Founder of major Edmonton biotech wins top Innovation Award for 2017 from Country’s top Chinese Business Association at splashy Toronto Gala.
TORONTO, ON. (TSX-V-BGA) One of Toronto’s major hotel ballrooms was transposed into an Oscar-style venue over the weekend to celebrate the nation’s leading Chinese entrepreneurs including Edmonton biotech founder, Dr. Jianhua Zhu.
A thousand guests decked out in tuxedos and evening gowns listened to Federal and Ontario cabinet ministers praise Dr. Zhu and his eight fellow winners for their business achievements.This was the 21st year the awards were presented by the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs.
Dr. Zhu, founder,CEO & president of BioNeutra Global Corporation, was the recipient of the “2017 Most Innovative Entrepreneur” award at the festive event. Dr. Zhu, an author who’s taught at universities in three countries and was a university dean, started BioNeutra in 2003, five years after coming to Canada. BioNeutra is one of Canada’s latest business and science success stories posting revenue of $55 million in the past three and a half years. BioNeutra is a B2B manufacturer of VitaFiber™IMO – a low calorie, natural sweetener which is also a prebiotic and dietary fibre. It’s used in protein/health bars, beverages and confectionaries.
Dr. Zhu and his Company are recipients of a number of science and business awards including BioAlberta’s “2014 Company of the Year” award and the 2015 Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” prairie regional award for agricultural and environmental innovation. In 2016, the Globe and Mail Report on Business magazine selected the company for its ranking of 1,000 publicly traded companies and listed it at number 401. Dr. Zhu is also a 2017 nominee for Canada’s top innovation award for the “Ernest C. Manning Award for Innovation” which carries a top prize of $100,000.
In his acceptance speech Dr. Zhu credited the financial support from many government programs with helping the biotech get started. Back in Edmonton he said, “Some innovators never get the support I got. Some struggle, run out of cash and fail. I’m one of the lucky ones. Lucky to have a great management team and supportive investors. I’m truly grateful for all the help I’ve received and I’m particularly pleased by the focus on innovation in last week’s federal budget. I love Canada.”