In a world grappling with urgent climate challenges, innovative solutions are crucial. To accelerate the path towards a sustainable future, deployment and adoption of more climate tech solutions is key. That’s where Earth Tech: 2050 comes in. As a first-of-its-kind program by Foresight Canada and Social Innovation Canada, Earth Tech: 2050 stands as a beacon for climate-tech startups with the capacity to reduce or remove half a gigatonne of CO2e by 2050. During this free, nine-month program, 11 ventures work alongside our expert advisory network to receive advice and tools tailored to their specific needs to scale up their venture, including:
- One-on-one advisor support
- Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Analyses
- Go-to-market strategy
- Non-dilutive funding support
- Fundraising support
- Customized workshops
- Connections to industry leaders and investors
As we congratulate the graduates of Earth Tech: 2050’s 2023/24 cohort, here’s a look back on the unparalleled support provided by the program, empowering them to tackle earth’s most pressing climate issues head-on:
1:1 Advisor Support
With expertise across all aspects of the startup journey, our advisors excelled in helping ventures address challenges that were unique to their work and set attainable goals to succeed in their mission.
All Earth Tech: 2050 ventures were paired with a lead Foresight EIR to receive one-on-one advisory support across multiple stages of the venture experience. Lead EIRs Claire Dixon, Helen Platis, Rick Findlay, Michael Dennis, and Marilyn Spink provided pivotal support to ventures in identifying the objectives they would need to achieve to scale up and reach their goal of reducing or removing 0.5 gigatonnes of CO2e by 2050.
Techno- Economic Analyses
Earth Tech: 2050 fostered strong collaboration between ventures, resulting in innovation and more impactful outcomes.
Terrafixing, Exterra Carbon Solutions, and Cycle Carbone received a comprehensive understanding of the economic viability of their solution through an integrated Techno-economic Analysis (TEA) conducted by Foresight EIR Sebastian Alamillo and mentor Morgan Lehtinen, both from RXNHUB. From these analyses, the ventures were able to showcase how their technologies, when combined together, create the full solution, from energy input to carbon capture and sequestration.
EarthTech: 2050 enabled us to commission Sebastian Alamillo from RXNHUB to perform a techno-economic assessment encompassing energy generation, our DAC technology, and durable [carbon] storage
Vida Gabriel COO, Terrafixing
Life-Cycle Analyses
Comprehensive evaluations conducted with EIR support helped ventures to highlight both the environmental and economic impacts of their innovative solutions.
Foresight EIR Adetoyese Oyedun worked closely with GreenLIB to develop a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model that integrated into their TEA for their material upcycling process. From this work, GreenLIB confirmed that their solution could reduce up to 19.9 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of battery waste compared to traditional recycling processes, and reduce operational and capital expenditures by over 50 per cent. This model, focusing on recovering valuable materials including lithium and graphite from spent batteries, provided invaluable support in discussions with potential investors.
Combining TEA and LCA results offered a complete view of our advantages, deepening engagements and drawing attention from sectors invested in sustainable development
Fred Rostami CEO, GreenLIB
Go-to-Market Strategy
EIRs with expertise in market discovery provided valuable strategy recommendations for ventures looking to better understand their buyers.
With direction from Foresight EIR Jamie Moran from Cleanramp, Carbon Lock Tech and Circulus Agtech were able to narrow down their market focus and tailor their commercialization efforts to their customers. Carbon Lock Tech developed a go-to-market plan that involved prioritizing potential markets and conducting in-depth customer discovery interviews. Similarly, Circulus Agtech applied these methods to identify customer signals and build a framework for discovery interviews.
We are now ready to speak with hundreds of prospective new partners and clients. Over time, this framework will allow us to prioritize which markets to focus on in the short term, what longer-term opportunities exist, and what areas we can focus away from.
Matt Schaubroek VP of Commercialization, Carbon Lock Tech
Non-Dilutive Funding Support
With EIR support, ventures gained access to non-dilutive funding, alleviating financial constraints and enabling startups to focus on innovation and growth.
Foresight EIR Jeff Graham provided crucial grant writing support to Kinitics Automation, adapting their existing Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) project and securing an Alberta Innovates Methane Reduction application. Additionally, Jeff performed Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) editing for Circulus Agtech, significantly contributing to their funding success.
We were introduced to Jeff Graham in 2024 through Foresight’s Earth Tech: 2050 program. I was immediately impressed with Jeff’s deep understanding of how to navigate the non-dilutive funding landscape in Canada. Combined with his seemingly innate ability to turn limited information into comprehensive proposals he is a force when it comes to putting together winning applications. Dean Pick, CEO of Kinitics Automation
Dean Pick CEO, Kinitics Automation
Fundraising Support
Ventures developed effective fundraising strategies, refining their pitches and optimizing their data rooms to attract investments, with invaluable guidance from Foresight EIR Michael Dennis.
Through Foresight's Access to Capital program, over 50 introductions were made between investors and Earth Tech: 2050 ventures. These introductions paved the way for meaningful dialogues and potential investment opportunities, accelerating the ventures' journey towards scaling their impactful solutions. Many ventures proceeded into due diligence with matched investors, with final investments underway.
As part of our Series A round, Foresight introduced us to over two dozen new investors that we had not been able to reach before. We pitched to several and we expect at least one impact fund will participate. Foresight gained us international exposure, including to a European investor we are touring in a few weeks
Rob Napoli CFO, Cascadia Seaweed
Customized Workshops
Earth Tech: 2050 offered tailored workshops to meet program participants' specific objectives.
Workshops covered IP strategy, carbon offset strategies, investor insights, pitch refinement, capital allocation, terms negotiation, partnership strategies, and financing innovative First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) projects. Each session provided actionable insights and networking opportunities crucial for ventures to scale their impact in the climate-tech landscape.
Industry Leader and Investor Connections
Throughout the program, ventures received strategic connections to EIRs at Foresight based on their mapped-out objectives and key results.
The program will culminate in a Demo Day event with over 100 attendees from industries with some of the highest levels of carbon emissions in Canada. Attendees will hear ventures pitch how their technologies can help reduce or eliminate CO2e emissions within their sectors.
Through Earth Tech: 2050, we were able to finalize our credit purchase contracts through Fasken, which will allow us to sell CDR credits directly from our website
Vida Gabriel, COO, Terrafixing
Catalyzing Change Towards a Sustainable Future
As Earth Tech: 2050 ventures prepare for Demo Day, they stand poised to showcase their solutions to industry representatives and cleantech investors. With the unwavering support of the program, these ventures have made significant strides in addressing global climate challenges and driving meaningful change. Earth Tech: 2050 exemplifies the transformative power of collaboration and innovation in building a sustainable and prosperous future.
Are you a climate-tech startup with the capacity to reduce or remove 0.5 gigatonnes of CO2e by 2050?
This program is truly committed to assist ventures to succeed. Can't ask for a better copilot in our entrepreneurship journey
Oscar Malpica CEO, Rockburst Technologies
