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.

Last week in Monaco, Vancouver’s General Fusion Inc. was recognized by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco with an award for Excellence in the Field of Environmental Technology Research at the prestigious CleanEquity conference on emerging environmental technologies.

The award was presented to Mike Sherman, Managing Director of Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, the leading venture capital investor in General Fusion (pictured with the Prince). Chrysalix is a Venture Capital Fund focusing exclusively on investing in early stage clean energy technology companies and one of the top 5 most active VCs in cleantech worldwide.

New Ventures BC competition initiator and current director Wal van Lierop is the President & CEO of Chrysalix.

So if you’re sitting on the fence about entering the 2009 competition – get off it.  Competitors that successfully navigate their way to Round 3 get matched with a mentor – a successful BC entrepreneur, venture capitalist, or angel investor.  That experience will be invaluable to your new business venture and you never know who your business idea will be exposed to along the way.

The BC Bioenergy Network is sponsoring a $20,000 prize in the New Ventures BC competition for the next three years for the best application of early stage technology fostering the use of bioenergy within BC.

“The BC Bioenergy Network is pleased to support and partner with the NVBC Competition,” says Michael Weedon, Executive Director of the BC Bioenergy Network. “Announcing our support for a Bioenergy Prize will stimulate innovative bioenergy technologies resulting in the development of a world class industry and capacity in BC.”

The BC Bioenergy Network Bioenergy Prize was conceived by Dr. Scott Stanners, Director of Research with the BC Bioenergy Network. Stanners participated as a judge and mentor for the NVBC Competition last year and was impressed with the quality of participants and projects. “We hope this new Bioenergy Prize will encourage entrepreneurs in the bioenergy sector to develop their business plans and consider the application of their technology in the commercial realm.”

For those of you living outside of the Lower Mainland, you may not know that New Ventures BC will reimburse travel costs up to $750/team to help enable out-of-town participants to attend NVBC events based in Vancouver between the dates of April 1st and June 4th, 2009.

Eligible travel costs include transportation (up to a maximum of $350 return, per person, per event) and accommodation (up to a maximum of $175 per night, per team, per event).

Who’s eligible? Those NVBC participants who are deemed eligible for Round Two of the competition, and whose business base is located outside Metro Vancouver.

How do I get my reimbursement? Eligible applicants will be notified of their eligibility following the identification of the successful Round Two participants. At the time of notification, an expense form will be delivered electronically. Successful applicants must submit their expense form, along with original receipts, no earlier than May 21st, 2009 and no later than June 10th, 2009. For budgetary reasons, submissions received before or after these dates will not be accepted.

DOWNLOAD EXPENSE CLAIM FORM

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.

Questions about the travel reimbursement guidelines? Contact Angie Schick via email.

Registration is now open for the New Venture BC’s Seminar & Networking Series.

Our first seminar, Assessing the Opportunity, will be presented by Bob de Wit and takes place on Wednesday, April 1st at the SFU Segal School of Business at 500 Granville Street. Registration & networking (with coffee & appetizers) gets underway at 6:30pm with the seminar starting at 7:00pm.

The full 10-week business seminar series schedule runs from April 1st to June 3rd and includes nine seminars and one networking event. Total cost for the series is $100 but that also covers your entry into the competition.

Alternatively, you can register for seminars individually for $20 each or attend for free if you’re a student (with a valid ID card). Register now online.

I sent the 2009 New Ventures BC Competition Brochure to the printers last week!

Here’s an electronic copy for you to read and send out to anyone that might be interested in this year’s competition.

NVBC Brochure