Climate Tech Canada - Issue #3
Week of December 21, 2021
Hi there,
Welcome to issue #3 of Climate Tech Canada! I’m Justin, and every two weeks I share a round-up of what’s happening in Canadian climate tech.
This is the final issue before the end of the year, and I’ll be picking things back up again later in January. I wanted to say a huge thank you for subscribing and making space for this in your inbox. If you have any thoughts on what you’d like to see more of in the future, you can share it here or hit me up on Twitter @reistjustin
In this issue:
Funding & acquisitions
In the news
Growth & announcements from the industry
Here & there
How we can do more in 2022
Funding & Acquisitions
Damon Motors (Vancouver, BC) raised $37.9M in Series B funding to drive production of its electric motorcycles with integrated AI technology. Damon Motors is scheduled to start delivering its HyperSport motorcycles in 2022.
eLeapPower (Toronto, ON) raised a $21M Series A round to fuel commercialization efforts. The company’s powertrain solution aims to solve some of the biggest pain points for EVs, including range, vehicle and infrastructure cost, and charging speed.
Sentry (Charlottetown, PEI) received a $1.9M grant from Sustainable Development Technologies Canada. Sentry’s technology enables utilities to analyze their wastewater in real-time, and will use the funding to develop automation for utility processes, including those involved in the generation of biogas.
Ukko Agro (Toronto, ON) raised $5.1M in seed financing. Ukko Agro offers a predictive analytics platform for the agriculture sector, informing decision-making around watering, applying nutrients, pest and disease control, and more.
Vivid Machines (Toronto, ON) raised $1.4M in seed funding as part of Entrepreneur First Toronto’s first cohort. Vivid is using computer visioning technology to help fruit producers manage production and prevent food waste.
In The News
The federal government is topping up the iZEV rebate program with an additional $73M, and may be expanding the program to admit more vehicle types such as SUVs and pickup trucks, citing consumer preferences
The US is proposing tax rebates up to $12,500 for EVs assembled domestically. The National Observer covers why this is a significant risk for Canadian auto-sector and may violate free trade agreements
Ontario is courting LG to build a $2B battery manufacturing facility in the province
GM is exploring a North American cathode manufacturing plant with Canada as a contender. The plant would close an important gap in the EV battery supply chain in North America
Halton Hills is the first Canadian town to pledge net-zero by 2030. Toronto just announced a similar pledge to hit net-zero by 2040
Making Moves
Electric Circuit and ChargePoint struck a deal that allows their customers to use either network without separate accounts. Electric Circuit has also integrated with the Mercedes me Charge network. In more good news for drivers and EV adoption, Hydro One’s Ivy charging network announced plans to install fast chargers at 69 ONroute locations. Nice.
Automobility Enterprises is opening a micro-manufacturing hub in Windsor, focused on last-mile and other niche EV markets.
Mississauga-based Li-Cycle announced a partnership with EV manufacturer Arrival (UK). The partnership aims to make Arrival’s batteries easier to recycle, and increase the amount of recycled materials used in their products.
eleven-x, a smart-city solutions provider based in Waterloo, is extending its partnership with SaskTel. eleven-x’s products include air quality monitoring, water management, parking, and more.
CarbonCure announced a few amazing milestones, including 500 units sold, 2M truckloads delivered, and 91% YoY increase in production!
Here & There
Stacy Kauk, Shopify’s Sustainability Fund Director, talks carbon removal investing on the Techstars Climate Tech podcast
“The companies making stuff from CO2”, featuring Calgary’s Expedition Air and Halifax’s CarbonCure
Globe & Mail profile on Carbicrete’s solution to concrete’s carbon footprint
Montreal-based Bo spun up during the pandemic to tackle takeout packaging waste
“The fees the restaurants pay are way more competitive than what they would pay for plastic disposable boxes, which are in the 30-cent to $1 range per piece, whereas ours are in the 24-cent range” - Bo founder Mishel Wong
Doing More in 2022
If there’s one thing that has become clear to me in putting this newsletter together, it’s that there are many more ways to contribute to solving the climate crisis than I thought.
Whether you’re looking for a new role working directly on climate tech, or want to help make change where you are, here are some resources to get you started in the new year:
WorkForClimate, a step-by-step guide for taking climate action at work
Make change at work with a “climate squad”
Find your next role on the Climate Tech VC job board
Level up your skills with Terra.do’s 12 week climate education and action program
No matter what you’re looking for, there’s something for you in this excellent thread by @MeskanenP
Up your angel investing game with Climate Raise, bringing together the best women-led climate-tech companies
Fun Stuff
Follow @piqueaction for mini-documentaries highlighting climate solutions. Billing itself as “the opposite of doomscrolling”, this is the video that made me a fan.
Check out the autumn issue of Branch magazine. It offers an interesting blend of tech perspectives, activist thought, and some of the weirdness of the early web. It also loads ridiculously fast due to the Sustainable Interaction Design Principles it was built on.
Until next time,
Justin