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Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing, brought to you by Acetech. In this issue, you'll meet the tech companies celebrated in this year's Douglas Top 10 to Watch, read an update on a local biotech entrepreneur, and meet a rockstar brother.
-James, @jimmermatthews
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This local company just raised everything but the kitchen sink
Sepura's under-the-sink disposal system. Photo credit: @SepuraHome on Twitter.
Sepura Home, the creator of an under-the-sink compost disposal system, announced the completion of a $3.7 million seed round. The raise was led by fellow kitchen-focused brand, Blanco. Sepura says the cash will allow it to rapidly scale the North American market for its waste-separating device.
"[We represent] a significant step forward in sustainable living,” said Victor Nicolov, co-founder and CEO of Sepura. “With its advanced technology and user-friendly design, Sepura offers a simple and effective way to minimize waste and promote a cleaner, healthier environment. We are excited to bring consumers the sustainable solution they are seeking and work to improve how food waste impacts the environment moving forward."
Nicolov detailed to Victoria Tech Journal that he founded the company after his garburator refused to gobble up discarded potato peels. Faced with a kitchen nightmare of clogged pipes, he was driven to consider replacing the garburator entirely. What resulted is Sepura. Its hardware connects to under-the-sink plumbing and then acts as a smart composter to effectively separate 99.9 percent of solid waste that goes down the drain — yet allow liquids to flow through. The end result is a sealed and odourless container that provides a convenient and eco-friendly way to dispose of food waste.
"With this strategic investment we are proud to enable Sepura to further develop and execute their standalone business,” said Frank Gfrörer, CEO of Blanco. “We want to contribute to making the kitchen water-place in residential homes even more sustainable and consumer-friendly. We believe that Sepura's technology represents a substantial advancement in the field of food waste disposal and we are convinced that the solution provides the right answer to a pressing issue of our time."
Gfrörer is not wrong. With over three billion tons of food waste generated globally each year, the need for sustainable waste management solutions has become increasingly urgent. Sepura notes that, in response, many cities across North America have banned garburators. This regulatory and consumer shift away from traditional garbage disposals presents a significant opportunity for Sepura. Time to grab my potato peeler.
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🏙️ Community catchup, powered by VIATEC
Congratulations to a quintet of local companies who have been selected in this year's Douglas Top 10 to Watch! It's great to once again see tech so well represented, which is a reflection of the ever-increasing level of innovation in our community. Half the list hails from the tech fold:
📰 More Victoria innovation news
🎓 Graduation: Brock Schuman, CEO of Victoria-based RNA-targeting small molecule therapeutics developer Azor Biotek, completed Life Sciences BC’s 2023 Investor Readiness Program. Learn more.📈 Appreciation: Local direct-to-consumer sock outfit Outway reported 110 percent year-over-year growth and teased a new executive hire. Continue.🎸 Celebration: Here’s some Victoria Tech Trivia™ for ya: Which serial entrepreneur has a rockstar sibling? Patrick Kelly — founder and CEO of Frontly — celebrated his brother’s band, City And Colour, releasing its latest album. Dive in.
FEW SPOTS REMAIN | #VicTJtalks | April 12
We've announced the full lineup for our first #VicTJtalks event! The evening will feature speakers from Audette, Ocean Networks Canada, Open Ocean Robotics, and the provincial government, and will bring together entrepreneurs, execs, talent, investors, and the tech community to network and learn.
Local innovators are tackling climate change head on with technology to face a warmer world. From using the ocean to remove atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions to creating a climate-friendly built environment, there’s something special about the climate solutions in made in Victoria.
Space sponsor: VIATEC
🕴️ Tech jobs of the week
Find your next career:
Technologist at First Light Technologies
Intermediate Business Systems Analyst at BC Public Service
.NET Framework Developer at Megabyte Programming Services
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