@energy-aware.com

Our friend and sponsor Webnames.ca will soon be launching .TEL names.They’ve provided some information below for all interested:

In an age where there are more ways to communicate than ever before, many of us struggle to maintain contact with friends and colleagues. .TEL is a welcome, new technology that provides a single point of contact for your life. More than a domain, .TEL is a powerful online directory that makes businesses and individuals easier to reach and easier to find.

.TEL allows you to securely store and exchange all of your contact information with a single name - like johnsmith.tel for an individual, or smithelectrical.tel for a business. Instead of exchanging discrete pieces of information such as your phone number, e-mail, cell number, work number, websites, and so on, you just share your .TEL name with contacts.

It takes seconds to tell someone your .TEL name; afterwards, they only need to enter the .TEL once in their address book. All of the contact information is conveniently attached and available. Because the information is ‘live’, contacts never have to update their address books – no matter how often the contact information might change.

It’s such a simple way to exchange contact information that advocates of .TEL believe it could revolutionize the way people and businesses connect and maintain contact.

Webnames.ca is now taking risk-free pre-bookings of .TEL names for all three registration periods: Sunrise (trademarks only), Landrush (advanced registration at a premium price) and General Registration (first come, first served).
Webnames.ca will submit pre-booking requests the moment each registration period opens, increasing the odds of success. Webnames.ca will charge only for successful registrations and pricing for .TEL starts at 19.99 US/year.

To learn more or pre-book .TEL names, go to www.webnames.ca/tel or call Webnames.ca at (604) 633-1142.

2003 2nd place winner Genologics announced that they have signed a global agreement with Pfizer.

Thanks to the Vancouver Island Tech Park for the full details:

Under the terms of the agreement, GenoLogics will provide an enterprise enabled lab and data management system to capture, contextualize and integrate science data in multiple locations world wide. In addition to the ability to leverage data standards across labs by virtue of a common informatics platform, GenoLogics will provide Pfizer with the tools to enable web-based collaboration, bioinformatics pipelining, auditability and reporting of cross-science data.

Congratulations to Genologics!

Enterprize Canada is a partner of NVBC and Canada’s largest student-run business plan competition and entrepreneurship conference.

Information Video: Enterprize 2009

From February 6-8, 2009, join over 450 students from across the nation in experiencing innovation and entrepreneurship through Enterprize Canada 2009, Canada’s largest student-run business plan competition and entrepreneurship conference.

With an unparalleled prize pool worth over $100,000, the 2009 National Business Plan Competition will showcase some of the best and brightest business plans from across Canada. Transform your ideas into reality as you compete against over 100 teams for a chance at cash prizes, mentorship opportunities, or even an opportunity to audition in front of a panel of venture capitalist investors on CBC’s Dragons’ Den!

Important details:
Date: February 6-8, 2009
Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Downtown Vancouver
Business Plan Deadline: November 30 (business plan submissions)
Conference Tickets: Available October 29

Visit http://enterprizecanada.org for more details and to register.

New Ventures BC is pleased to partner with The Art of Productions Inc. on the upcoming sales conference targetting to technology companies - The Art of Sales. Details below.

The Art of Sales, The World’s Premier Live Sales Event is coming to Vancouver on November 28th, 2008.This incredible one day event presents sales, marketing and business development professionals with an exceptional day of learning, featuring today’s most sought after visionaries and speakers. This event is designed to give your team the tools they need to develop stronger customer relationships, negotiate better deals, increase productivity, and ultimately increase sales in today’s challenging economy.

Topics Include:

Sales & Customer Service
SPIN Selling & Sales Strategy
Negotiations
Presenting & Persuading
Surprise Marketing

Complete your registration in one of 3 easy ways;
PHONE – Call toll free 1.866.99.ART.OF (27863) and ask for Scott at Ext. 23.
FAX – Fax in your registration page to 905.266.9860
EMAIL – scott@theartofproductions.com
ONLINE: http://www.theartofproductions.com/events-salesVancouver.html

Please inquire about our VIP pass which includes;
- Premium reserved seating in the first five rows and a separate VIP entrance
- A copy of The Little Black Book of Connections, Spin Selling and You Can Negotiate Anything
- Networking reception facilitated by Jeffrey Gitomer; includes gourmet hors d’oeuvres & refreshments
$399.00 ea.

The Art of Productions Inc. has arranged for subscribers of New Ventures BC to receive the lowest available rate of $249, a savings of $150 off the regular rate of $399 - $249 + GST ea.

SFU Venture Connection

Venture Connection is poised to launch and spin off more companies than SFU has ever done before.

Join this special event to launch this new initiative.

Event Details
DATE: Thursday, November 20, 2008
TIME: 5:00PM to 7:00PM
LOCATION: Vancouver Rowing Club
450 Stanley Park Drive
Vancouver, BC V6B 4B3

Guest Speaker:  Dr. J. Basil Peters, SFU Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Feature Event:  Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award, presented by the SFU Chapter of SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise)

Space is limited - RSVP required: Click Here

This event is great value. $6 gets you a networking event with a great speaker. Now More than Ever features Barry Jinks, Founder, President & CEO of Colligo Networks. As a serial entrepreneur, Barry will be sharing his thoughts on overcoming and succeeding through economic turmoil, uncertainty and fear.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday November 19th 2008
• Start Time: 6:00PM
• Location: Tunnel Multi-Lounge
• Address: 622 West Pender Street
• Tickets: $6 (includes your first drink)
• Payment is online or at the door.
• Complementary Refreshments Served (so arrive early!)
• Your ticket grants you free access to Tunnel’s featured party starting at 10PM.
• Registration Capped at 150 due to Occupancy Restriction

REGISTER NOW

New Ventures BC 2007 third place finisher Bean Services announced today the launch of beanbills 2.0, a user-friendly web-based service designed to streamline the accounts payable process, and save organizations up to 70% of invoice related overhead. Beanbills optimizes, automates and streamlines invoice processing for small to medium sized businesses.

By combining new document scanning, recognition and reporting technologies, beanbills reduces accounting overhead - and improves controls. Beanbills accommodates existing processes, allowing companies to easily adopt its solution with minimal setup and disruption with no required modifications to existing accounting software.

Accordking to Bean Services Founder Jarrod Levitan: “Endless paper has long been the enemy of accounting and operating processes. Finally we have a secure solution to instantly access, control and process this information, saving time and money. In the battle for the paperless office, Beanbills is the ultimate weapon.”

Founded in 2005, Bean Services mission is to increase office productivity through user friendly and innovative e-payables software. Just one year ago, Bean Services place 3rd in the New Ventures BC competition and picked up a prize package worth $17,000. In May 2008, Bean Services announced that they closed a second round of angel investor funding. The investor group consisted of seasoned angel investors, some of who participated in earlier rounds.

Congrats to Jarrod and team at Bean Services!

As promised here’s the Top 10 video presentation that Fundfindr produced for last week’s gala awards ceremony. If you’re interested in learning more about the Top 10 in their own words, be sure to watch this quick wrap-up of the finalists.

The folks from Fundfindr were responsible for a couple great video presentations at last week’s 2008 Awards ceremony. The following clip demonstrates why anyone in BC with an new business idea should seriously consider entering the New Ventures BC competition in 2009.

Energy conservation was the theme of the night at tonight’s New Ventures BC Award Ceremony at the SFU Segal School of Business, where the winners of the 2008 competition were announced. All three top awards went to entrepreneurial ideas focused on energy conservation.

All three top prize winners are located in the Lower Mainland region and were awarded for their innovative and ground-breaking technological ideas.

“It’s always interesting to see which companies our panel awards the top prizes,” says Ernie Love, Chair of BC Ventures Society. “I think the fact that all three winners work within the energy conservation field really speaks to BC’s place on the international map as a leader in sustainability and our entrepreneurs are clearly making a large contribution to that reputation.”

Local Vancouver company Saltworks Technologies took home two prizes – the coveted BC Hydro first place of $60,000 as well as the BC Hydro sustainability award of $20,000. The Enbridge second place award went to West Vancouver’s Small Energy Group while third place went to Squamish-located Echoflex Solutions. All three also received BC Innovation Council Proof-of-Concept awards - dollar amounts below.

About the Winners:

Saltworks Technologies Inc., Vancouver, BC

• BC Hydro First Prize - $60,000 cash & services; $100,000 BC Innovation Council Proof-of-concept Award
• BC Hydro Sustainability Prize - $20,000 cash

Saltworks Technologies Inc. has developed a patent-pending solar process for desalination that offers significant electrical energy savings. The desalination market is estimated to grow by $56 billion over the next seven years and energy efficiency remains its greatest challenge.

Small Energy Group – West Vancouver, BC

• Enbridge Second Prize - $38,000 cash & services; $50,000 BC Innovation Council Proof-of-concept Award

Small Energy Group’s Energy Management Software communicates with a large number of building automation and metering systems to collect, archive, analyze and communicate energy information. The system helps building owners and operators to quickly identify and resolve inefficient energy use, helps occupants learn how their buildings perform and ultimately helps to save money and reduce emissions.

Echoflex Solutions – Squamish, BC

• Third Prize - $17,000 cash & services; $50,000 BC Innovation Council Proof-of-concept Award

Echoflex Solutions has introduced a new technology aimed at providing easy and automated energy conservation options for businesses.The company has developed a line of wireless, self-powered switches and sensors for retrofitting rooms into smart spaces for intelligent building control and energy conse

Victoria’s Charge It! Payment Solutions (website under construction) has developed a suite of faster, ultra-reliable and affordable data-encryption products certified to meet international Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance standards. Created by a software team with a military technology background, Charge It! is one of the first companies to develop PCI-compliant products that are also affordable for smaller businesses concerned about data security.

The end result for businesses using Charge It!’s devices is increased protection for consumers from both an identity and financial information standpoint.

New Ventures BC 2008 Finalist TeraTek is developing new imaging technology that uses Terahertz (THz) frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum to see through non-conductive forestry materials. The technology creates better-than-x-ray imaging for various characteristics such as density, moisture content and strength. The Prince George-based company plans to initially use its imaging system and software in lumber mills to analyze fiber structures and characteristics that can’t be seen using x-rays or microwaves.

Be sure to check out their recent interview on CKPG television in Prince George.

Cyclists who load SoundofMotion’s VeloComputer software onto their mobile phone, coupled with a wireless sensor attached to their bicycle wheel, can transform their mobile phone into an advanced cycling computer. The highly accurate sensor transmits precise motion data to the software, which then displays spot speed, acceleration, time and distance traveled on the cell phone’s display. The data can also be downloaded to a computer for training analysis.

Interestingly enough, the idea behind SoundOfMotion was born thanks to  hybrid cars and their silent engines. SoundOfMotion founders decided to create an electronic sound simulator which could produce a realistic simulation of motion with a sound and be customized with different sound themes. They quickly realized that not only hybrid cars pose a silent problem - bicycles are silent too. Though, they pose a lesser danger for pedestrians than hybrid cars but put cyclists at a disadvantage on busy streets.

One of the challenges was to create a highly sensitive, accurate, yet simple motion sensor. Traditional spoke-attached sensors take at least one full 360 degrees revolution of a wheel to detect motion. Which wouldn’t be good enough for reliable sound simulation - imagine hearing a breaking sound 5 seconds after you stop. The solution was to come up with new technology that measures as little as 1 degree of wheel motion - about 360 times more accurately than traditional cycling sensors.

But why use a mobile phone instead of a traditional cycling computer as a computing device? Because everybody has one. The result is the first Mobile Bicycle Computer - VeloComputerTM. While SoundOfMotion continues enhancing VeloComputer for mobile devices, they are also continuing work on sound simulation and safety devices for hybrid, electric, fuel cell and other alternative vehicles.

Singular Software creates software that helps audio and video producers make their content look and sound better. Video professionals who currently spend hours and days setting up to edit video footage shot with multiple cameras can now do it instantly using Singular Software’s new synchronization plug-in for commercially available editing programs.

With the touch of a button, Singular’s plug-in automatically synchronizes multiple camera and audio clips of the same event in just a few minutes. As an example of Singular’s work, check out the following mashup of YouTube videos of the opening of the Apple Store in Vancouver in May 2008. The videos from several attendees were synchronized and then edited in Final Cut Pro.