British Columbia’s thriving clean technology sector took centre stage last night as Foresight Canada celebrated the winners of the fifth annual BC Cleantech Awards at a sold-out event in Vancouver.
The awards recognize the people and organizations turning bold climate ambitions into real-world solutions—from startup breakthroughs and scaleup growth to municipal innovation and funding leadership. As the province positions itself as a global cleantech hub, this year’s winners show how B.C. is already delivering the technologies and systems needed to build a sustainable, net zero economy.
Among the standout achievements is the City of Vancouver’s expansion of its Neighbourhood Energy Utility. By tripling sewage heat recovery capacity, the city is now supplying low-carbon thermal energy to key neighbourhoods using advanced heat pump and filtration technologies. The project earned the Adopter of the Year award and serves as a model for urban decarbonization.
On the funding front, Active Impact Investments was named Funder of the Year. As Canada’s largest climate tech seed fund, Active Impact is fueling early-stage ventures across the country. In 2024, the firm launched its third fund and supported startups that collectively mitigated more than one million tonnes of CO2e—demonstrating the growing influence of impact-driven capital.
Cleantech innovation also relies on the behind-the-scenes work of accelerators and enablers. Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC), led by Melina Scholefield, was honoured as Cleantech Supporter of the Year for its role in driving market transformation. Through initiatives like Building to Electrification, ZEBx, and the BC Retrofit Accelerator, ZEIC is helping scale sustainable building practices across the province.
B.C.’s cleantech ecosystem continues to produce cutting-edge startups with global potential. Green Manganese Technologies earned Startup Venture of the Year for developing an eco-friendly, closed-loop method of extracting battery-grade manganese—an essential mineral for electric vehicle production. The process eliminates harmful by-products and even remediates mine waste. “It’s truly an honour to receive this recognition,” said Co-Founder Alexey Demykin. “This award reinforces our mission and motivates us to push forward.”
Meanwhile, pH7 Technologies was recognized as Scaleup Venture of the Year for its rapid progress in transforming metal extraction. With a sustainable, near-zero-emissions process, the company is recovering critical metals from mining waste and recycled materials—supporting both the global energy transition and Canada’s critical minerals strategy.
“The 2025 BC Cleantech Award winners are a testament to BC’s unwavering leadership in the cleantech sector,” said Foresight Canada CEO Jeanette Jackson. “Their efforts prove that we are not just talking about a sustainable future—we are building it.”
From startups to city systems, and from capital to community infrastructure, this year’s winners represent the breadth and strength of B.C.’s climate innovation ecosystem. And as their solutions scale, so too does the province’s influence on the global path to net zero.