59 finalists announced for Victoria’s tech community awards

It’s the most-ever for the annual celebration of local tech and innovation shepherded by VIATEC.

November 23, 2022

The new-look Victoria Tech Community Awards announced that it’s received a record-breaking number of nominations. After reviewing 187 nominations, 59 finalists from 47 companies have been selected for ten award categories.

The finalists in each category will be reviewed by a panel of delegates from VIATEC, Island Women in Science and Technology (iWIST), Women’s Equity Lab, Capital Investment Network (CIN), Alacrity Canada, and UVic’s Coast Capital Innovation Centre. The awards will be presented at a gala dinner taking place on the evening of December 8 at Carson Hall at the Victoria Conference Centre.

The gala gives Victoria’s technology companies a chance to be recognized and celebrated for their fantastic contributions that have undoubtedly put Greater Victoria on the map as the fastest-growing technology region in B.C. The technology sector in Greater Victoria has a total economic impact of $5.22 billion and employs 16,775 people.

Victoria Tech Journal is the official media partner of the Victoria Tech Community Awards and will be publishing features leading up to the event on all the awards' categories, companies, and people.

The 2022 categories and finalists are below.

Anchor Company of the Year (30+ employees): 

  • Certn

  • Checkfront

  • Cuboh

  • Metalhead Software

  • Redlen Technologies

Scale Company of the Year (11-29):

  • Button Inc.

  • Hololabs

  • Limbic Media

  • Pilothouse

  • Solaires Entreprises Inc.

Growth Company of the Year:

  • Cognito Health

  • Delta-X Research

  • Feature Media Inc

  • MarineLabs

  • VINN

Startup of the Year:

  • Audette

  • Care2Talk Technologies

  • Frontly

  • GoChip Animal Technology

  • LetHub

  • MeepMeep

  • Origen Air

Product of the Year:

  • Barnacle Systems Inc

  • Iris Dynamics Ltd

  • Origen Air

  • Perfectly Snug Inc.

  • Sepura

  • Text Groove Communications Inc.

  • Trusty Ox Systems Ltd.

Innovative Excellence - Hardware:

  • 2S Water Inc.

  • ASAsoft

  • Axolotl Biosciences

  • Go Power!

  • Joni

  • Solaires Entreprises Inc.

  • VoxCell

Innovative Excellence – Software:

  • AVATO

  • CultureFoundry Studios

  • GoChip Animal Technology

  • Limbic Media

  • Natureblocks

  • SunTracker

  • VitaminLab

Leader of the Year:

  • Devesh Bharadwaj, CEO, Pani Energy

  • Dr. Scott Beatty, Founder & CEO, MarineLabs

  • Shaun Jamieson, Partner & Chief Strategy Officer, Ernst and Young

  • Dr. Karolina Valente, CEO & CSO, VoxCell

  • Stephanie Willerth, CEO & Co-Founder, Axolotl Biosciences

Emerging Leader of the Year:

  • Humaira Ahmed, CEO, Locelle Digital Inc.

  • Armon Arani, Co-Founder & Head of Growth, Cognito Health

  • James Gatsi, CEO, CL Web Developers

  • Julianne Johnson, Director of Partnerships, Checkfront

  • Christina Jones, VP of Operations, RaceRocks

  • Karren LeGear, COO, RFDM

Employer of the Year:

  • 1UP Digital Marketing

  • Iris Dynamics

  • RaceRocks

  • VitaminLab

  • Worldline

In addition to the 10 main award categories, there are an additional five awards without nominations or finalists. They are the Colin Lennox Award for Technology Champion, Janet Baird Award for Community Champion, Inclusion Champion, Social Impact Award, and Angel of the Year.

Tickets for the Victoria Tech Community Awards 2022 can be purchased online.