THIS WEEK IN TECTORIA

A community blog celebrating Victoria's booming tech sector

CONTACT THE TECTORIA BLOG

Got a cool story about technology and creativity in Victoria? Email stories, tips, pictures, links and anything of interest to Tessa Bousfield at: tectoria@viatec.ca

Archives for March 2017

StarFish Medical

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Our Tectorian of the Week is: StarFish Medical!

This Victoria medical-device maker made news this week of their acquisition of the Toronto-based medical-device designer, Kangaroo Group.

StarFish Medical has been around for 17 years and provides design, development, and manufacturing outsourcing services. StarFish partners with innovative companies to create and manufacture breakthrough products for a full range of medical specialty areas including: Cardiovascular, Digital Health, IVD, Ophthalmology, Optics, Technology Commercialization, and Ultrasound.

This new acquisition establishes StarFish Medical as a national medical-device developer, adds 25 employees to their 100 in Victoria, and also puts them on the radar of medical-technology companies that have clustered in the US (Boston and Minneapolis).

It’s no wonder a strong group like StarFish Medical won Team of the Year at the 2016 VIATEC Technology Awards!

We’re thrilled to hear the news, way to go StarFish team!

The How’s

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Our Tectorians of the Week are: Father and son duo, Colin and Noah How!

You might know Colin How as the Chair of VIATEC’s Board, past Executive in Residence for VIATEC’s Accelerator program, Managing Partner of How Creative or bass player for the elusive “Long Shadows”.

Well, did you know him and his 16 year old son are also quite the hikers? They’re trekking through Peru at this very moment!

Colin and Noah managed to climb the impressive Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains. They even brought a vintage VIATeC water bottle with them and snapped a few pictures, one at 4200m above sea level!



Just a few months ago we had another Tectorian take their Tectoria poncho from Rifflandia with them as they hiked through the very same spot!

 

There seems to be a trend starting and we’re digging it :). Still have your VIATEC Killer Whale? Take that baby on your next trip and send the pictures to tectoria@viatec.ca.

Thanks for representing Tectoria, all over the world!

Victoria Hand Project

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Victoria Hand Project at Discover Tectoria 2017

Our Tectorian of the Week is: Victoria Hand Project!

Victoria Hand Project was announced this week as a top 10 finalist in the Google Impact Challenge, which means they’re in the running for a $750,000 grant!

This local non-profit society (operating out of a biomedical design lab at UVic), makes 3D printed prosthetics for amputees in developing countries.

The Victoria Hand Project started using 3D printers to build low-cost customized prosthetic hands less than three years ago. Since then, it has fitted 70 people in Nepal, Guatemala, Ecuador, Haiti, Cambodia and Egypt who would otherwise go without.

You may have seen them recently at Discover Tectoria or on one of the many media outlets they’ve made it on to this past week. You may have also heard of them when they won a VIATEC Technology Award for Creative Excellence just last year.

The Google Impact Challenge will award $5 million to 10 non-profits. Judges will choose four organizations and the public will vote for one organization that will receive the $750,000 grant. Voting goes until March 28, winners announced on March 30.

[Click here to vote!]