Vancouver, BC, June 5, 2014 (via Marketwired) – Global enterprise security leader Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) and local entrepreneur David Demers, CEO of Westport Innovations (TSX: WPT) were named to top honours as Company of the Year and Person of the Year respectively at the 2014 Technology Impact Awards (TIAs) hosted by the BC Technology Industry Association (BCTIA).

Fortinet, founded in 2000, is a worldwide provider of network security appliances and a market leader in Unified Threat Management (UTM). Fortinet generated $615m revenue and 15% year-over-year growth in 2013. Fortinet’s workforce includes a research and development team of 500 developers and engineers in Burnaby, B.C., and a worldwide workforce of 2,400 employees. Accepting the award on behalf of Fortinet was Michael Anderson, Vice President, Services.

Starting with a 5-person team in 1995, David Demers has led Westport Innovations to its position as a global cleantech leader, specializing in natural gas engines. Under Demers’ leadership, Westport has grown to over 1,000 employees globally and has commercialized its technology through strong partnerships. By leveraging large industry players, Westport focuses its own efforts on research and development while partners provide the manufacturing and distribution networks necessary for scale. Demers has also stewarded growth by continually reinvesting cash flow from Westport’s profitable businesses into more strategic and diverse long-term markets.

“Fortinet and Westport are both excellent examples of home grown, global success stories,” stated BCTIA President and CEO, Bill Tam. “These companies have invested significantly in Research and Development, creating solutions that are global leaders in their respective fields, and are poised for continued growth in the years ahead,” Tam added. “They are creating significant anchor companies that are training tomorrow’s generation of tech leaders, who will go on to build successful enterprises in the future.”

Other 2014 Technology Impact Award winners include:

Adoption of Technology – FCV Technologies and WorkBC

Usable Labour Market Data – With a goldmine of labour market data, much of it inaccessible to the average citizen, WorkBC tasked FCV to recreate the WorkBC website and improve access to the information to ultimately improve labour market mobility in the province.

With its user experience, strategy, creative and technology experience, FCV created the Labour Market Navigator, a new heart to the WorkBC site. This new tool translates labour market statistics into easy-to-understand infographics organized by region, industry and occupation. Improvements have led to a 300% increase in registered employers who now post up to 400 new jobs per day.

Community Engagement – Traction on Demand

A Community, not a Company – One of the first certified Benefit Corporations (BCorps) in Canada, Traction on Demand is a company that lives its values. Facilitating its tremendous growth is a view of Traction as a community, not a company. For Traction, community engagement starts from within; with an environment that stimulates innovation, encourages hard work, fosters friendships and rewards teamwork.

Traction enjoys supporting clients that serve a purpose greater than profit. Their Traction for Good community engagement program provides pro-bono and grant-based Salesforce.com implementation services, donations and volunteerism to non-profits.

Emerging Company of the Year – QuickMobile

Transforming the Event Experience – QuickMobile is transforming meetings and events with mobile apps that engage and delight audiences. QuickMobile’s event app platform creates an always-on communication channel that allows event owners to increase attendee participation, build loyalty and generate revenue through richer experiences.

With more than 180 employees, QuickMobile had a tremendous year: the company delivered more than 100 multi-event applications that included 40 Fortune 100 companies; opened its European office in London; and added two new products to its portfolio.

Excellence in Product Innovation – Cooledge Lighting

Third Wave in LED Lighting – The first wave of LED light sources bundled LED’s into traditional lightbulb form factors. The second wave packaged this new light source into traditional light fixtures. Now, Cooledge Lighting is leading a third wave where light sources are incorporated directly into building materials or mounted onto any surface.

At the heart of its innovation are light sheets, flexible thin plastic substrates which incorporate mid-power LEDs in a cost-effective manner. The flexibility of these substrates allows them to be shaped into a wide range of architectural surfaces while the product architecture allows the sheets to be cut to size in the field. 

Most Promising Pre-Commercial Technology – UrtheCast

Ultra HD Earth Video, Streamed from Space – UrtheCast is developing the world’s first Ultra HD Earth video stream from space, in full colour. Working in partnership with leading space organizations like RSC Energia, UrtheCast has installed two cameras on the International Space Station (ISS) and will soon unveil its Ultra HD Earth video and its interactive web platform.

UrtheCast works in partnership with educational, scientific, environmental, humanitarian, governmental and corporate organizations across the planet. To accomplish this, video and still imagery of the Earth will be captured, streamed, collected, and distributed to UrtheCast’s data partners and to the company’s interactive platform.

Most Promising Startup – PHEMI Health Systems

Unlocking Patient Data – With a data collection and Big Data platform that eliminates the clinical-research divide; PHEMI’s mission is to unlock patient data for clinicians, administrators and researchers. Creating a powerful feedback loop called the PHEMI Integrated Knowledge Network, PHEMI aggregates vast amounts of clinical patient information from the point-of-care, stores it in a highly secure private library, and allows approved researchers to mine the information for important insights. These insights then flow back to clinicians to improve subsequent care.

The company was co-founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs and St. Paul’s Hospital cardiologists who are committed to tackling some of the fundamental challenges facing health care today.

Team of the Year – Schneider Electric

MicroGrid Lab: High-Powered Solar – In early 2013, Schneider Electric’s Solar Business made a crucial decision to proceed with development of a revolutionary 1500V power conversion platform for utility-scale solar plants. A critical first step was to design and build a $13M, 20,000 sq. ft. high power MicroGrid Lab.
With the lab complete, Schneider Electric now has the in-house capability to test revolutionary products at power levels unprecedented in solar. Schneider Electric’s global solar business is comprised of 450 employees, with approximately half of this workforce located at their Burnaby headquarters.

Close to 1,000 people from the technology and business community converged at the Vancouver Convention Centre to celebrate the successes of British Columbia’s top technologies, companies and individuals.

“Tonight’s winners and finalists bring to light the diversity of BC’s technology sector, and illustrate the increasing maturity that we’re seeing with our companies,” said Bill Tam, President and CEO of BCTIA. “We congratulate the winners and finalists, thank them for their contributions, and for helping to put BC on the map as a tech powerhouse.”

To download the complete media release, click here.
For more information on the awards, finalists and winners, visit www.thetias.com.