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

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!]

The Zone at 91-3fm

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Our Tectorian of the Week is: The Zone at 91-3fm!

It’s not often a Tectorian is a non-tech company, but we just can’t ignore the great support coming from this radio station, especially this last week!

Radio host, Jon Williams, had the CEO of Codename Entertainment on his show to talk about all things gaming.

Eric Jordan dived into Victoria’s Video Game Sector covering upcoming events and resources we can all refer to. Check out the full blog and radio interview right here.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Eric Jordan gets comfy at the Zone at 91-3fm

Vecima Networks

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Our Tectorian of the Week is: Vecima Networks!

Vecima is a globally recognized leader in creating breakthrough technology solutions that empower network service providers to connect people and enterprises to information and entertainment worldwide. They also announced this week they’ve entered into a definitive agreement to sell the remaining assets of its “YourLink” business based in Saskatchewan, to Xplornet Communications Inc.!

This all-cash deal is expected to be about $28.75 million! Congratulations Vecima!

Click here to read the full news release.

 

 

Redbrick

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Our first Tectorian of the Week for 2017 is: Redbrick!

Redbrick helps developers build better software. They are now a global name with reach in 200 countries and counting! They capped off 2016 with a bang…

On December 20th they announced the release of Shift: a new native application for desktop that helps simplify and streamline the navigation of multiple Gmail accounts.

With Shift, the company’s goal is to address the many workarounds that Gmail users commonly resort to when managing their various accounts, such as running multiple browsers simultaneously, setting up different users in Chrome, and adding email accounts and aliases to their primary Gmail account.

Click here to read the full news release.

Keep up the impressive work Redbrick!

The Mustard Seed

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Our Tectorian of the Week is: The Mustard Seed! Plus, all our VIATEC Food Bank Challenge participants!

The Mustard Seed Street Church has been essential in fighting hunger and restoring faith to a large portion of people living in poverty, as well as the working poor, in greater Victoria since 1975. The Church ministries are nearly 100 percent community funded and include Vancouver Island’s largest Food Bank, a Family Center, Hospitality programs, and addictions recovery at Hope Farm Healing Centre as well as more traditional Church services.

The Mustard Seed positively impacts, on average 5,000 individuals per month, with more than 50 volunteers keeping things running everyday. However, their shelves have been very bare lately due to more assistance given in 2016 and donations being lower.

Well, in the past 4 weeks, 34 companies have come together for the VIATEC Food Bank Challenge to raise cash and non perishables for the Mustard Seed! Today from 12pm to 3pm, all the participants will drop off their remaining donations to the Mustard Seed for the final tally. If you have anything to donate, please swing by and say hi to the VIATEC team while you’re there OR donate from the comfort of your chair.

A HUGE thank you to all our participants. Winners will be announced soon and many families will have a wonderful holiday season as a result. Well done everyone!

2016 Participants:

  1. Avocette Technologies
  2. AXYS Technologies
  3. BDC
  4. Beanstream
  5. Carmanah Technologies Corp.
  6. Collect! Credit & Debt Collection software
  7. Codan Radio Communications
  8. Complia Health
  9. Crowd Content
  10. CUBE Global Storage
  11. Econics
  12. Flytographer
  13. Frankie’s Modern Diner
  14. FTS Forest Technology Systems
  15. GenoLogics
  16. GlobalWide Media
  17. HP Advanced Solutions
  18. IndyKey Rewards
  19. Latitude Geographics Group
  20. Monk Office
  21. MUSIC Group Innovation CA Inc.
  22. RevenueWire
  23. RingPartner
  24. Schneider Electric
  25. SendtoNews
  26. Smart Dolphins IT Solutions
  27. StarFish Medical
  28. Technology Guys IT Solutions
  29. Tourism Victoria
  30. Vecima Networks
  31. VIATEC & Ground Control Cafe
  32. Victoria Airport Authority
  33. Victoria Flying Club
  34. Vigil Health Solutions Inc.

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Latitude Technologies

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Our Tectorian of the Week is: Latitude Technologies!

They took over VIATEC’s news page this week with non-stop good news news!

Keep up the good work Latitude!!

2016 VIATEC Food Bank Challenge participants!

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Our Tectorians of the Week are our challenge participants! (so far):
GlobalWide Media, RevenueWire, GenoLogics, Beanstream, RingPartner, Victoria Flying Club, Tourism Victoria, Carmanah Technologies Corp., Smart Dolphins IT Solutions, Victoria Airport Authority, HP Advanced Solutions, SendtoNews, CUBE Global Storage, FTS (Forest Technology Systems), StarFish Medical, AXYS Technologies and Flytographer!

These confident companies are the first to step up to the VIATEC Food Bank Challenge which runs from Nov 7th to Dec 2nd. There was no hesitation in signing up, and they’re all ready to come out on top with their cash and food donations for the Mustard Seed Food Bank!

There’s still time to sign up and be included in this list of amazing Victoria-based companies, boost your team morale and help us achieve our $100,000 goal!

Click here for all the details and contact engage@viatec.ca to accept the challenge.

#VIATECFoodBankChallenge

RevenueWire

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Our Tectorian of the Week is: RevenueWire!

RevenueWire recently sponsored the UVic Co-op & Career Fair Oct 4-5 that had swarms of students and grads filling the Student Union Building.

A few days later they announced that CEO Bobbi Leach is finalist in the Female Executive of the Year in Canada category for the annual Stevie Awards! She will be named a gold, silver or bronze winner at the awards gala in New York on November 18, 2016. This is the second nomination for Leach, who won silver in the category in 2015. For the full news release, click here.

RevenueWire is a giant supporter of our tech community with constant presence, community outreach and hiring talent from every VIATEC event!

Keep up the great work RevenueWire, and good luck to Bobbi!

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