The W Venture team facilitating a workshop. Photo: W Venture.
W Venture Growth, a one-year program that offers access to resources, mentorship, and a community of female entrepreneurs, has announced the 16 B.C. founders accepted into its first cohort, from 35 applicants.
Each venture in this group was selected for its potential for rapid growth and significant market opportunities across Canada and beyond. The initiative, funded in part by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), aims to support the development of a thriving ecosystem of women-led tech and tech-enabled companies in B.C. Seven companies are based in the Lower Mainland while the others operate throughout the province.
From the Lower Mainland, the founders are:
Alycia van der Gracht, QuantoTech Solutions: QuantoTech Solutions specializes in vertical farming, focusing on hyper-local food production. Their year-round farms provide fresh, high-quality produce to local communities.
Carly Olynyk, Facetec: Facetec provides cloud-based electronic medical record solutions for dental and medical injectors. The platform allows users to manage patient photos for diagnosis, record-keeping, and marketing, helping practices streamline aesthetic procedures.
Michelle Miller, Islay Power: Islay Power leverages AI to advance energy autonomy: the ability for energy systems to be fully functional through their own local production, storage, and distribution. Its platform optimizes battery assets and reduces emissions, contributing to a sustainable energy future.
Sara Badiei, AutoChart.ai: AutoChart.ai is transforming healthcare by automating the medical charting process. Its AI-powered platform reduces administrative burden, allowing doctors to spend more time with patients and improve work-life balance.
Moyra Rodger, Magnify Digital: Magnify Digital provides audience development tools and strategies for the cultural sector. Its flagship platform, ScreenMiner, helps media makers leverage data to optimize content reach and engagement.
Hilary Brent, The Rooted Table: The Rooted Table offers custom meal prep and catering services. Its personal chefs create homemade, health-conscious meals tailored to individual preferences and dietary needs.
The other founders are based across B.C.:
Amanda Barney, Teem Fish Monitoring: Teem Fish Monitoring offers AI-driven electronic monitoring solutions for fisheries. Their tech supports sustainable fisheries management, helping to collect and analyze data to promote stock assessments and climate insights.
Amy Hamilton, The High-End Hippie: The High-End Hippie redefines shampoo bars with non-toxic, salon-grade hair care solutions for women. Their products conserve water, eliminate plastic waste, and reduce exposure to environmental toxins.
Gwen McEwen, RecStaff: RecStaff simplifies scheduling for parks and recreation departments with its user-friendly software, making staff management easier for organizations in the industry.
Karolina Valente, VoxCell BioInnovation: VoxCell BioInnovation is pioneering the creation of vascularized tissue models for drug development. Its proprietary bio-inks and 3D bio-printer tech produce human-like models that advance biomedical research.
Kristina Long, Sea Forest: Sea Forest cultivates locally sourced kelp for food and agricultural uses, promoting the health benefits of kelp while supporting sustainability in marine ecosystems.
Laurel Anne Stark, Remarkable Communications: Remarkable Communications amplifies Indigenous voices through digital storytelling. The organization supports Indigenous leaders and communities by preserving oral traditions and promoting impactful initiatives.
Melodie Reynolds, Elate Beauty: Elate Beauty offers ethical, refillable cosmetics designed to reduce waste in the beauty industry. Their high-performing, eco-friendly products aim to promote sustainability in beauty routines.
Tinka Robev, Puzzle Lab: Puzzle Lab blends tech and craftsmanship to produce high-quality wooden jigsaw puzzles featuring Canadian artists. Its sustainable puzzles offer a unique, engaging experience for both puzzle enthusiasts and art lovers.
Program goals
Over the next 12 months, W Venture Growth will aim to assist each business to boost their revenues by at least 10 percent, secure crucial funding, and evolve into a major industry player.
“There's a number of ways we're helping them within the program [...] and one is through support,” Shelley Voyer, managing partner of W Venture — the organization behind the program — tells the Vancouver Tech Journal. “Being surrounded by a group of peers, and everyone upping their game, I think really helps to grow [companies] into major players. Because you get into silos, especially when you're a startup. You're in your [own] world, so it's nice to see what others are doing and I think that support allows you to grow further and faster.”
Shelley Voyer, managing director of W Venture. Photo: W Venture.
The program will also help founders navigate tapping into funding, expanding B2B sales, and strengthening leadership teams, as well as the unique challenges that women face when scaling mid-stage businesses.
“We see this tension of, ‘How do we actually build a great company with this big vision we have, yet not burn ourselves out?’”, shares Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber, managing partner at W Venture. “I think for Shelly, I, and the team, it's how we create that environment so that founders feel like they can talk about it. Because a lot of the time that burnout happens is because there's so much pressure, and there's no outlet for that CEO or founder to get support.”
Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber, managing director of W Venture. Photo: W Venture.
W Growth’s commitment
To drive its goals of propelling more female founders, W Venture is now putting together a program roadmap and consulting with industry partners and community organizations.
“We have a strong skill set in B.C. and across Canada,” says Voyer. “We have a real opportunity globally to help women-led businesses scale. So that's what we're focused on. I think it's something as a country we can really lean into.”
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