Three Greater Victoria businesses looking to expand their markets got a boost with a combined $3.25 million in federal funding on Wednesday (July 20).

Harjit Sajjan, minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan) was in Langford to announce the funding for DeeBeeB次元官网网址檚 Organics ($1.4 million), Codename Entertainment ($1.35 million) and Peloton Technologies ($500,000).

The money comes from PacifiCan B次元官网网址� a new government agency started last year focusing on boosting economic development in B.C. B次元官网网址� and its Business Scale-up and Productivity program, which is aimed at boosting new companies to help them expand and reach international markets.

B次元官网网址淓ven when you have some really good products, itB次元官网网址檚 not easy to get it up onto the market,B次元官网网址� Sajjan said.

DeeBeeB次元官网网址檚 is an organics food company that makes freezies with natural fruit flavouring. Sajjan remembered giving themt to his own kids years ago when the business was getting started.

B次元官网网址淚 remember the kids were having freezies B次元官网网址� my wife wasnB次元官网网址檛 there B次元官网网址� and they were saying, B次元官网网址楳om, let us have these. And I said, B次元官网网址楾hereB次元官网网址檚 no way your mom lets you eat sugar.B次元官网网址� And my wife told me, B次元官网网址楴o, these are real fruitB次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� So thank you for that.B次元官网网址�

The company is set to use the funding to develop three new products and market their existing lines internationally, with 20 new jobs and tens of millions in revenue growth.

B次元官网网址淭he beginning was really hard. I shed a lot of tears,B次元官网网址� recalled Dionne Laslo-Baker, DeeBeeB次元官网网址檚 founder/CEO.

B次元官网网址淚t was really scary, because you put everything in and I remember the day that we were in a store in Victoria and I couldnB次元官网网址檛 afford the groceries and my kids had to help. Because it was that tough, and everything was in and itB次元官网网址檚 exciting to be at a place where this year weB次元官网网址檒l have made about 100 million tubes of freezies.B次元官网网址�

Codename, the Victoria-based video game studio, is set to use the funding to translate its game B次元官网网址淚dle Champions of the Forgotten RealmsB次元官网网址� into 10 more languages. The company expects to increase its workforce by 25 per cent and hopes to generate millions of dollars in additional sales.

Peloton Technologies has developed a cloud-based payment platform that allows their customers to consolidate all banking and payment activity into a single portal. The federal funding will go towards garnering new customers, with the company expecting to create 12 new jobs and millions in revenue as a result.

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bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com
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