Sean Simmons didn't claim the cash.
Even so, the local entrepreneur wasn't disappointed he finished outside of the top three in a recent New Ventures B.C. contest. First place would have netted him $30,000, second place would have made him $20,000 richer and third place would have resulted in a $10,000 reward.
"Unfortunately, the competition was better than me but it was a worthwhile endeavour," said Simmons, president and founder of Map Jungle, an Internet-based business that helps users find, organize and share maps and geographic information. "I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to get exposure to people with experience in technology companies and venture capital firms."
The contest winners were Ashley and Robert Roulston, siblings from Victoria who developed a waste recycling technology that filters fish waste and then combines it with fertilizer to produce fish food. The company is called Reef Safe Fish.
Second place went to SideStix Ventures Inc., of Roberts Creek. Sarah Doherty and her SideStix team developed an ergonomic, shock-absorbing forearm crutch that reduces joint compression and secondary injuries that can result from the use of regular crutches.
MemoryLeaf Media Inc., from Kamloops, took third spot. MemoryLeaf, created by Jonathan Bowers, runs an online memorial service that allows users to create a lasting legacy for their loved ones through photos, videos and stories.
Simmons, 41, is now starting market trials with Map Jungle.
"Tourism Prince George has got Map Jungle up and running on their website and we're actually going to be running it with The Citizen later this year as well, with a fishing map series," he said.
Map Jungle, which can be found at www.MapJungle.com, can handle global positioning system data and geographic information system files.
