Victoria startup floats to ocean challenge win

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A Victoria startup has won funding to develop floating charging stations for electric boats. Mostar Labs joined 14 other Canadian companies in the Ocean Startup Project's fifth annual Challenge, sharing $350,000 in total funding for ocean technologies.

The company's main product is called Lilypad. It's a floating platform that can charge electric vessels in coastal waters. The system uses battery storage and smart controls to provide flexible charging where traditional shore power isn't available. As more boats go electric, this kind of mobile charging infrastructure becomes increasingly important.

Three BC companies made it into this year's group of 15. Along with Mostar Labs, Atalanta Climate is working on carbon capture systems using ocean materials, Subvision Robotics built an underwater robot that cleans ship hulls, and SeaFoam is creating building insulation from seaweed and waste materials. The selected companies come from six provinces and tackle various ocean challenges, from sustainable packaging to maritime safety gear.

The Ocean Startup Challenge has been running since 2020 and has now supported more than 90 ocean companies across Canada. Winners get mentorship from executives, access to expert advisors, and connections to industry networks. Past participants have gone on to raise millions more in funding and contribute to Canada's growing "blue economy" – the term for business activity based on ocean resources.

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⚡ We are the champions of change: The federal government announced $22.7 million in funding to install over 480 electric vehicle charging stations across British Columbia, with the announcement made in Victoria by Minister Gregor Robertson.

🧠 Learning to fly: Victoria-founded leadership development company BestHuman launched The Power Lab, a 12-month bite-sized leadership program targeting team leads and project managers who traditionally get overlooked for formal training opportunities.

🏢 Money, money, money: Climate-tech startup Ontoly developed a platform that transforms building energy retrofits into tradable carbon credits, creating new revenue streams for property owners while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the real estate sector.

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September 9 | GoGeomatics September "Back to School" Meetup

This is the place to network and talk all things Surveying, GIS, geomatics and geography. This event will take place at the Swan's pub. Come by and ask the hostess for the GoGeomatics reservation (or Juan). Come alone or with a friend. These events are free to attend.

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