Natural Products Canada announces funding for 10 bio-based projects

Natural Products Canada is helping 10 Canadian businesses and organizations get closer to market by contributing over $1 million through its strategic commercialization programs. The recipients represent a range of sustainable bio-based solutions developed by start-ups and universities from across Canada.

“We continue to be inspired by the innovators we work with on a daily basis,” says Shelley King, CEO, Natural Products Canada. “The solutions have the potential to address challenges as diverse as protecting our bee populations to ensure our farmers can produce enough food, to reducing the amount of material that ends up in our landfills.”

Natural Products Canada’s Commercialization Programs supported by the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund, are designed to address the types of challenges that early-stage bio-based technologies face, including validating their technologies at industrial scale, adding critical expertise to their teams, and addressing key gaps in their business plan. Each applicant must provide a compelling case for their innovation and the key challenge the Program funds will address.

The 10 recipients are listed below.

Atlantick Repellent Products (Nova Scotia)

Program: Fast Track to Financing

Project Budget: $45,000

NPC Contribution: $18,000

Atlantic Repellent Products creates bug repellents without the use of synthetic and harmful chemicals to provide an alternative that is healthier for people, animals and the environment. They are using the Program funds to pursue regulatory strategies for new products under development.

Farment BioSolutions (British Columbia)

Program: Proof of Concept

Project Budget: $322,200

NPC Contribution: $105,080

Farment BioSolutions has developed a waste treatment system that processes organic waste through fermentation. The solution works with both unprocessed organic waste and digestate waste produced from biogas production, and has the potential to create additional value-added products including fertilizer. The company will use the funds to conduct anaerobic digestate demonstration trials.

InnuScience Group (Quebec)

Program: Fast Track to Financing

Project Budget: $54,900

NPC Contribution: $21,960

InnuScience Group has a range of cleaning and hygiene products composed of microorganisms, natural enzymes and plant-based surfactants. They will use the Program funds to conduct a market analysis for a range of new products.

Nature ReCombined Sciences (British Columbia)

Program: Proof of Concept

Project Budget: $737,065

NPC Contribution: $250,000 Nature ReCombined Sciences has developed a safe and natural product with the potential to support and sustain the vital role of honey bees in our food production systems. The company will use the Program funds to conduct safety and efficacy trials of the natural product on honey bee diseases.

Natures Crops International (Prince Edward Island)

Program: Proof of Concept

Project Budget: $635,299

NPC Contribution: $250,000

Natures Crops Inc. supplies proprietary plant derived ingredients for the global nutritional and personal care industry. The business develops, grows and processes specialized oilseed crops to produce ingredients and operates under a completely ‘closed loop’ model. The company will use the funds to conduct research on the upcycling potential of the waste stream of their primary product into a value-added industrial ingredient.

New School Foods (Ontario)

Program: Access to Talent

Project Budget: $189,750

NPC Contribution: $75,000

New School Foods has developed a patented food structuring technology to produce whole-cut meat alternatives. The first product is a whole fillet of salmon that looks, cooks, flakes, and tastes just like conventional salmon with the same nutritional profile. The company is using the Program funds to hire a Lead Food Materials Scientist to design the food science R&D and product development platform.

NULIFE GreenTech (Saskatchewan)

Program: Proof of Concept

Project Budget: $744,119

NPC Contribution: $250,000

NULIFE GreenTech is set to make significant impact in reducing organic waste. Their patented Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) technology transforms high moisture, industrial wastes into profitable biofuels, biochar, and carbon credits while reducing costs and emissions. The company will use the Program funds to assess and optimize the process of breaking down different feedstocks into biocrude.

Phytokraft Environmental Solutions (Ontario)

Program: Fast Track to Financing

Project Budget: $41,040

NPC Contribution: $16,416

Phytokraft Environmental Solutions is developing an at-scale, bolt-on, continuous process that recovers natural phytochemicals from industrial production processes. The initial target is a rare compound that provides woody, amber notes prized in the flavour and fragrance industries. The company is using the Program funds to develop an R&D and commercialization plan.

Sesh Products (British Columbia)

Program: Fast Track to Financing

Project Budget: $62,500

NPC Contribution: $25,000

Sesh Products has developed a nicotine replacement therapy for the Canadian market. This novel nicotine dosage delivery system offers an alternative therapy to current tobacco users that is long-lasting, tobacco-free, smokeless, stain-free, and discreet. The company is using the Program funds to develop the regulatory strategy for the product.

University of Alberta (Alberta)

Program: Proof of Concept

Project Budget: $196,075

NPC Contribution: $78,430

The University of Alberta is using the Program funds to evaluate performance data, economics and scale-up of a thermally reversible gel made from pea protein. The gel can provide food texture (yogurt, jellies, etc) or encapsulate bioactive ingredients (gummies) creating additional opportunities for this upcycled food to reach vegetarian, halal, and kosher food markets.