Alumni
AirSenze
AirSenze specializes in micro-location based solutions leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Smart Beacon technology that converts physical spaces into a digitally connected environment.
Our products (Mobile apps) are geared towards any business that can benefit from seamless interaction with visitors in proximity. Our technology is capable of end-to-end communication and location analytics in a wireless manner.
We make physical spaces more relevant, engaging and informative - We call it "Venue Maximization."
Audilent Technologies
Audilent Technologies Inc. is taking an innovative approach to the power of headphone-based sound immersion by developing software products capable of transforming traditional stereo audio into fully immersive binaural audio.
"We want you to forget about audio optimization products masquerading as true 3D audio, because here at Audilent we know that the holy grail of sound immersion lies with the unique anatomy of every listener’s ears. Instead, Audilent is dedicated to providing true ear customization software that can be used to invite your audience down the rabbit hole of immersive sound. If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, you’ll be happy to hear that our technology will never require special headphones, or any sort of expensive hardware."
Concrete Garden
Concrete Garden is a semi-annual print magazine in Victoria that focuses on sustainable urban agriculture. The magazine features stories on local businesses and community programs that support food security, Indigenous food practices and food sovereignty, green architecture, and global ecological issues from a local perspective.
The magazine also includes how-to articles, and reviews of books, restaurants, and technology, and films with a sustainable slant. Concrete Garden engages with community members, throughout Greater Victoria and southern Vancouver Island, on the topics of urban agriculture and living a sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyle while providing a space for students and new writers to grow their research, writing, editing, design, and business skills.
Cotelydon Consulting
Cotyledon Consulting has designed a process for generating a line of non-chemical herbicides and a novel delivery method for delivering them to their targets. Both the herbicide and delivery vehicle contain elements that make them highly specific for their target plant, eliminating any risk of damaging other life in the environment. The targets are invasive plant species causing significant economic impact.
DateSafe
DateSafe is a harm reduction venture that will provide personal protection from “date rape drugs."
We are in the process of developing discreet testing methods where our first offering will be a multiple use litmus style strip dispenser capturing first mover advantage. This will fund our second offering of a multiple use clear coat nail strip changing colour immediately upon contact of the most commonly used drugs used in drug facilitated crimes.
We’ve identified some niche early adopter target markets that we will capture through insuring a gender neutral style of product.
DuVax
DuVax Vaccines and Reagents Inc. has developed a platform technology that can produce safe and effective vaccines against difficult bacterial pathogens where traditional technologies have failed.
DuVax’s proprietary technology isolates the essential genes naturally occurring in Arctic bacteria and utilizes these genes within bacterial pathogens to construct stable, temperature-sensitive live bacterial vaccines. The vaccine strains are engineered to grow at cool temperatures (skin 32ᵒC), but are unable to grow at warmer temperatures (body’s core 37ᵒC). The result is a vaccine that mimics a natural infection and generates a strong immune response without risk of disease.
Early Entrepreneurs
Early Entrepreneurs provides classrooms (4-12) with an interactive program to teach students entrepreneurship, financial literacy and social responsibility. We provide classrooms with a $100 micro-loan to create and operate their own real social ventures.
Giosa Technologies
Giosa Technologies is focused on innovation and development of industrial and commercial safety equipment and software.
The first product under development by Giosa Technologies is the FAST system. This system will improve upon existing safety systems by providing the tools necessary for a faster and more reliable rescue for endangered workers.
Hot Mama Health and Fitness
Hot Mama Health and Fitness provides bootcamps for the entire family. We have Hot Mama Toddler Tag-Out Bootcamps, Buff-Daddy Bootcamps and Family Bootcamps. Their goal is to make fitness more accessible to families. Monkey see, monkey do. If your child sees you being physically active, chances are high that your child will be physically active.
"We wanted to provide a service where babies, toddlers and children are more than welcome to come socialize while their Moms and/or Dads (or both) get a serious butt-kicking."
HRS
Hydrologic Reclamation Services (HRS) offers a water treatment service that removes water contaminants through mechanical and chemical separation processes via existing technology so that oil and gas companies in northeastern British Columbia can dispose of their wastewater in a sustainable and cost effective manner.
By utilizing HRS, oil and gas operators can minimize their liability associated with the contaminated water produced through hydraulic fracturing, achieve corporate social responsibility objectives, return the water safely to the natural environment, and secure a supply of reclaimed water for future operations.
IRIS Dynamics
Iris Dynamics Ltd. is an advanced motion control systems innovator that provides precision control-loading actuator systems for aerial, marine and terrestrial vehicles, factory automation, simulation and remote control.
LimeSpot
LimeSpot enables brands to offer a personalized online shopping experience. Each customer sees a unique store with products and content targeted for them.
MOXER
The RapidSight is an automated digital microscope which removes the pain of staring through an eyepiece and significantly reduces the time required to make precision measurements. After connecting to a computer via USB cable, the RapidSight can be used with these simple steps:
- Adjust the position of the microscope above the viewing platform using the joysticks on the front panel.
- View live images on the computer screen.
- Take measurements by clicking on points of interest on the computer using the added software.
In the August 2014 business plan competition, MOXER won 1st prize for the RapidSight – winning $5500 to seed their venture.
New Hope Dementia Centres
New Hope is an expert dementia care partner to caregivers caring for their loved one at home. New Hope's services enable caregivers to endure and even flourish during the challenging dementia care journey.
New Hope delivers small group day programs exclusively for people with dementia. New Hope offers a customized dementia-specific framework of care that provides only the level of assistance each individual requires, supporting independence and respecting personhood.
In addition, New Hope supports the caregiver through education and other services; while our online store offers a unique selection of dementia specific meaningful engagement products.
nutTea Organic Energy Bar
nutTea energy bar takes the best of energy drinks and energy bars using only healthy organic ingredients. The problem with current energy bars and drinks is that most of them are filled with sugar, syrup, GMO, artificial or other ‘filler’ ingredients. People can make healthy snacks at home but they are too busy.
Ideal for runners, hikers, or anyone with an active and healthy lifestyle, nutTea provides the convenience of energy bars with the effect of caffeine containing energy drinks.
Only four natural, healthy and organic ingredients are used: dates, cashews, tea (natural caffeine source) and cocoa so the result is no energy crashes or junk-food guilt (that you may get from sugar filled bars).
nutTea bars are also 100% organic, vegan, raw, GMO-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free making it suitable for people with various diet preferences. Each bar also contains 10 essential naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.
In the Dec 2014 business plan competition, nutTea won 2nd prize – winning $2500 towards the venture.
Riipen
Riipen connects rising talent with companies through projects. Students and grads get real experience, and companies get to assess top talent.
TOPSOIL
Topsoil is an innovative for profit urban agriculture business that utilizes the vacant rooftop space in downtown Victoria. The rooftops grow local, fresh, organic produce that is sold directly to the surrounding restaurants.
TravelMetrics
TravelMetrics.co is a travel planning tool that allows its users to assess and compare the best time to visit, tourist safety, expensiveness and current news for more than 8000 destinations.
No single currently existing travel product objectively quantifies these facets of travel using data analytics. While some of this information is scatteredly available on the web, it is usually very subjective and provided, normally, in lengthy text formats. By objectively quantifying these aspects of travel, TravelMetrics.co also avoids its dependence on user reviews which suffer from inherent biases.
TravelMetrics.co hopes to simplify the destination selection process and help individuals travel smarter!
Voyd Social
Voyd Social is an interactive social network platform that connects people with mutual interests. Through its user community, Voyd offers a platform where its users can create, coordinate and join either planned or spontaneous activities and events.
Users connect with others based on their location and engage in relationships developed over shared and or perspective experiences.
Voyd gives users the opportunity to expand their social circles by using their interests to introduce them to people and places they haven’t discovered.
WITS Program
The WITS Programs (WITS) are the result of 16-years of federally-funded, community-based research. WITS stands for Walk Away, Ignore, Talk it Out and Seek Help. There are two age-appropriate programs: The WITS Primary Program for children in Kindergarten to Grade 3 and the WITS LEADerS, program for children in Grades 4 to 6.
These programs are available in English and in French. Check out this four minute video introduction to the program.
The WITS Programs innovatively translate academic research on child and adolescent mental health, youth resilience, and the development of healthy relationships directly into community actions that promote caring relationships and prevent peer victimization and bullying.
The WITS Programs are unique in that they create responsive communities that engage everyone (school staff, community leaders, parents, and children), through the use of a common language and common strategies for resolving peer conflicts and enhancing social concern and responsibility for others. The WITS Programs are accessible and cost effective and already have been used in more than 600 schools across Canada. WITS Program staff manage the websites and support dissemination, training, and adaption of the Programs to the cultural norms of communities.
The programs were developed and extensively evaluated at the University of Victoria through competitive federal research grants. Distribution of the program resources to schools has also been supported for many years by a BC Charity: The Rocksolid Foundation. They now aim to move from the uncertainties of grant-funded support to a sustainable business model that will promote the ongoing distribution of the WITS Programs nationally and internationally.