Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo. In this issue, check out which much-fêted Victoria company turned five, What BC Transit is doing with $189 million, and your last chance for your company to win $250,000 in cash and prizes.

Now on to today’s briefing. It’s 789 words: a three-minute read.

-Kate Wilson, [email protected] 

By the way, if you're not already subscribed, you can fix that here.

Victoria’s Worldline partners with Castles Technology for a new payment solution

Worldline is making big steps in the point-of-sale world.

The company — which specializes in payments technology for independent software vendors, independent sales organizations, and banks — is partnering with Castles Technology, which is a leading player in payment terminals.

The collaboration aims to offer a better way for independent vendors to use SoftPOS systems. SoftPOS — also known as software-based Point of Sale — allows merchants to securely accept payments directly on a phone, tablet, or other Android mobile device, bypassing the need for additional hardware.

Worldline says the new partnership will significantly reduce costs associated with traditional point-of-sale hardware and can make it easier for merchants to take payments in any location, have faster checkout times, and integrate more easily with their own software. The company notes that SoftPOS is an excellent fit for a wide range of industries, including field services, not-for-profits, and event management, as well as for small to medium-sized merchants who prioritize mobility and cost-savings.

"Partnering with Castles was an evident decision for our team here at Worldline North America,” says Claire Gayton, Worldline’s head of operations and partnerships.

Worldline and Castles Technology will be showcasing their technology together at the Electronic Transactions Association tradeshow in April, and plan to launch their first-to-market SoftPOS solution by the end of 2025.

📰 More Victoria innovation news

🎂 Happy birthday to ya: Axolotl Biosciences, which works on 3D bioprinting of human tissues and develops its own bioink, turned five this weekend.

💥 Last chance: New Ventures BC competition — the province’s longest-running and most high-profile contest for startups — will close applications on March 31. Over the next six months, companies will compete through multiple rounds of the competition to get their hands on more than $250,000 in cash and prizes.

🚌 Keep on rollin’: The provincial government has funded BC Transit to the tune of $189 million through the Canada Public Transit Fund. The money will upgrade, replace, or modernize public transit infrastructure for 33 transit systems serviced by BC Transit, and maintain them in a state of good repair.

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Observatory systems analyst at Ocean Networks Canada

• Inside sales representative at First Light Technologies

• IT systems and support coordinator at Iris Dynamics

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Upcoming events

Victoria Tech Nachos | April 3

Victoria Tech Nachos is a covert group at the intersection of nachos and technology. It bills itself as a no-speaker, social-only, no-sponsor, nacho-friendly event.

Future Innovators: Empowering Women in STEM | April 7

Join an inspiring evening with our panel of women in STEM. iWIST is bringing together future innovators from middle school, high school, and post-secondary along with professional women in STEM for a candid conversation about their careers. All are welcome.

ABCMI & COAST Innovation Forum | April 15-16

The Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI) in partnership with COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies), is hosting the annual Innovation Forum in Vancouver. This is a great event to understand the latest innovations, technology, science, and research that is shaping the future of B.C.’s marine industry.

Victoria Climate Connections | April 24

Victoria Climate Connections will unite professionals working on climate change science, impacts, mitigation, and adaptation in B.C. for an informal evening of networking. Climate Connections aims to build community amongst Victoria’s climate-solution seekers by bridging the gap across sectors, fostering dialogue about current climate change issues and initiatives, and creating synergies for future collaborative climate change projects. The University of Victoria will welcome climate professionals from municipal and provincial government, industry, non-profits, and climate think tanks.

The 2025 VIATEC Awards | May 1

This event brings the tech community together and take a moment to spotlight and celebrate some of the year’s most notable companies and individuals within Victoria’s $5.9 billion tech sector. For over 23 years, the event has been produced by VIATEC, Victoria’s tech industry association.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

🙋 I need a…

We at Victoria Tech Journal know you, our community, pretty well. Are you searching for someone in your field to have coffee with, a hiring hookup, a lead on local investors, or suggestion for a great Victoria tech tool? Whatever you’re hunting for, let us know. We’ll post it in this section and make it happen.

Email your requests to [email protected].

Have something or someone we should know about?

Reply or email [email protected] so we can work together to spotlight the lesser-known stories of Victoria's tech ecosystem.