March 17, 2021 — Four Albertan cleantech companies received over $450,000 in investment at the first Alberta Cleantech Investment Summit last Thursday.
Winning venture ZS2 Technologies received top marks from the 28 participating investors, with an investment of $195,000. Its mission is to research and accelerate the development and adoption of construction technologies that are stronger, safer, and healthier for people and our planet.
“Being surrounded by so many amazing cleantech companies was a fantastic experience. It made me appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit that is ingrained in Alberta and how we as a province continue to innovate and pioneer solutions with global implications,’’ said Doug Brown, CTO of ZS2 Technologies. “This capital will help us launch our company into the next phase of our growth.”
The cross-sector Energy Futures Lab awarded $25,000 of non-dilutive funding to SeeO2 Energy, which converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into marketable and clean value-added fuels and chemicals using reversible fuel-cell technology.
Additional investment syndicates are being struck for EZ OPS, a SaaS-based operations platform for upstream oil and gas producers, and Winecrush, a food company that transforms vineyard waste streams into nutritional food additives.
In total, over $450,000 was raised for the four cleantech companies.
A high-energy event with over 150 participants, the Summit concluded a process that engaged 28 investors and nearly 40 entrepreneurs. Over a six-week period, the investors heard pitches from the province’s top emerging cleantech companies and conducted due diligence while learning about investing from experienced angel groups and some of Canada’s leading cleantech venture capitalists. Five finalists pitched at the Summit.
“Having the opportunity to invest in a startup company is an exciting and thrilling opportunity as it is… but this group just takes that fun and excitement to a whole new level!” said Joe Snape, a member of the investment team.
“When we conceived this idea a year ago, we hoped we could get at least 20 investors to collectively invest $100,000 into one company. To see four companies raise $450,000 speaks volumes to the quality of the Alberta cleantech deal flow,” said Zack Storms, Founder of Startup TNT and one of the lead organizers of the event.
“Cleantech is one of the hottest sectors in the economy,” said Jason Switzer of ACTia. “It plays to Alberta’s strengths in industrial innovation, agriculture and energy. With this event and growing community of investors, we are helping Albertans support companies with global potential”.
“Thank you to Energy Futures Lab for the award. These funds will support us to advance our business of recycling carbon dioxide into valuable fuels and chemicals,” said Paul Addo, CEO of SeeO2 Energy.
