2026 New Ventures BC Competition Awards Ceremony

Monday, September 21, 2026

10 finalists. Over $250,000 in cash and prizes. One night.

Join us on September 21 for the 2026 New Ventures BC Competition Awards Ceremony, presented by Innovate BC.

Over the past seven months, a record 281 startups have worked tirelessly to pitch their ventures, demonstrate their traction, and prove they have what it takes to scale. Now, just 10 Finalists remain. These ventures have risen through each stage of the competition to emerge as some of BC’s top-emerging startups.

Celebrate BC’s next generation of tech ventures, connect with our innovation ecosystem, and find out who will take home more than $250,000 in cash and prizes.

Date: Monday, September 21, 2026
Time: 4:30 – 8:00pm
Location: VIFF Centre, 1181 Seymour St., Vancouver

Attend In-Person

The 2026 New Ventures BC Competition Awards Ceremony will take place at the VIFF Centre in Downtown Vancouver on
September 21 from 4:30 – 8:00 pm.

RSVP Here

Attend Online

Unable to join us in-person? Watch our Livestream. Check this page on September 21 for the Livestream link.

RSVP Here

View the Digital Program

Explore the full digital program for the 2026 New Ventures BC Awards Ceremony, featuring the evening’s agenda, Top 10 finalists, award categories, and more.

Program coming soon.

Introducing our Top 10 Finalists

We’re pleased to introduce the Top 10 finalists, who have advanced in the 2026 New Ventures BC Competition! These startups have emerged through months of pitches, expert coaching, and multiple judging rounds.

Circl Brain Health Metrics, Victoria
Dream Photonics, Vancouver
Eagle Eyes Search, Squamish
Enya Learning, Vancouver
NanoTech Innovation, Richmond
Ontoly, Squamish
Radiant Fluidics, Vancouver
TruthSayer AI, Vancouver
VEGAIN Nutrition, Vancouver
VitaPulse Technologies, Vancouver

New Ventures BC Competition Prizes

$250,000 in cash and prizes

$110,000 Innovate BC First-prize package

$80,000 cash from Innovate BC
$6,000 in-kind services from EY
$9,000 in-kind services from Fasken
$10,000 in-kind video services from pushr video
$6,750 in-kind services from NVBC’s silver & bronze sponsors

$55,000 Innovate BC Second-prize package

$40,000 cash from Innovate BC
$6,000 in-kind services from EY
$6,000 in-kind services from Fasken
$2,000 in-kind services from NVBC’s silver & bronze sponsors

$30,000 Innovate BC Third-prize package

$20,000 cash from Innovate BC
$6,000 in-kind services from Ernst & Young
$3,000 in-kind services from Fasken
$2,000 in-kind services from NVBC’s silver & bronze sponsors

$10,000 Innovate BC Sustainability Prize

Awarded to the most promising startup placing in the Top 10 or Top 25, that is working to commercialize a technology in service of reducing GHG emissions or addressing the impacts of climate change.

$10,000 cash from Innovate BC

$10,000 Innovate BC Life Sciences Prize

Awarded to the most promising startup placing in the Top 10 or Top 25, that is focused on drug development, diagnostics, med-tech or therapeutics.

$10,000 cash from Innovate BC

$10,000 Innovate BC Woman-Led Venture Award

Awarded to the most-promising venture with a woman CEO or Co-Founder in the Top 10 or Top 25. Preference will be given to CEOs, then to Co-Founders who hold 20% or greater ownership. This prize is open to anyone who self-identifies as a woman.

$10,000 cash from Innovate BC

Top Science-based Company

This is an in-kind prize, presented to the most-promising science based startup in the Top 10 or Top 25, in the Clean-tech, Health-tech or Deep-tech sector. Thank you to our sponsor, SFU VentureLabs.

Introducing the 2026 Alumni Impact Award Winner: Saltworks Technologies

We’re pleased to present this year’s Alumni Impact Award to Saltworks Technologies.

This community-nominated prize is awarded to one Competition alumni that has made a significant economic, social, environmental, or community-based impact to BC’s tech ecosystem.

After winning our Annual Competition in 2008, Saltworks has continued to drive innovation in industrial wastewater treatment and lithium refining. The company treats and recycles industrial wastewater, while recovering valuable minerals such as lithium for reuse. Its lithium-processing technologies are also supporting Canada’s first EV battery plant.

Thank-you to our 2026 Competition Sponsors

Our Title Sponsor, Innovate BC

Innovate BC helps foster innovation in B.C. so that British Columbians in all regions of the province can benefit from a thriving, sustainable, and inclusive innovation economy. A Crown Agency of British Columbia, Innovate BC funds and delivers programs that support the growth of the B.C. economy by helping companies start and scale, train talent that meets labour market needs, and encourage technology development, commercialization, and adoption.