VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 30, 2026 /CNW/ — BC Tech is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Technology Impact Awards (TIAs), celebrating the outstanding companies and individuals who have made a significant impact on the BC tech industry.

The sold-out Annual TIAs gala brought together over 800 founders, executives, investors and ecosystem partners at Parq Vancouver. The event honoured 11 award winners and welcomed two new Innovators Hall of Fame inductees.

“Technology is a major driver of British Columbia’s economy, supporting 271,000 jobs and contributing $30.7 billion to provincial GDP,” said Jill Tipping, CEO and President of BC Tech. “Tonight’s winners and finalists showcase the strength of our sector, from startups just starting out to globally competitive anchor companies, and across areas where B.C. has real strengths, from AI to HealthTech. At a time when growing our economy has never mattered more, their success matters to all of BC.”

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Gamechanger – AI Award, recognizing BC companies leading the way in developing and deploying artificial intelligence. Presented by KPMG, the award recognized Variational AI for the company’s innovation and leadership in AI.

“AI is reshaping the global economy and BC has a tremendous opportunity to be at the forefront,” said Walter Pela, BC Regional Managing Partner and National AI Market Development Leader for KPMG in Canada. “The companies recognized through the TIAs this year are turning that opportunity into real impact, showing how BC innovation can drive productivity and help businesses compete globally.”

The highly anticipated Gamechanger – Deal of the Year Award, was presented by Vancity, honoured four finalists representing nearly $1 billion in investment – a powerful signal that B.C. companies and technologies are attracting global attention, serious capital and competing on the world stage. Kardium was announced as the award winner for their milestone $340 Million CAD financing deal.

“At Vancity, we know that backing bold ideas can create opportunity well beyond the deal itself,” said Wellington Hollbrook, CEO of Vancity “We are proud to celebrate the dealmakers, innovators and entrepreneurs behind some of B.C.’s most exciting growth stories and the ambitious companies they are helping to grow.”

The evening also welcomed Darren Entwistle, President and CEO of TELUS, and Joy Johnson, President and Vice-Chancellor of Simon Fraser University, into the BC Innovators Hall of Fame, recognizing their leadership and lasting contributions to British Columbia’s technology and innovation ecosystem.

The 2026 TIAs sponsors include Amazon, Aspect Biosystems, Bennett Jones, BFL, Blakes, Business in Vancouver, CIBC, Clarity, Clio, EDC, Electronic Arts, Fasken, Google, Hub International, Innovate BC, KPMG, Launchpad, Low Tide Properties, McCarthy Tétrault, MDA Space, National Bank of Canada, Osler, PBC Solutions, Pender Ventures, PwC, SAP, TELUS, Uber, Vancity and WELL Health.

2026 TIAs Winners and Hall of Fame Inductees

Innovators Hall of Fame | Presented by PwC

Darren Entwistle, President and CEO, TELUSJoy Johnson, President and Vice-Chancellor, Simon Fraser University

Gamechanger – AI | Presented by KPMG

Winner: Variational AIFinalists: Clarius, INETCO, SimplyAsk, Unblocked

Gamechanger – HealthTech | Presented by Aspect Biosystems

Winner: IKOMED TechnologiesFinalists: Jane, mlHealth360, PBC Solutions, SimuHealth

Gamechanger – Industry Innovation | Presented by Innovate BC

Winner: Ideon TechnologiesFinalists: Freightera, PressReader, Quandri

Gamechanger – Climate Leadership | Presented by MDA Space

Winner: CO280Finalists: BCAA, Miraterra, Veritree

Gamechanger – Company Culture | Presented by SAP

Winner: Charitable ImpactFinalists: Freightera, Global Relay, Clarity

Company of the Year – Startup | Presented by Electronic Arts

Winner: Lite-1 BioFinalists: Tersa Critical Minerals, Viridis

Company of the Year – Growth | Presented by Osler

Winner: SenseNetFinalists: Industrio, Kobalt.io, Variational AI, Workforce Wellness

Company of the Year – Scale | Presented by Clio

Winner: Novarc TechnologiesFinalists: Minga, Traction Complete, VRIFY

Company of the Year – Ambition | Presented by Bennett Jones

Winner: PhotonicFinalists: Corinex, KITS Eyecare, MyFO

Company of the Year – Anchor | Presented by Blakes

Winner: WELLSTAR TechnologiesFinalists: Absolute Security, Delta-Q Technologies

Gamechanger – Deal of the Year | Presented by Vancity

Winner: KardiumFinalists: pH7, Photonic, WELL Health

About BC Tech

BC Tech is the largest member-led technology non-profit in British Columbia, and we’re dedicated to turning startups and scaleups into the anchor companies of tomorrow. Our work supports members to grow and diversify their talent pool, acquire new customers, access capital and accelerate their scaleup journey. Technology is a key industry for BC’s future and builds resiliency in every industry. Today, every company is a tech company. 

To learn more visit wearebctech.com.

SOURCE BC Tech Association

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MediaGo, the leading global intelligent advertising platform, has won two prestigious honors at the French digital marketing awards Les Cas d’OR, including the Native Acquisition Strategy Award (Stratégie Acquisition native) and the highly coveted De Vinci Executive Education’s MBA MDIA Special Prize (Prix Spécial MBA MDIA). Achieved in collaboration with France’s leading lead generation agency hipto, this dual recognition underscores MediaGo’s technical strength and its ability to transform native acquisition into a highly effective sales engine.

As a highly authoritative award in the French digital marketing industry, Les Cas d’OR focuses on technological innovation, business growth, and real commercial value. The Native Acquisition Strategy Award was evaluated by a highly professional panel of industry leaders, including top executives from major insurance companies, leading automakers, and premier 4A advertising agencies. Furthermore, the “MBA MDIA Special Prize,” judged by a parallel jury of industry experts and digital marketing master’s students, recognized the joint case for its solid operational logic and its ability to combine platform mechanics with high-quality signals to drive real commercial change and conversions.

As advertisers increasingly rely on native advertising for growth, they still face common challenges: overcoming cold-start hurdles, ensuring creative compliance, and bridging the gap between upper-funnel lead volume and backend business outcomes. To address these pain points, MediaGo has developed a comprehensive, deep-learning-powered product matrix to maximize campaign performance and drive sustainable growth for global advertisers. This includes advanced capabilities like AD Learning, which transfers historical intelligence across campaigns to shorten the cold start, and Approval Copilot, an AI-powered creative assistant that provides real-time monitoring for smooth, fully compliant ad delivery.

Building on SmartBid 3.0—its core intelligent bidding product, MediaGo introduced SmartBid LoopMax this year, a deep-learning powered solution focused on deep-conversion optimization. By combining upper-funnel and deep-funnel conversion signals, LoopMax helps advertisers look beyond lead volume and optimize toward higher-value conversions that better reflect real business outcomes.

“We are thrilled to work alongside hipto to be recognized once again by Les Cas d’OR,” said Leo Ye, Head of Partnerships at MediaGo. “In today’s market, chasing upper-funnel lead volume is no longer enough. Our focus is to continuously advance our deep learning technology to help advertisers maximize ROI, bridging the lead quality gap to provide solutions that truly drive deep conversions and sustainable business growth.”

MediaGo will continue to advance its deep learning-driven advertising technology, evolving its solutions in step with advertisers’ needs to drive scalable, sustainable, and meaningful business outcomes.

About MediaGo

MediaGo is an intelligent advertising platform. Based on deep learning algorithms, MediaGo empowers businesses of all scales, creating tangible value for companies. With 12 operational centers worldwide, MediaGo has successfully provided localized and comprehensive business growth services to over 10,000 partners.

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CAIRO, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (HKG: 0386, “Sinopec” or “the Company”) hosted the final round and awards ceremony of the “In Search of China-Egypt Youth Cultural Ambassadors” competition in Cairo on Oct. 26, recognizing 30 students from Egyptian universities as “China-Egypt Youth Cultural Ambassadors.”

Held under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, the event was included in the program of activities for the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.

Since its launch in July, the competition has received nearly 100 original short-video entries from 12 Egyptian universities, documenting China-Egypt friendship and showcasing young people’s understanding of and enthusiasm for each other’s cultures.

Of the 30 honorees selected through preliminary and semifinal rounds, 16 contestants from six universities advanced to the final. During the final round, contestants competed in three quiz rounds: compulsory questions, buzzer questions and risk-taking questions. Five first-prize winners were selected and will be invited to visit Shanghai and Ningbo in China for a cultural experience program.

Seifeldien Leisy, a third-year student at Cairo University, was among the first-prize winners. He said that learning each other’s languages and cultures helps young people from Egypt and China deepen mutual understanding, learn from one another and make progress together. He expressed hope that he would have the opportunity to study and work in China in the future, gain a deeper understanding of the country and promote friendship through language exchanges.

Lu Chunsheng, minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, said the competition provided a valuable platform for youth exchanges as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

He encouraged the selected students to share stories of China-Egypt cooperation and promote friendship among their peers, adding that the embassy would continue to provide opportunities for young people from both countries to connect.

Rehab Mahmoud, Egyptian director of the Confucius Institute of Cairo University, said the Chinese language is becoming an important bridge connecting the peoples of the two countries, with an increasing number of young Egyptians learning Chinese and gaining a better understanding of China. She expressed confidence that the ambassadors would help extend these cultural connections to more young people.

Alongside the competition, a China-Egypt cultural fair and a Chinese-themed photo area offered guests and audience members opportunities to explore both cultures through quizzes and other interactive activities.

Wei Dong, chief representative of Sinopec’s Africa Office, said Sinopec would continue to fulfill its brand promise of “Cleaner Energy, Better Life” and work closely with various sectors of Egyptian society to create more opportunities for youth exchanges and help advance the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership.

SOURCE SINOPEC