SDTC Invest $58.6 Million in 14 Canadian Cleantech Companies

Original article published in Betakit

October 4, 2018 – Jessica Galang

Sustainable Development Technology Canada has announced the 14 Canadian cleantech companies receiving $58.6 million in funding support.

The funding was spread across Canada, including Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

“Our government supports the researchers, entrepreneurs and investors that make Canada a global leader in the growing clean technology market,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “These are the people who are creating the next wave of good, well-paying jobs for Canadians while protecting our clean air, water, and food for generations to come.”

The investments are meant to align with recommendations outlined by industry leaders in the Clean Technology Economic Strategy Tables, which stressed gaps in scale-up funding tailored to the unique challenges of clean technology companies.

“We are proud to have the support of this federal program, and collaborations with industry partners. The next steps include building an integrated pilot production system, engineering the equipment needed to enable VueReal’s proprietary Solid Printing process at commercial volumes, and enhancing the performance of micro-LEDs even further,” said Reza Chaji, CEO and founder of VueReal. VueReal was one of the recipients of the funding, which will go towards a $26 million project to build a fabrication facility. “I’m extremely proud of our world-class multi-disciplinary team. We’ve achieved some important milestones – and the industry has taken notice – but our journey is really just beginning.”

The 14 companies include:

Quebec

• Boréas Technologies ($2 million, Bromont): creating haptic technologies that apply touch sensation and control to interactions with computer applications.
• Carbicrete ($2.1 million, Westmount): tackling greenhouse gas emissions from the concrete industry through a new process that enables production of cement-free, carbon-negative concrete.
• Sanexen Environmental Services ($1 million, Varennes): developing a cost-effective way to rehabilitate water mains, allowing better water conservation while reducing the environmental impact.
• Lithion Recycling ($3.8 million, Anjou): developing a patented process that allows environmentally responsible and economically viable management of lithium-ion batteries.

Ontario

• VueReal ($8.5 million, Waterloo): using micro-LED technology to tackle macro energy use in flat panel displays.
• Giatec Scientific ($2.4 million, Ottawa): using wireless sensors and data to improve the concrete industry by reducing CO2 production and air pollution caused by cement consumption.
• Li-Cycle Corp. ($2.7 million, Mississauga): developing a novel process for the recovery and recycling of valuable materials from all types of lithium-ion batteries.
• Yava Alumina ($9.9 million, Toronto): developing a proprietary, environmentally responsible process for recovering high-purity alumina used in smartphones and LED lighting.
• Ranovus ($8 million, Ottawa): developing power-efficient cloud-based infrastructure to help data centres be more environmentally friendly.

Alberta

• Ambyint ($3.4 million, Calgary): applying machine learning to optimize pump operations for oil and gas wells.

British Columbia

• Consolidated Biofuels ($0.9 million, Delta): demonstrating how a renewable resource—canola seed oil—can be used to replace petrochemicals in the production of urethane, a product used in products like foam cushions and running shoes.
• Clir Renewables ($1.5 million, Richmond): using data and automation to help wind farms optimize power production.
• Terramera ($2.5 million, Vancouver): developing a biopesticide for use in Canadian agricultural markets.
• Semios ($9.9 million, Vancouver): using data and machine learning to improve tree fruit and nut crops, while using less water and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the original article on Betakit