2022 Douglas Magazine 10 to Watch

This April, Douglas Magazine 10 to Watch list featured six ventures linked to University of Victoria’s Coast Capital Innovation Centre (CCIC).

• Danielle Lowe of Doodlebug Pet Food provides cricket protein based dog treats offering a sustainable and hypoallergenic alternative to traditional dog treats. 
• Origen Air, cofounded by Susan Blanchet provides a high impact, small footprint, plant-powered commercial quality air purification unit.
• Justo’s Plant Based Dips, cofounded by Justin Kopetzki, Eric Taccogna, Tyler Hosie and Adam Conlin, develop tasty, plant-based dips including hummus, salsa and alternatives to traditional dips using a sustainable business model and giving back to their community.
• Eve Olynyk and Simon Park from MeepMeep make smart disc-golf accessories, allowing players to spend more time enjoying the game and less time searching for their disc.
• Morgan Tate is a co-founder of DealBuilder, a marketplace which increases transparency and simplifies the process of buying and selling small businesses.
• Solaires, cofounded by Sahar Sam, develops novel perovskite based solar inks, revolutionizing solar energy capture.

CCIC, based at UVic, offers resources, guidance and infrastructure to support entrepreneurs as they test their business models and develop their products and services in a safe environment. Resources include mentorship, access to executives-in-residence, a prototype fund for proof of concepts, and an entrepreneurship support network comprising of mentors, investors, funders and subject-matter experts.