Why enter the New Ventures BC Competition?

Education

Education

Get the essentials. Learn entrepreneurial building blocks from top-notch speakers at complimentary seminars and workshops.

Mentorship

Mentorship

Get advice. If you make it to the top 25, you'll get a mentorship team, plus pitch practice and feedback.

Networking

Networking

Get connected. Join events with fellow startups, plus mentors and potential investors.

Feedback

Feedback

Know what you don't know. Provide your business plan + pitch for a jury of experts to receive constructive feedback.

Recognition

Recognition

Be noticed. Making it to the Top 25 means you're a venture to watch.

Prizes

Prizes

Did we say prizes? We're giving away over $250,000 in cash and in-kind services to take your startup to the next level.

Volunteer as a mentor

$250,000 in cash and prizes

Each year, we give away prize packages to our top three finalists, plus specialty prizes. They’re all announced and awarded live at the Awards Ceremony.

Note: 2025 prizes are subject to change, as NVBC finalizes competition details.

See past winners

$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

$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

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

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

Leap to the Cloud Prize

This prize will be awarded to the most promising Software as a Service (SaaS) startup in the Top 10 or Top 25. The winning startup will showcase an innovative edge with a market validated by either sales, partnerships or trials. Thank you to our prize sponsor, National Bank of Canada. 

Alumni Impact Award

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. Nominations will open later this year.

NVBC Diamond-in-the-Rough Prize

An award that recognizes a promising top 25 venture that is pre-revenue and pre-investment.

Eligibility

  • BC residents, teams or businesses
  • Innovative technology product or services
  • Any type of tech
  • Raised less than $1,000,000 of non-grant funding from any source
  • Less than 5 years old
  • Incorporation not required
  • Pay $200 entry fee

Check the Rules

Competition Timeline

Have what it takes to compete for over $250,000 in cash and prizes? 6 months, 4 rounds of competition. 200+ competitors, 1 grand prize winner.

View our event calendar >

April - June

Education and Networking Events

Weekly education and networking events starting April 2025. Visit our events page for details.

Round 1 deadline

March 31, 11:59 pm

The Idea

Submit your registration and describe your business idea. All eligible participants move on to Round 2.

Round 2 deadline

April 22, 5pm

Feasibility Test

Submit a 5-page response to questions about your business idea.

- Top 15 from Round 2 advance right away to Round 3.
- 25 additional companies will pitch their way into Round 3 for the remaining 10 spots.

Round 2.5

June 18

Pitch Day

25 companies pitch and 10 will advance to round 3.

Round 3 deadline

July 30, 5pm

Condensed Venture Plan

Companies will be paired with a mentor team to expand their idea into an 8 page condensed venture plan.

Round 4 pitches

Sep 11 & 12

Top 10 pitches finale

Top 10 finalists make an in-person pitch to the jury for a chance to win $250,000 in cash in prizes.

Winners revealed

Sep 29

Winners announced at Awards Ceremony

The NVBC process and mentors help even the most seasoned veterans elevate their game and really think hard about the business and strategy. In every case, we graduated from the competition a better, more viable company.

— Malcolm Kendall, Microbiome Insights

The brand recognition Lumen5 received from winning the Competition helped showcase not only the value of our product, but also helped us build an employer brand as a fast-growing employer here in BC. Since entering the 2019 Competition around this time last year, we have doubled our user base to 450,000 users without raising any venture capital.

— Michael Cheng, Lumen5

The Competition has been amazing.  We’ve received invaluable accounting and legal support.  As far as the cash is concerned, we’ve invested it in launching our first commercial product.  The prize money allowed us to accelerate our hiring plans and to grow our amazingly talented team.

— James Jacobs, Ziva Dynamics

As a result of the placing in the competition, we’re received unsolicited offers of investment, we’ve had meetings with venture capitalists, and we’ve got meetings setup with big competitors who are interested in what we’re offering.

— Alison Taylor, Jane Software

The Competition was a great opportunity to hone in our business plan and practice our pitch while connecting with the tech startup ecosystem in BC.

— Blake Adam, Medimap