The 2010 edition of the New Ventures BC (NVBC) Competition is a go. The competition dates and seminar schedule have been officially set and now it’s up to you to invest $200 in your technology business idea and learn how to develop it into a profitable company.

NVBC is one of North America’s largest technology business-idea competitions -  essentially a boot camp for business start-ups.

• Learn from some of B.C’s best business experts at our business-education seminars
• Network with top professionals in business, law, finance, government and academia
• Improve your business and strategies during each round of competition
• Receive advice and insight from mentors In Round 3
• Present your condensed business plan to a panel of ‘angel’ investors, venture capitalists and industry experts in Round 4

But don’t forget that competition winners share $300,000 in prize packages.

NVBC is open to any B.C. resident, team or business with an innovative technology product or service that has not yet secured significant financing from external investors.  The $200 entry fee covers all of the NVBC business-education seminars and networking events – plus entry in the competition.

The Vancouver-based business-education seminars start on April 6th, the round 1 registration deadline is April 19th and the 2010 NVBC Competition Awards Ceremony is on September 23rd.

Those of you that have been part of the NVBC community in the past will notice that we have made some improvements to our site including streamlining content with a new navigation and layout, adding subscribe links for Twitter and RSS, and redesigning the registration form to make it easier to follow. Let us know what you think.

Vancouver technology entrepreneur and angel investor Bob de Wit has been appointed as the first Executive Director of the New Ventures BC competition.

Now in our tenth year, the technology business idea competition has grown to the point where it needs full-time leadership, says board chair Steven Lukas.  “Last year we had 180 competitors vying for $300,000 in prizes. We want to continue to build on our past success and reach more regional entrepreneurs.”

de Wit previously was an NVBC director and served as jury chair and mentor ‘wrangler’ for the competition’s 100-plus business mentors. As executive director he will oversee and implement the organization’s future vision as it moves into its second decade.

A founder and director of Greenangel Energy Corp., de Wit also runs the SFU Venture Connection entrepreneur-in-residence program. He is an SFU alumnus with an MA in economics. de Wit’s executive experience includes corporate development, corporate finance and competitive market intelligence. He is an active member of the VANTEC angel network and the WUTIF angel fund.

“Bob is an ideal choice to lead New Ventures BC into the next decade,” says Lukas. “With his entrepreneurial background, he truly understands the dedication, sacrifice and persistence that aspiring entrepreneurs bring to our competition.”

Less than 48 hours until we find out who are the winners of the 2009 New Ventures BC Competition and where $300,ooo in prizes will find a home. Just as a reminder, here are the Top 10 finalists in no particular order are:

• Bluekey Energy – Prince George
• Etalim – Burnaby
• G.R. Green Building Products – Burnaby
• Indel Therapeutics – Vancouver
• LightIntegra Technolology – Vancouver
• Lungpacer Medical – Anmore
• Mobify – Vancouver
• Rapid Electric Vehicles – Vancouver
• Veridae Systems – Vancouver
• Vineyard Networks – Kelowna

The winners will be announced on September 24th at a gala reception at the SFU Segal School of Business. The event is invite-only, so no doorcrashers – if you’d like to attend be sure to email us with your request now.

For the top 30 companies in Round 3, New Ventures BC (NVBC) will reimburse travel costs (for transportation and accommodation only) up to $1,875/team to help enable participants based outside the Lower Mainland region of BC to attend NVBC-organized meetings held between June 15 and August 15. Eligible travel costs include transportation (up to a maximum of $550 return, per person, per event) and accommodation (up to a maximum of $150 per night, per team, per event)

Who’s eligible?
Those NVBC participants who have successfully made it to Round Three of the competition, and whose business base is located outside of Metro Vancouver.

How do I get my reimbursement?
Eligible applicants must submit their expense form, along with original receipts, no later than August 17th, 2009. For budgetary reasons, submissions received after this date will not be accepted.

Important notes:
1.    NVBC reserves the right, providing reasonable notice to participants, to cancel the program. In that event, expenses incurred by participants will be reimbursed to participants as provided for above.
2.    NVBC expects that further funding will be made available, of a similar nature, for later aspects of the NVBC program. Announcements regarding the availability of such funds will be made in due course.

Download the form

Now that the Top 30 companies have been selected for this year’s competition, it’s time to get down to some networking.

New Ventures BC is hosting a networking event on Thursday, June 25th at SFU Harbour Centre from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. The top 30 companies will have the opportunity to meet their mentor match-ups and everyone from the New Ventures BC community (competitors, volunteers, etc.)  is invited to attend and enjoy some wine, canapés, and networking.

Be sure to register to confirm your attendance at this event.

The NVBC seminar series is back after a networking intermission last Wednesday. The fourth seminar takes place this Wednesday, April 29th when Mike Volker of the SFU University/Industry Liaison Office and Western Universities Technology Innovation Fund (WUTIF) covers “The Business Plan“.

While it’s too late to enter the competition, the seminar series is still open to the public. Register online now and arrive before 7:00pm on April 29th to network, enjoy refreshments, and grab a good seat to watch the seminar. The cost to attend any individual seminar is $20 and students with valid I.D. cards may attend for free.

I think we’re on our way to a great year as my phone has been ringing off the hook and my email box has been overflowing today!

If I haven’t responded to you yet, feel free to nudge me, but I think/hope I’ve covered all your questions.

Some minor points  to remember:

- If you experience any technical issues, please don’t panic. I’ll be online until past midnight, so feel free to email contact@newventuresbc.com. If we can’t solve the issue right away, we’ll figure out a way to get your submission reviewed. That said, we have experienced very few technical problems so far,  fingers crossed.

- Payment status. NVBC updates your payment status manually. If you don’t see your status updated within a day or so, please let me know. But don’t worry if your payment status isn’t correct by midnight tonight – as long as your forms are in and you pay in the next week, you’re in!

Any other questions, comment or email away.

Good luck to everyone submitting tonight.

Rocket Builders‘ Dave Thomas is polling New Ventures BC 2009 competitors to find out which section of the contest they think will be most challenging :

• Financial Projections
• Product or Service Readiness
• Distribution, Marketing, Sales
• Market, Customer, Competition
• Intellectual Property

Cast your vote now on LinkedIn.

While you’re there be sure to join our new LinkedIn Group. Dave will be using it to poll participants throughout the 2009 competition. You’ll also be able to ask questions and get advice as you work your way through the competition.

Registration is now open for the 2009 New Ventures BC Competition.

Thank you for your patience as we sorted through some extra technical and administrative details.

This year, New Ventures BC is moving to a complete online competition registration system, thanks to Canadian start-up company Chide.it

Chide.it has created a beautiful, customized competition system that will let you submit all your applications online, instead of the hard copies we’ve required in the past. This will particularly make submissions easier for companies outside the Lower Mainland (not more couriers!). Our jurors will also have electronic access to submissions for faster and easier review & feedback. Please let us know if you have any feedback.

Good luck!

REGISTER NOW

The 2009 New Ventures BC Seminar Series & Competition kicks off tomorrow, Wednesday April 1st at 6:30pm, when Bob de Wit, walks you through the seminar “Assessing the Opportunity.”

Seminar Synopsis

Got a better mouse-trap? What to do next? Commercializing new technologies and building companies around them starts by measuring whether you have the right stuff and then crafting your story so that people will buy into your venture. Come join this interactive event that will review what it means to be a technology entrepreneur and help you develop a business opportunity statement that can be used to take your idea or business to the next level.

Speaker Bio

Bob de Wit is a mentor, advisor, investor and consultant to growth-stage technology companies. Bob has executive experience in corporate development (M&A strategy and execution), corporate finance (raising equity capital) and competitive market intelligence. Bob has been a co-founder, advisor or angel investor to Canadian V-Chip Design, Axonwave Software, TechBC Corporation, Flintbox.com, the Fraser Valley Technology Network, RIP.TV, Energy Aware Technology and ClearVision Technologies.

In addition to his involvement with technology companies, he has consulted to the technology transfer offices of Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia and the University of California at Los Angeles where he has worked with university faculty members to develop effective technology commercialization strategies. Bob has undergraduate (BBA, ‘91) and graduate (MA, Economics, ‘94) degrees from Simon Fraser University.

Mark your calendars – NVBC seminars are happening every Wednesday evening from April to June, covering all the business basics for early-stage companies. The cost for all eight seminars is $100 per team or individual. The fee to attend any individual seminar is $20 per team or individual.

The seminar series is part of the New Ventures BC Competition, which is open to BC residents with an early-stage technology business. In all, winners will share in $300,000 in prize packages sponsored by the British Columbia Innovation Council, BC Hydro, and the BC Bioenergy Network.