More Recognition For Co-Founder Of Victoria’s Open Ocean Robotics
VICTORIA – Another feather for her cap.
Julie Angus, co-founder and CEO of Open Ocean Robotics, has been named winner of the Innovator Award in the first annual BC Business Women of the Year Awards. A gala celebration will be held September 28 at the Vancouver Club in Vancouver.
Julie Angus is co-founder and CEO of Open Ocean Robotics
A panel of four judges chose the winners in six different categories from organizations large and small from across the province. Another Vancouver Island winner was Pauline Stevenson, CEO and founder of Excel Career College of Courtenay in the Leader classification.
There were runners-up in three categories from Victoria: Toni Desrosiers, founder and CEO of Abeego in Innovator, Origin Bakery co-founders Tara Black and Marion Scott in Community Builder, and Kyla Dufresne, founder and CEO of Foxy Box Wax Bar in Rising Star.
The recognition is the latest for Open Ocean Robotics, which creates “robots of the sea”. They received a $22,000 BC Resource Industry award last fall for their autonomous, un-manned, un-personned and un-crewed vessels that collect data for ocean research and surveillance.
Open Ocean Robotics has created two unmanned vessels: The Force12 Xplorer, and the Solar Xplorer.
The Force12 sailboat uses the company’s proprietary dual rigid wind sail design that can be navigated completely autonomously, or be remotely controlled using satellite telemetry. It is propelled entirely by wind, and a solar panel provides power for sensors, communication devices, processor and rudder actuator.
The Solar Xplorer carries 1,200 watts of solar panels and lithium ion batteries that enable it to average over four knots per hour, day or night. It is a seaworthy and self-righting solar boat that is also autonomous.
The company’s vessels improve ship fuel efficiency, can detect and clean up oil spills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and used to patrol the ocean.
Ocean Robotics, also won Canada’s Most Promising Startup of 2019 Award from NACO, the National Angel Capital Corporation (NACO), last June, and $100,000 in Spring Impact Investor Challenge run by Spring Activator, beating out over 100 companies for the honour. They also moved into a new location in the Vancouver Island Technology Park at the start of 2019.
In 2018, CEO Julie Angus pitched the company in the “Women in Cleantech” competition, and it was awarded $800,000 in incubator support from the collaboration between the Canadian government and Mars Discovery District.
Abeego is another Victoria success story.
Desrosiers founded Abeego, the inventor of the world’s first reusable, breathable food wrap. Abeego, offered in a variety of sizes, saves food by picking up where the peel leaves off, keeping food fresher longer than many ever imagined.
Abeego conducts business in almost 40 countries worldwide. Their mission to Keep Food Alive is unique to their beeswax food wrap. While the plastics conversation is an important one, they drive home the messaging about how Abeego saves food from the compost to save time, money, and the environment. They help customers see that Abeego is not a plastic wrap alternative, but their tool for victory in the kitchen.
Abeego shares product knowledge and food wisdom in a way that builds community while instilling customer confidence. Now 11 years in the making, beeswax wrap is trending worldwide and was listed as Whole Foods’ top 2019 trend.
