From start-up to scale-up: SDTC invests in made-in Canada sustainable solutions

Ottawa, Ontario—Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is proud to announce an investment of $68.2 million toward 17 innovative Canadian companies.

Today’s announcement was made by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne. Many of the 17 companies announced today are returning applicants, having successfully completed one or more projects with SDTC and are taking their businesses to the next level.

SDTC is the largest funder of sustainable small and medium-sized businesses in Canada. Our team supports companies from seed to success, providing the resources they need to grow.

The Minister announced SDTC funding for the following 17 companies:

• Nano One Materials Corp., a technology company based in Burnaby, BC, has created a patented and scalable industrial process to produce low-cost and high-performance cathode powders used in lithium-ion batteries. This growing technology company will receive $10M in funding.
• Hortau Inc., founded in Lévis, QC, provides farmers with real-time field and soil data to help them decide on irrigation and fertilizer applications. Soil tension probes report back to a mobile web app for improved monitoring. They will receive $6.8M in funding to further their work.
• Headquartered in Montréal, BrainBox AI are innovators of the global energy transition, and their game-changing HVAC technology leverages AI to make buildings smarter and greener. SDTC is offering $6.5M in funding to this organization.
• Founded in 2008, Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc., of Mississauga, Ontario, has developed a new type of electrolyzer used in the production of green hydrogen and will receive $5M in funding.
• Toronto, Ontario-based 3E Nano Inc. develops nano-thin energy and solar control film coatings for various window types with plans to reduce greenhouse gases by 1 gigatonne per year by 2050. Founded in 2015, the company will receive $5M in funding.
• Hungry? New School Foods is a Canadian-based company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, working to develop plant-based alternatives to whole cuts of meats to reduce the harmful impacts of overfishing. They will receive $5M in funding to scale their process.
• Quebec’s eNim (Seneca Exports) has innovated a hydrometallurgical process that recovers 95% of precious and strategic metals from low-to-medium grade printed circuit boards with 50% fewer GHG emissions. A leader in innovation, they will receive $3M in funding.
• Female-led, Calgary-owned, sustainable agriculture company Synergraze Inc. has partnered with the T-Sou-ke First Nation to pilot a seaweed-derived livestock feed additive production at their Sooke, BC facility. This agrifeed supplement can reduce livestock methane emissions from cattle digestion. They have been awarded $1.3M in funding.
• Carbonova Corp., another female-led, SDTC returning company, has developed a process that captures CO2 and methane to create a carbon nanofiber to make greener and stronger concrete. This leading Canadian technology company based in Calgary has been awarded $2M in funding.
• Calgary-based ZS2 Technologies created a unique process to make low-carbon magnesium cement and will receive $2.6M in funding to further their work.
• Arolytics established an emission management software for oil and gas companies to search for the best combination of monitoring sensors, thereby reducing compliance costs. SDTC will award this Calgary-based company $0.4M in funding.
• Female-led, Edmonton-owned, Future Fields Cellular Agriculture & Research Ltd. will receive $5M in funding to scale their innovative technology that uses genetically engineered fruit flies to help produce proteins that can be used for a range of applications, including reducing the cost of lab-grown meats.
• Aurora Hydrogen is developing an innovative process that uses microwaves to heat natural gas to produce hydrogen, with no direct CO2 emissions or water use and at a competitive price point. This Edmonton-based company will receive $3.9M in funding.
• Provision Analytics is a Calgary-based company working to reduce food waste throughout the food supply chain through its novel data platform, which monitors food safety and operational data. They have been awarded $2.6M in funding.
• Kingston-based Cyclic Materials will receive $3.6M in funding to scale the development of their proprietary technology, which recovers rare earth elements from magnetic waste, reducing landfill and boosting the domestic supply of these essential elements.
• Visual Defence Inc., located in Richmond Hill, ON has developed an AI-enabled solution that allows cities to monitor road infrastructure and conditions in real time, increasing operational efficiency by 100%. They have been awarded $4M in funding.
• Symbient Environmental of Mississauga eliminates chlorine-containing disinfection by-products in municipal wastewater treatment using a low-cost disinfectant alternative. They have been awarded $1.5M in funding.

From coast to coast to coast, Canadians are executing big ideas that have the power to solve our most pressing environmental problems. SDTC strives to help grow Canada’s sustainable technology ecosystem by helping companies quickly advance their ideas to market and grow to scale sooner.

At SDTC, we know that sustainable technology is a megatrend that will have major impacts on most sectors over the coming years. Our team works to find, fund, and foster innovative ideas by supporting the companies working to bring desperately needed sustainable solutions to the market.

Media Quotes:

“We congratulate all the cleantech entrepreneurs who are turning vision into reality with help from SDTC investments. The Government of Canada stands shoulder to shoulder with these groundbreaking companies as they drive innovation, make their mark as international leaders in clean technology and propel us to a cleaner Canada and a net-zero carbon emissions world.”

—The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Innovation, discovery, and entrepreneurship are thriving in this country. Throughout Canada, highly skilled teams are working tirelessly to mitigate climate change and offer powerful solutions to pressing environmental problems. SDTC is here to support their work and help Canadian companies grow so they can respond to the global demand for sustainable solutions.”

—Leah Lawrence, President & CEO of SDTC

Media Relations

For more information or an interview with one of the companies announced today, contact Sustainable Development Technology Canada at: media@sdtc.ca