The BC Tech Association has announced the winners of the 2019 Technology Impact Awards (TIAs) to recognize innovative companies in the province’s tech sector.
“The 2019 winners demonstrate that technological advancement is the bedrock for industry success and positive social change.”
Now in its 26th year, the awards program featured two new categories: Spirit of BC Tech — True Grit, which recognizes “bold entrepreneurship and pioneering spirit in the face of challenges,” and Excellence in Global Export, which “rewards growth and success on the world stage through the export of technology developed in BC.” Past recipients of TIAs have included UrtheCast, which captures highly-detailed images of Earth, BroadbandTV, the third largest video property in the world, and Finn AI, which develops AI chatbots for banks.
“Our Technology Impact Awards address what BC Tech and the community identify as key priorities, delivering more home-grown scale and anchor companies, and educating, attracting and retaining top talent,” said Jill Tipping, president and CEO of the BC Tech Association. “From biotech and robotic welding to VR surgery training and innovative legal practice software, the 2019 winners demonstrate that technological advancement is the bedrock for industry success and positive social change.”
Some notable winners include Precision OS, which is working with 10 medical institutions across North America to bring its high-fidelity virtual reality orthopaedic surgery training platform to classrooms. Another winner was Greg Malpass, founder and CEO of Traction on Demand, which hosts its TractionForce conference in Vancouver each year.
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Winners were announced at the annual TIAs Gala, held at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The full list of 2019 TIA winners includes:
Company of the Year (Startup Success): Precision OS
Company of the Year (Growth Success): Freshworks Studio
Company of the Year (Scale Success): AbCellera
Company of the Year (Anchor Success): Clio
Excellence in (Global Export): Galvanize
Spirit of BC Tech (True Grit): LightIntegra Technology
Tech Culture of the Year: SAP Vancouver
Excellence in Technology Adoption: Newmont Goldcorp
Excellence in Technology Innovation: Novarc Technologies
Person of the Year: Greg Malpass (Traction on Demand)
BC Tech Scholarships were also granted to six high-school and post-secondary students during the TIAs. Ember Dickson and Beriwan Ravandi were both named winners of the Bill Tam “True Grit” Bursary, while Rosalee Gingras, Kai Leong, Daphne Liu, and Jobina Tamminga also were named scholarship recipients.
“I’m thrilled to have received this support from BC Tech and the wider community,” said Ravandi, another BC Tech scholarship winner, who studies computer science at the University of British Columbia. “It will enable me to pursue my studies and career to use tech as a tool to help tackle cyberbullying, empower young women and girls, and help end extreme poverty worldwide.”
Image courtesy BC Tech Association via Twitter
