IN THE KNOW:
VoxCell BioInnovation excels at Web Summit
At Web Summit last week, Douglas 10 to Watch alumnus VoxCell BioInnovation took the top prize at The $10K Pitch: BC’s Startup All-Stars, a live pitch competition presented by Innovate BC and New Ventures BC. The biotech firm was one of 12 finalists vying for the prize.
“These types of competitions help startups like ours break through the noise and prove we’re building something that matters,” said Karolina Valente, VoxCell CEO and CSO. “This win gives us a strong signal to investors and customers alike, marking a real turning point for our business.”
Victoria company benefits from Integrated Marketplace program
After a successful three-year trial of its Integrated Marketplace initiative, the Province has announced it is investing $30 million more to promote its continuation.
One beneficiary of the program is MarineLabs. CEO Scott Beatty says it has catalyzed the company’s growth, accelerating product development, growing their team and providing opportunities to expand into new markets.
Other Victoria-based Integrated Marketplace participants include Modus Design Group. and Niricson. Modus partnered with General Fusion as part of an Integrated Marketplace project to design an electronic component for the diagnostic system of its Magnetized Target Fusion machine, while Niricson (another Douglas 10 to Watch alumnus) developed drone technology used for runway monitoring at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
The announcement builds on the Government of B.C.’s initial investment of $11.5 million, and the Government of Canada’s investment, through PacifiCan, of $9.9 million in the Integrated Marketplace.
KPMG acquires local tech giant LlamaZOO
KPMG in Canada has acquired the assets and team of Victoria-based LlamaZOO Interactive, a leading provider of digital mapping and business intelligence tools, and we’re pleased to say, yet another Douglas 10 to Watch alumnus making news this week.
The acquisition will enhance KPMG’s ability to help organizations visualize and analyze complex business environments using advanced digital twin technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
LlamaZOO’s extensive expertise in spatial business intelligence enables organizations to manage and understand vast amounts of 2D and 3D data. Their technology helps companies model everything from energy infrastructure to logistics networks, making it easier to plan for various business scenarios—especially important in today’s uncertain economic climate.
The LlamaZOO team, including co-founders Charles Lavigne and Kevin Oke, will join KPMG’s Ignition innovation hub, operating out of their Victoria office. Their expertise will support KPMG’s newly expanded Digital Twin Centre of Excellence, helping clients in key sectors like energy, infrastructure, and trade.
Minimum wage goes up as gender pay gap decreases
This month B.C.’s general minimum wage increases from $17.40 to $17.85 an hour.
In 2024, approximately 130,000 employees in B.C. earned minimum wage or less, according to labour-force data from Statistics Canada.
The increase comes as the Province releases its second annual Pay Transparency Report, showing modest improvements to the gender pay gap.
In agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, there was an improvement from a gap of 45% down to 36%. The gap shrank from 24% to 17% in mining, quarrying and oil-and-gas extraction. Wholesale trade saw a positive shift from 18% down to 11%.
In addition, the gender pay gap shrank for young women with post-secondary trade certificates and diplomas from 21% in 2017 to 8% in 2024.
The Pay Transparency Act was passed into law in May 2023, requiring all employers in B.C. to include salary and wage information on all publicly posted jobs. The annual report shows that in 2024, 85% of job postings in B.C. included pay information, compared to 52% in other parts of Canada, according to Indeed, a job-search platform.
Arts group seeks public input at open house
The Victoria Arts Sustainability Coalition wants to develop a new Cultural District and is seeking input at its first public informational session on June 22nd.
For the past three years the Coalition says it has been working towards acquiring a permanent home for the education, production, and presentation of visual and media arts in downtown Victoria.
The Coalition says art and cultural organizations continue be challenged by increasing rents, with core groups paying over $300,000 annually, funds that could be put towards an asset that grows in value and provides sustainability.
The Victoria Arts Sustainability Coalition includes CineVic, Errant Art Space, FluxGallery/MediaNet, Vancouver Island School of Art, Victoria Arts Council, and XChanges Gallery & Studios, together representing a dozen more arts and culture groups throughout the city.
Organizations team up to clean up local waterway
This May, the Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures, Transport Canada, Surfrider Vancouver Island, and Black Ball Ferry Line collaborated on they describe as an essential initiative to protect and preserve the health of Victoria’s marine environments.
Together, the teams removed 241.3 kilograms (532 pounds) of debris from the shoreline and waters along the Gorge Waterway. Prince of Whales and Black Ball’s crew collected 90.5 kilograms, including nearly 14 kilograms of rope and several heavy, hard-to-reach items.
Transport Canada’s team focused on more elusive pollutants, removing 24.3 kilograms of foam, a particularly harmful form of debris that, while lightweight, poses long-term ecological threats due to its tendency to break into microplastics.
This year’s effort built on the success of last summer’s cleanup, which took place in July and removed 380 kilograms of garbage from Victoria’s Inner Harbour and Gorge area. Items collected ranged from tires and appliances to plastic wrappers, foam, and discarded textiles.
The organizers noted that these types of initiatives demonstrate the importance of collective action in preventing pollution from entering marine ecosystems and causing long-term harm to wildlife and water quality.
FROM THE PAGES OF DOUGLAS:
Our latest issue profiles the people whose quiet power effects positive change in our region. Find out who they are, and how their work impacts our lives.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
JUNE
June 2: Canadian Club Meeting with guest Greater Victoria Harbour Authority
June 4: Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Business Awards
June 10: TEDxVictoria
June 17: VIEA Annual General Meeting
OCTOBER
October 28 – 30: VIEA ‘State of the Island’ Economic Summit
