Technology Impact Awards recognize the best in BC's tech industry

Stemcell accepting Company of the Year (TIAs)

Technology Impact Awards (TIAs) recognized some of the biggest changemakers in the province’s tech industry last night.

Over 1,000 members of BC’s tech scene attended the awards, which were organized by the BC Tech Association at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

From ID verification to farming technology, 2017’s winners were made up of a diverse group of companies making a global impact with their work.

“The BC Tech industry has never been more vibrant and diverse. Every year through the TIAs, we celebrate the technology up-and-comers and leaders that are transforming the BC tech ecosystem. The calibre of talent of the finalists and winners this year is outstanding and we congratulate each of them for their accomplishments,” said Bill Tam, President, BC Tech Association, in a statement.

STEMCELL Technologies Inc. took home the top prize for Company of the Year. STEMCELL is the largest Biotechnology company in Canada and was recognized for its leading-edge scientific research.

Vancouver-based Clio was awarded Team of the Year. The cloud-based practice management software platform for the legal industry delivers tools for modern law firms.

Shafin Tejani, Founder of Victory Square Labs (VSL), took home the Person of the Year. In the past 24 months, VSL founded, funded, and mentored over 14 startups and nine non-profits, donating 12.5% in company proceeds.

The full list award winners from last night’s awards include:

Most Promising Pre-Commerical Technology- ARTMS Products Inc.
Excellence in Product Innovation- Corvus Energy
Adoption of Technology– Copperleaf Technoligies Inc.
Most Promising Startup- Semios Tecnolgoies Inc.
Emerging Company of the Year- Trulioo
Company of the Year– STEMCELL Technologies Inc.
Team of the Year- Clio
Community Engagement- Allocadia Software Inc.
Person of the Year- Shafin Tejani, Founder, Victory Square Labs
Bill Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award- Dr. Alan Winter
People’s Choice Award- Traction on Demand

The TIAs also recognized young tech talent in BC and awarded several scholarships for students in university and post-secondary.

High school recipients included Cameron Hutchcroft, Hamza Kamal, Kittie Lam, Stanford Lin, and Joshua Sam.

Hannah Charnock of the University of Victoria and Kevin Zhang of the University of Victoria took home the post-secondary awards.

The BC Tech Association has supported the growth of over 9,000 technology companies in the province.

Since the association’s founding in 1993, BC’s tech industry has quintupled to nearly $26 billion in revenue.

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