VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 12/08/14 -- The BC Technology Industry Association (BCTIA) began a new chapter of its more than twenty year story last week as it opened the doors of its new 26,000 square foot accelerator space, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and tech companies grow.
The recent Government of Canada announcement stating the BCTIA will receive $10.4 Million in Canada Accelerator and Incubator Program (CAIP) funding, combined with matching funds from industry partners, has allowed the BCTIA to build Vancouver's first open innovation space.
"Our vision to create a place where tech entrepreneurs can land, connect, and grow their companies in an open collaborative environment is now a reality," said Bill Tam, BCTIA President & CEO. "We are open for business and invite the tech and business community, investors, partners and customers to use The Hub to help us write the next chapter for BC Tech."
The BCTIA Innovation Hub features community collaboration space, meeting and training rooms, a Prototype Lab, hot-desking, offices, and workspaces for rent. The Hub is supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure, a 500 Mbps backbone by TELUS, Avigilon CCTV, and multi-function printers by Canon.
Built by the community, for the community, artists, vendors, retailers and companies collaborated to build a unique "Made in BC" showcase. In addition, significant financial contributions by twelve Founding Partners made it possible to secure the Government of Canada CAIP funding. The BCTIA Innovation Hub Founding Partners are:
-- Global Relay -- ACL -- Discovery Parks -- TELUS -- BuildDirect -- Deloitte -- Farris -- Fasken Martineau -- Gowlings -- University of British Columbia (UBC) -- Avigilon -- Canon
"The community came together to make The Hub a reality and we are grateful for their generous and enthusiastic support. They have helped to create a place where people will connect, partnerships will be forged, and the resulting synergies will create BC's next billion dollar companies," added Tam.
The BCTIA will host a holiday Open House Wednesday, December 10th from 5:00 - 8:00 PM, and invites the community to come have a first look at the space and meet some of the partners who helped make it possible. Please register at https://hohohub.eventbrite.ca.
About the BCTIA:
The BC Technology Industry Association (BCTIA) supports the development, growth, and advancement of technology companies of all sizes, from every sector. Through a variety of innovative incubation and acceleration programs, the BCTIA helps early-and growth-stage companies connect to the resources that matter most: mentors, customers, partners, and investors. www.bctia.org
About the BCTIA Innovation Hub:
The BCTIA Innovation Hub is a 26,000 square foot open collaboration space dedicated to helping tech companies grow. The Hub is a place where early-and growth-stage companies connect with mentors and coaches, professional services, resources, investors, partners, customers and government agencies - it's a place dedicated to fueling company growth. www.bctia.org/thehub
Contacts:
Media Contact:
Cindy Pearson
Chief Operating Officer, BCTIA
604.602.5234
cpearson@bctia.org
