"From Vision to Venture" - Canadian students showcase innovative business ventures at Sauder School-hosted Enterprize 2008

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 27 - Some of the nation's best and brightest undergraduates gathered in Vancouver from February 1 to 3 for the national finals of the business plan competition Enterprize 2008. They competed for a top tier prize of $20,000 in cash and a shot at transforming their business idea into reality. VerifyRx, a federally incorporated company from the University of New Brunswick, took the top prize. The second place winner was Daily Splice, a company from the University of Victoria. Third place was awarded to TechTouch, from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Only 12 of the 90 teams from 27 different post-secondary institutions competing across Canada advanced onto the nationals. The panel of distinguished judges, who are leaders in the fields of venture capital, accountancy and law, among others, chose three winners who now have the chance to begin their journey with a business venture in one hand and prize money in the other to develop and grow their ideas.

"BDC is proud to support a new generation of Canadian entrepreneurs," said Michel Bergeron, BDC's Vice President, Corporate Relations. "In an exciting learning environment, the participating teams presented innovative concepts and developed products and services that prove future Canadian entrepreneurs are ready to capture the opportunities of global markets. We congratulate the competition organizers for providing to hundreds of students all-across Canada an occasion to unleash their creative potential and entrepreneurial spirit."

"At Enterprize, we are really excited to have the opportunity to provide a platform that would connect young students with other entrepreneurs. More importantly, we are proud to be showcasing student innovation," said Charles Voon, Chairperson of Enterprize 2008. The conference portion of Enterprize was also a huge success. Just over 300 delegates from every corner of the country came to participate in interactive workshops, business case panel sessions and other exciting events held at the Sheraton Wall Centre in downtown Vancouver.

About Enterprize

Enterprize, founded and hosted by the Sauder School of Business, is Canada's largest entrepreneurship conference and business plan competition. In its 7th year, Enterprize connects budding student entrepreneurs with industry professionals and is the premiere investor in student innovation. Enterprize 2008 would not have been possible without the support of BDC as its national sponsor, PricewaterhouseCoopers as its industry sponsor, and the enthusiasm of other sponsors who have again shown their commitment to the entrepreneurship community.

About BDC

BDC is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada. BDC actively supports the development and growth of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses through its complementary financial, investment and consulting solutions. BDC is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers.

For further information: Matthew Low, Public Relations Director, Commerce Undergraduate Society, (604) 961-1291, matthew.low@enterprize2008.com; Johanne Bissonnette, Media Relations Manager, BDC, (514) 283-7929, johanne.bissonnette@bdc.ca