Canada’s global competitiveness threatened by lack of adequate financing of cleantech innovations

New study identifies gaps in financing chain for Canada’s cleantech sector 

Ottawa, Ontario – December 6, 2016 – Cycle Capital Management, and Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), in collaboration with Écotech Québec, released today a study on the financing chain of Canadian cleantech sector. The study was directed by Gilles Duruflé, a renowned consultant in the venture capital sector, in collaboration with Louis Carbonneau, Founder and CEO of Tangible IP and recognized expert in intellectual property.

Titled, Forging a Cleaner and More Innovative Economy in Canada, the study examined the current challenges of the financing chain to foster innovation in Canada’s cleantech sector. In an in-depth analysis of the sector’s access to domestic venture capital, venture debt and grants, the study points to a number of areas for urgent improvement where Canada lags other global leaders.

“Many discussions are ongoing to define Canada’s action plan for climate change and, developing a strong Canadian cleantech sector is definitely part of the solution. Considering our expertise, we wanted to provide as much data and facts as possible to better understand how to shift to a greener economy by building competitive cleantech companies with a significant Canadian ownership. Partnering with Sustainable Development Technology Canada was both strategic and natural for us considering its important contribution to the Canadian cleantech sector”, explained Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital Management.

Said president and CEO of Sustainable Development Technology Canada, Leah Lawrence, “There is intense global competition in the cleantech arena, as nations strive to capitalize on the environmental, economic and social benefits derived from cleantech innovation. Given the significant investment in this area, we wanted to find out where Canadian cleantech may have an advantage. Working together with Cycle Capital, we commissioned a study that, amongst other things, examined the number of publications and patents held by Canadians in key segments of the clean technology sector.”

The study benchmarked Canadian cleantech against the US cleantech sector and identified strengths and weaknesses in relative economic terms. Whereas Canada was shown as leading when it comes to research, in particular cleantech research undertaken by academic institutions, Canada failed to compete in commercializing that research into market-ready technologies, as measured by the number of filed cleantech patents.

Moreover, the study shows that Canada has lagged behind the United States on a per capita basis in both venture capital and debt financing, both critical components in helping companies innovate, scale up their operations and commercialize their technologies.

The study was completed in the hopes that now, with areas of weakness identified in the financing chain, Canada’s industry, government and investment sectors will be better able to work together and take action to make the Canadian cleantech sector competitive on a global scale.

To access the full study please visit: http://bit.ly/2g5DZfj or http://bit.ly/2h24eHR.

About 

Cycle Capital Management 
A pioneer among Canadian venture capital funds focused on the clean-tech sector, Cycle Capital invests in companies developing and commercializing clean technologies and striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing resource use, and improving process efficiency throughout a product’s life cycle.
With assets under management of $230 million, Cycle Capital, invests in Quebec and North America. Cycle Capital, based in Montreal with an office in Toronto and presence in New York and Seattle, regroups seasoned investment professionals, strategic advisors and industrial partners with in-depth knowledge of the sector. Cycle Capital has a special relationship with its strategic partners, notably Brookfield Renewable Energy, Rio Tinto, Cascades, Group M3, Lonza, Gaz Métro, Systemex Énergies, Aluminerie Alouette, and Hydro-Québec. For more information on Cycle Capital visit: cyclecapital.com.

SDTC 
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) acts as a primary catalyst in building a sustainable development technology industry in Canada, funding and supporting Canadian clean tech projects across a number of sectors. SDTC invests in Canadian companies that through their innovative technologies bring positive contributions to Canada: creating quality jobs, driving economic growth, and preserving our environment. SDTC is a foundation funded by the Government of Canada.