Vancouver-based Dream Photonics has been crowned the winner of the 2026 New Ventures BC Competition, taking home the $110,000 Innovate BC First Place Prize.
The UBC spinout is developing a platform that uses 3D-printed micro-lenses to automate the assembly of advanced microchips. Its technology connects optical components automatically, replacing the slow and costly manual processes that can constrain chip manufacturing.
By transforming a painstaking precision task into a high-speed printing process, Dream Photonics aims to help chipmakers build faster and more affordable hardware as global demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure continues to climb.
The startup led a diverse group of British Columbia ventures that shared more than $250,000 in cash and in-kind prizes through the annual competition.
NanoTech Innovation claimed the $55,000 second-place prize for its non-toxic, plant-based coating designed to protect industrial equipment and infrastructure from rust.
Ontoly finished third, earning $30,000 for carbon accounting software that converts energy savings from commercial buildings into verified carbon credits. The company also received the $10,000 Innovate BC Sustainability Prize.
Other specialty prize winners included Radiant Fluidics, which received the $10,000 Life Sciences Prize, and VEGAIN, recipient of the $10,000 Woman-Led Venture Award. NanoTech Innovation was also named the Top Science-Based Company by SFU VentureLabs.
Presented by Innovate BC, the 2026 New Ventures BC Competition attracted 283 early-stage technology companies from across the province. Participants received guidance to refine their business models, develop their technologies and build connections within B.C.’s startup community.
Over its 26-year history, the competition has supported thousands of startups that have collectively created more than 15,000 jobs and attracted over $3.4 billion in funding to British Columbia.
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Dream Photonics Wins 2026 New Ventures BC Competition was first posted on September 21, 2026 at 8:15 pm.
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