The 20 Most Innovative Companies in B.C. 2012
We uncover 20 organizations in our province that are radically changing their sectors while boosting their bottom lines.
When we began our Top Innovators competition four years ago we took a big gamble. The leading contenders were obvious: MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates had put Canadian engineering on the map with its Canadarm, Lululemon Athletica Inc. had introduced a whole new category of leisure wear and AbeBooks had revolutionized bookselling. But once we burned through the obvious choices, would there be anything left?
This year’s nominees put our fears to rest. With 56 nominations submitted online and another dozen or so brought to the table by our panel of innovation experts, we faced an embarrassment of riches. Each of the 20 winners profiled here has put a new idea into practice that has had a profound impact in its field. Not one has been previously recognized here as a Top Innovator.
BroadbandTV Corp.
Helping content owners unlock the value of their online videos.
Saltworks Technologies Inc.
Turning saltwater and wastewater into potable H2O.
Tsawwassen First Nation
Setting a new precedent in First Nations governance and resource management.
SendtoNews Video Inc.
Changing the way newsrooms connect with content.
Awesense Wireless Inc.
Helping Canadian utility companies isolate and correct losses in the electrical distribution grid.
Brookside Foods Ltd.
Patented candy-making technology that caught the eye of Hershey Co.
Summify
Two "hacker entrepreneurs" take on the curation of social media data.
Cascadia Windows Ltd.
Doubling buildings' insulation efficiency with one little clip.
Idea Rebel Interactive Inc.
A cost-saving environmental agenda and a new way to empower clients.
Adbusters Media Foundation
The magazine behind the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Wow-1day! Painting Inc.
Overturning the prevailing and inefficient house-painting model.
Endurance Wind Power Inc.
The quietest and most efficient small wind turbines on the planet.
Blenz Coffee Ltd.
Doing more for customers than stimulating their taste buds.
Debrand Services Inc.
Tapping a plump vein in the world of branded corporate waste.
Wifarer Inc.
Bringing wayfinding inside with interactive building maps on your smartphone.
Hire the World Enterprises Inc.
Removing geography to take crowd-sourcing to a new level.
Pure Freedom YYoga Wellness Inc.
Bringing rigorous business principles to a 5,000-year-old practice.
Canada Metal (Pacific) Ltd.
An environmentally friendly solution for boaters worldwide.
Curious Mind Productions Inc.
A "book club on steroids" for the 21st century.
EnWave Corp.
A faster, greener and more economical dehydration alternative.
The 2011 Innovators
A look back at 2011's Most Innovative Companies in B.C.
The 2012 Innovators Panel & Methodology
Getting to know the panel of experts behind the 2012 innovators selections.
BCBusiness 2012 Innovators Gala
BCBusiness recognizes the province's brightest minds and business visionaries.
Video: Live from the 2012 Innovators Gala
The sights and sounds from the 2012 Top Innovators Awards.
