English
NanoTech Innovation Inc. Ranked #2
in the 2026 New Ventures BC Competition
2026 New Ventures BC Competition
NanoTech Innovation Inc. has received two major recognitions at the 2026 New Ventures BC Competition.
🥈
Second Place
$60,000 Innovate BC Prize Package
🏅
Top Science-Based Company
Presented by SFU VentureLabs
#2 overall among 283 participating technology ventures from across British Columbia
NanoTech Innovation Inc. was ranked #2 overall, receiving the $60,000 Innovate BC Second Place Prize Package, and was also named Top Science-Based Company, presented by SFU VentureLabs.
The recognition comes at an important stage in NanoTech Innovation Inc.’s growth, as the company continues to advance its corrosion technology from scientific development toward broader commercial adoption.
Competing Across B.C.’s Technology Sector
The New Ventures BC Competition is now in its 26th year and brings together early-stage technology companies from across British Columbia. Rather than judging technology alone, the competition evaluates the broader business behind it, including market opportunity, business model, competitive position, financial planning and potential for growth.
The competition is presented by Innovate BC, a Crown agency of British Columbia that supports the development, commercialization and adoption of innovation in the province. In 2026, companies competed for more than $250,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.
For NanoTech Innovation Inc., taking part meant putting not only its technology, but also its market strategy, commercial model and plans for growth through several rounds of independent evaluation.
From the First Rounds to the Final
The competition unfolded over several months, with each stage examining the business in greater detail.
NanoTech Innovation Inc. progressed through the initial business and feasibility assessments before entering Round 2.5, where selected companies competed for a place in the Top 25.
The next stage required a more detailed venture plan covering the company’s market, business model, competition, financials and growth strategy. By August, NanoTech Innovation Inc. had advanced again and was named one of the Top 10 finalists.
Following the final business presentation and evaluation, NanoTech Innovation Inc. received the Innovate BC Second Place Prize Package.
Recognized as the Top Science-Based Company
NanoTech Innovation Inc. also received the Top Science-Based Company award, presented by SFU VentureLabs. The award recognizes the most promising science-based startup among the competition’s leading cleantech, healthtech and deeptech companies.
SFU VentureLabs is a Vancouver-based accelerator focused on science and technology companies, particularly ventures built around complex technologies and intellectual property.
That focus closely matches NanoTech Innovation Inc.’s own development. The company’s R&D began in 2019, followed by its incorporation in British Columbia in 2021 and the continued development of its corrosion technology.
At its core is a nano-enabled, plant-based coating technology. Nano-sized reactive components penetrate the porous structure of rust and interact with iron oxides, helping transform the corrosion layer into a more stable structure while forming a protective barrier over the surface. The approach is designed to reduce the extensive surface preparation traditionally associated with corrosion restoration.
Building the Business Around the Technology
By the time NanoTech Innovation Inc. entered the 2026 competition, the company had already moved beyond the research stage. Its technology had undergone laboratory and field validation, while commercialization and market development were already underway.
NanoTech Innovation Inc.’s technology is designed for a wide range of applications, including buildings, civic infrastructure, oil and gas, utilities, marine, mining and consumer projects, where corrosion affects metal structures, equipment and other assets.
The New Ventures BC process examined the next part of that development: whether the technology was supported by a credible market opportunity, a viable business model and a strategy for growth.
The two recognitions reflect different aspects of the same progress: NanoTech Innovation Inc.’s development as a technology business and the scientific foundation behind its products.
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