A Roberts-Creek technology business took home second place and $20,000 in a recent regional business competition.
SideStix Ventures Inc. captured the honours at the inaugural BCIC-New Ventures Regional Competition in Kelowna last week.
As an athlete and amputee, Roberts Creek's Sarah Doherty and her team at SideStix have revolutionized the common walking crutch for the disabled, developing an ergonomic, shock-absorbing forearm crutch that significantly reduces joint compression and the secondary injuries that often arise from using crutches.
"The competition was a lot of hard work, but it gave us a true understanding of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur," said Doherty. "Thanks to the seminars and advice from the judges and mentors, we were able to think beyond the development of the product and to really focus on our business plan and projections."
BCIC-New Ventures Regional is a five-month competition addressing the special interests of B.C.'s early-stage technology companies and supports B.C.'s emerging technology industry. Winners were selected by the competition's expert panel of judges, who based their decision on which company has the most potential for success.The competition was open to any B.C. person, resident or business located outside of Metro Vancouver with a technology-focused idea that has not yet secured significant financing from external investors.
The broad spectrum of innovative technologies from the 17 finalists included a mobile monitoring system for people working alone, an on-line service that provides environmental product info and a portable biosensor to detect bacteria in drinking water.
