In partnership with accelerators across Canada, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) today announced funding for 17 Canadian start-ups that are pushing the boundaries of technology to develop sustainable solutions that will drive our economy forward.

The entrepreneurs receiving funding show the breadth and variety of Canadian businesses developing cleantech solutions. These small businesses are developing technologies to power electric vehicles and to navigate autonomous cars. They are using drones to plant trees and data to improve fish farms. They enable heavy-duty vehicles to run on hydrogen, and they convert carbon dioxide into high-value fuels. They are replacing agrochemicals and inventing active compostable packaging. They are deploying nanotechnology, robotics, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and human ingenuity.

The successful recipients of this round of funding also reflect the diversity of Canada’s population. Through the Seed Fund SDTC is expanding its reach to a broader community of entrepreneurs across Canada in a variety of sectors.

SDTC’s Seed Fund, piloted in 2019, is now expanding with the capacity to support up to 100 start-up companies per year. Successful applicants in the Seed Fund program receive between $50,000 to $100,000 from SDTC, enabling them to unlock even greater funding from their private equity partners.

Central to the success of SDTC’s Seed Fund is its partnership model. SDTC partners with business accelerators and incubators across the country to identify high-potential start-up firms. With specialized knowledge of their regions and target industries, the accelerators nominate companies in their portfolios that meet SDTC funding criteria. Working with accelerators has enabled a tighter connection between SDTC and the innovation ecosystems that are growing across the country and in every sector. Any accelerator in Canada is welcome to apply to SDTC to be a partner in the Seed Fund.

The Seed Fund has enabled SDTC to expand its reach across Canada’s cleantech community, funding innovation from seed to start-up to scale-up. By adding the Seed Fund to support early stage entrepreneurs, SDTC is also strengthening its pipeline of future applicants for a long-term partnerships.

Quotes

“When it comes to clean technology, we back possibilities, big ideas and game-changers. The 17 start-up companies announced today embody these characteristics. As we rebuild our economy from the challenges brought on by COVID-19, clean technology will continue to be an important contributor to Canadian jobs and innovation." — The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

“As Canada and the world struggle with the economic and public health challenges of COVID-19, I am encouraged by the leading-edge innovation we are seeing in applications to the SDTC Seed Fund. Canada can lead the world in finding the solutions that will enable us to build back better. The entrepreneurs we are funding through this program are leading the way.” — Leah Lawrence, President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

July 2020

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