BC – An entrepreneurial program launched by the BC Innovation Council to help British Columbians transform their ideas into successful businesses is helping drive BC’s growing tech sector.
Over the past five years, the Venture Acceleration Program has created 1,640 jobs, attracted $196 million in investment and generated more than $81.6 million in revenues provincewide.
The program helps experienced tech developers hone their business skills and make new connections, such as AirSenze Solutions and FreshWorks Studio founders Samarth Mod and Rohit Boolchandani who joined the program after immigrating to BC.
“We decided to stay in Victoria and start our own mobile app development company after completing our masters of business administration at the University of Victoria,” says Mod, AirSenze CEO and co-founder.
“Participating in the Venture Acceleration Program at VIATEC provided us with mentorship, helped us get office space and network. Most importantly, by attending their fireside chats and other local tech meetups, we got to know the local tech community and learn from the experience of industry veterans.”
The Venture Acceleration Program is delivered by a team of experienced professionals known as Executives in Residence, who act as mentors to help aspiring entrepreneurs bring new ideas to market more quickly, using a set of best practices for growing tech companies. Every entrepreneur in the program is assigned an Executive in Residence who becomes their primary advisor, often acting like an active member of their management team.
The BC Innovation Council established the program with Accelerate Okanagan and Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council (VIATEC), to assist small tech companies, which make up the majority of BC’s tech sector, develop growth opportunities.
In partnership with its Crown agency, the BC Innovation Council, the Province continues to drive tech through BC’s second #BCTECH Summit, March 14-15, 2017, with made-in-BC tech innovations, thought-provoking keynotes and networking opportunities. To register or learn more, please visit the following link.
