Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue, read about the launch of AccelerateIP, recognition for Victoria-based Cellulotech, the VIATEC Community Awards celebration, and the next round of prizes to keep an eye on.

Now onto today’s briefing. It’s 814 words: a three-minute read.

-Emily, [email protected]

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$12.5 million IP funding program launches

AccelerateIP — a federally funded new program providing comprehensive support around intellectual property (IP), education, and strategy — has formally launched. Better yet, the program is now accepting applications.

Led by New Ventures BC (NVBC) in collaboration with crown corporation Innovate BC, AccelerateIP is targeting startups in British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The program promises IP education and awareness and the development and implementation of IP strategies.

Applicants for the program can choose from three streams:

• Education and awareness, which includes IP seminars, online modules, and an IP certification program.

• Strategy, a stream that offers mentorship opportunities and up to $25,000 in funds for legal strategy expertise.

• Implementation, the third tier that provides up to $60,000 in funds to cover legal implementation expertise.

“Intellectual property is critical for startup growth and innovation protection,” said Angie Schick, New Ventures BC’s executive director. “AccelerateIP, as a collaborative network-driven initiative, complements NVBC’s ongoing work and educates entrepreneurs about leveraging intellectual assets for business scaling.

“In the soft-launch phase, we’re thrilled that multiple program cohorts are at full capacity, highlighting strong demand for these new initiatives,” she continued. “This is just the start, but we see AccelerateIP as a crucial resource for startups’ growth journeys.”

The program is part of a larger effort by the federal government to improve intellectual property awareness and support in Canada’s innovation ecosystem.

🏙️ Community catchup, powered by VIATEC

Meet a VIATEC member: Green Suggest

Who said B.C. wasn’t fashionable? Victoria’s Green Suggest is keeping clothes out of the landfill — and its users in fashion — with an AI-powered app that suggests upcycling styles and tutorials based on the item a user uploads.

The process is simple:

• Take a photo of the original item

• Choose a style category

• Wait for Green Suggest to process results

• Pick the style you prefer

• Watch the tutorial and get started

📰 More Victoria innovation news

🐋 Free willy: Victoria innovators, entrepreneurs, and tech champions celebrated the VIATEC Community Awards with a riotous ceremony at the Victoria Conference Centre. Fifteen Victoria companies and entrepreneurs were recognized for their achievements this year.

♻️ The story of stuff: Awards season continued with local material science startup Cellulotech celebrating its Sustainability Award in the pre-commercialized renewable material category. Cellulotech’s winning solution offers a recyclable alternative to protect paper-based materials from water and other elements.

🏆 (Not-so) Horrible bosses: The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce announced the opening of nominations for its 2024 Business Awards. Nominees can choose from 14 categories, including Outstanding Workplace of the Year.

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• IT Business Analyst at BC Transit

• Production Assembler at Quester Tangent Corporation

• Full-Stack Web Developer at Caorda Web Solutions

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Upcoming events

Dec 11 | iWIST Holiday Party and Annual General Meeting

Save the date with some of the most spirited and festive women in science and technology. Toast to the communities' accomplishments over the past year and provide input on official iWIST business.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

🙋 I need a…

We at Victoria Tech Journal know you, our community, pretty well. Are you searching for someone in your field to have coffee with, a hiring hookup, a lead on local investors, or suggestion for a great Victoria tech tool? Whatever you’re hunting for, let us know. We’ll post it in this section and make it happen.

This week from XYYNX Materials:
We're looking for a dynamic business development representative to expand our market presence, spread the word about our innovative solutions, and build relationships with new clients. We'd love to hear from anyone with a background in sales, some technical expertise (chemistry or other), and a lot of enthusiasm!

Email your requests to [email protected].

Have something or someone we should know about? Reply or email [email protected] so we can work together to spotlight the lesser-known stories of Victoria's tech ecosystem.