The year has barely risen, but Techvibes has already named AppSocial’s CEO as one of the 10 Digital Media People to Watch in BC in 2010.  The article credits AppSocial and Ian Bell for their 1st Runner-Up award at the November 2009 DigiBC Fusion Forum, where 20 selected companies presented for investors from around the globe and contestants ranked by those investors.

Bell finds himself among a list of notable global technology leaders including Flickr co-founder and visionary Stewart Butterfield, the CEO of leading eCommerce platform developer Elastic Path Harry Chemko, Wesley Clover investor Owen Matthews, and Hootsuite creator Ryan Holmes.

“Building a startup is a humbling experience,” said Ian Bell “however it’s with great pride that the whole crew at AppSocial can receive this commendation of our team’s leadership even as we are still building what we know is going to become a very exciting and disruptive service.”

AppSocial is presently preparing to launch Tingle, in late January or early February.

Ian has promised that this recognition will not result in his wearing suits more often.

As we noted last week in our blog, AppSocial was among 20 companies selected to pitch the investors and media attending Vancouver’s Fusion Forum on November 12, 2009.  Fortunately, the company and our CEO Ian Andrew Bell made the grade and were among the 10 finalists chosen by those investors for follow-on meetings and discussions.

AppSocial was also chosen as first runner-up for “Best In Show” by the investors attending the Fusion Forum, the second time in three years that Bell has garnered this award (previously, this was for Something Simpler Systems).  Those winners were announced the evening of November 12.

Fusion Forum 2009 Winners' Circle

“It’s an honour to be chosen among such a great group of companies, people and ideas,” said AppSocial CEO Ian Andrew Bell.  “The stiff competition this year bodes well not only for investors but also for the health of the Canadian new media scene.”

The Fusion Forum is an annual investor conference held in Vancouver which invites a selection of qualifying Canadian new media and technology ventures to present their plans to an audience of global investors pursuant to financing.  Organized by New Media BC, and supported by the Canadian National Research Council, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the Fusion Forum has an 11-year history of presenting the nation’s best and brightest early stage ventures to the investment audience.

AppSocial has been selected to pitch at the Fusion Forum in Vancouver, Canada on November 12th & 13th.  AppSocial was one of twenty companies selected to showcase for investors from among dozens of applicants in the British Columbia region.  The Forum has invited Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors from across the region and in the US to meet the presenting companies.  From among the 20 presenters, 10 will be invited to private sessions with investors on the 13th of November.

This represents a great step forward and we’re excited to share some (though not all) of our plans with the crowd.