GreenCentre Canada has secured an over $2.5 million investment from the federal government through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to launch a new accelerator program for businesses in the cleantech sector.
With the government’s contribution, which was made through its $224 million Jobs and Growth Fund, GreenCentre will be delivering the Advance-ON program to provide early cleantech companies with a combination of access to specialized laboratory equipment and technical experts.
Founded in 2009, GreenCentre is a not-for-profit organization with facilities in Kingston and Mississauga. It aims to support the growth of sustainable chemical and advanced materials companies by helping to bring their products to market. The agency’s team comprises chemists, commercial experts, and business professionals that work with entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, and researchers.
Through the Advance-ON program, GreenCentre is expected to support 30 small- and medium-sized businesses, as well as support 650 jobs — 350 during the project period and an additional 300 within two years of the project completion. According to the centre, it plans to leverage almost $400,000 in private sector investments for the accelerator.
GreenCentre will support entrepreneurs developing technologies in areas including energy and fuels, resource recovery, water treatment, anc consumer products from renewable resources.
According to GreenCentre, this program aims to drive cleantech innovations to market faster, unlocking private sector investment, creating high-quality jobs, and helping meet the federal government’s climate targets.
Some of the selected companies for the Advance-ON program include Waterloo sustainable textile company ALT TEX, Toronto-based electrochemical tech CERT Systems, Kingston-headquartered rare elements recycling firm Cyclic Materials, Waterloo biotech design firm Material Futures, and Grimsby-based hemp sugar manufacturer Province Brands.
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GreenCentre appointed Pasternak as its executive director last August. He brings over
25 years of experience in tech innovation and commercialization. Pasternak joined GreenCentre in 2009, with his previous role leading the business development group at the organization.
GreenCentre’s other initiatives include the CONNECT program, which offers support to Canadian companies to accelerate the commercialization of new products and services in the bioproducts and cleantech space. Its Mobilize program aims to help eastern Ontario’s chemicals and materials sector with hands-on technology development to implement recovery and growth following the pandemic.
Featured image from GreenCentre Canada’s website.