B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE)

Women remain underrepresented in the cleantech industry globally.

In 2020, women made up approximately 30% of the clean energy workforce, highlighting a significant disparity as men comprised the remaining 70%.

Leadership roles in cleantech also reflect this gap, with only 19% of Canadian cleantech companies having at least one female founder, and a mere 10% of cleantech founders being women.

The funding landscape is similarly skewed, as globally, less than 3% of venture capital was invested in women-led companies.

These figures underscore the pressing need for initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion within the sector.

One of those initiatives is the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy‘s (CICE) Women in Climate Tech Call for Innovation.

Empowering founders who identify as women can unlock the potential for groundbreaking technologies, drive decarbonization efforts, and generate significant economic value. As the world moves toward net-zero emissions, diverse leadership in climate tech will be critical in shaping the future of sustainable innovation.

As part of their mission to advance diversity and equity within the climate tech sector, CICE is investing up to $3 million in climate tech and clean energy ventures led by women.

“Climate change poses a serious threat but also presents a significant economic opportunity. Achieving success requires that everyone has a seat at the table, especially women founders who are currently underrepresented across the cleantech ecosystem,” shared Sarah Goodman, CEO of CICE.

“By ensuring diverse voices and collaborative efforts, we can develop innovative solutions and build the companies of tomorrow. CICE is committed to addressing this imbalance, recognizing that empowering women entrepreneurs is essential for a sustainable future.”

CICE’s Women in Climate Tech Call for Innovation is open and runs until December 3rd.

Empowering founders who identify as women can unlock the potential for groundbreaking technologies, drive decarbonization efforts, and generate significant economic value. As the world moves toward net-zero emissions, diverse leadership in climate tech will be critical in shaping the future of sustainable innovation. 

As part of their mission to advance diversity and equity within the climate tech sector, the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is investing up to $3 million in climate tech and clean energy ventures led by women.

“Climate change poses a serious threat but also presents a significant economic opportunity. Achieving success requires that everyone has a seat at the table, especially women founders who are currently underrepresented across the cleantech ecosystem,” shared Sarah Goodman, CEO of CICE.

“By ensuring diverse voices and collaborative efforts, we can develop innovative solutions and build the companies of tomorrow. CICE is committed to addressing this imbalance, recognizing that empowering women entrepreneurs is essential for a sustainable future.”

CICE’s Women in Climate Tech Call for Innovation opens on November 5th and runs until December 3rd. Register now for their webinar on November 5th to learn more about this funding opportunity, including the need for this call, eligibility requirements, and ask our team any questions you may have.

Vancouver is set to host CONVERGE 2024, an event designed to unite leaders, innovators, and visionaries from British Columbia’s business and climate-focused communities. Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the gathering—organized by the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE)—will focus on advancing the transition to a net-zero economy through collaboration and innovative solutions.

Scheduled for November 26, 2024, the event will feature interactive discussions on venture capital trends in climate tech, decarbonization strategies, and the crucial role of capital allocation in the shift to sustainable energy. Industry leaders will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with adopting new technologies to address climate change and build a sustainable future.

A highlight of the event will be the announcement of up to $10 million in funding for recipients from CICE’s July 2024 Call for Innovation. An additional $3 million will be awarded to solutions aimed at wildfire prevention, mitigation, and adaptation—underscoring the urgency of addressing the impacts of climate change on communities and ecosystems.

CONVERGE 2024 seeks to spark new ideas, forge partnerships, and catalyze collective action by bridging gaps between sectors. The event is expected to attract startups, climate tech investors, corporate leaders, and members of Canada’s clean energy community, all working towards building a climate-resilient economy.

With a focus on driving progress through collaboration, CONVERGE 2024 is poised to set the stage for continued innovation on the path to a net-zero future.

Nine companies have secured a total of $7.6 million from the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) to scale breakthrough innovation and lead the net-zero global economy.

Founded in October 2021, CICE is an independent, not-for-profit corporation that helps fund the commercial development and scaling of made-in-B.C. clean energy solutions — from Canada to the world.

The non-dilutive investments are being made through CICE’s first 2024 Call for Innovation, which attracted close to 200 applications from across the province.

“Congratulations to the nine inspiring companies awarded funding through CICE’s first 2024 Call for Innovation,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. 

“These projects are essential for British Columbia’s goals of building a clean economy and healthier environment with good-paying jobs for people and more economic opportunities for communities. We are proud to support CICE in nurturing innovation, generating employment, and ensuring long-term sustainability for our province.”

Funded recipients playing a critical role in meeting climate action and clean energy objectives include:

Battery and Energy Storage

Brokkr Mineral Resources is pioneering a first-of-its-kind, nature-based (bio)hydrometallurgical process for clean, low carbon extraction and purification of battery-grade nickel and cobalt.

Fuse Power Management is accelerating the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) ecosystem by delivering a fully functional and scalable V2G solution that will optimize efficiency to balance the electricity grid with electric buses, reducing carbon and particulate emissions.

Telescope Innovations is constructing a continuously operating lab-scale pilot for converting crude lithium chloride brines into battery-grade lithium carbonate, utilizing their carbon-negative and low-cost process, ReCRFT.

Carbon Management

Arca Climate Technologies a leader in carbon mineralization technology and a XPRIZE finalist, leverages historical mine waste to remove CO2 safely and permanently. And because it operates on the existing footprints of large-scale industrial operations, its pathway has gigatonne-scale potential, with an ultralight footprint.

CO280 Solutions is developing large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects to permanently scale and increase affordability of carbon removal in the pulp and paper industry.

Low Carbon Bio and Synthetic Fuels

Hydron Energy is commercializing a disruptive solution that converts raw gases into clean refined fuel. CICE’s funding will deploy Hydron’s technology at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Prince George, lowering emissions by upgrading biogas into renewable natural gas instead of flaring it.

Salish Environmental is developing a co-generation technology that utilizes construction, demolition, and forestry wood waste to produce heat and electricity to power greenhouses to help create year-round food security, turning a previously underutilized bioresource into an emissions reducing fuel.

Low Carbon Hydrogen

pH7 Technologies is commercializing an electrolyzer enabled extraction process to get more copper out of low-grade ores to keep up with growing market demand, while also producing clean hydrogen to lower mine emissions.

HPDI Technology is advancing a project, through a new joint venture between Westport Fuel Systems and Volvo Group, that aims to nearly double the range of hydrogen-HPDI equipped heavy duty trucks.

“With 13 companies featured on the 2024 Global Cleantech 100 list, Canada is already leading as an innovation nation,” said Sarah Goodman, CEO of CICE.

“British Columbia is home to many remarkable climate technology entrepreneurs who are spearheading this movement. CICE is proud to support the growth of these exceptional companies by validating actionable decarbonization pathways, unlocking access to capital, and accelerating the development and adoption of essential net-zero technologies.” 

Since October 2021, CICE has played a critical role in bridging collaboration between public and private sectors, and providing BC-based innovators faster, easier access to the early-stage funding and collaborative partnerships they need to be global leaders in climate action.

To date, CICE has invested $31 million in 47 clean energy and climate technology projects valued at over $170 million.

With wildfire frequency, size and intensity growing annually, effective wildfire management is imperative.

This month the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy  (CICE) is launching Canada’s first call for innovation focused on wildfire technologies.

Up to $3 million in non-dilutive investment will be awarded to innovators across British Columbia that are commercializing technology at scale in prevention solutions, mitigation technologies, and adaptation innovations.

“The BC Wildfire Service is committed to research and innovation within all phases of emergency management,” said Aaron Pawlick, Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation with the BC Wildfire Service. “Innovation is essential as fire seasons become longer and more intense. We look forward to what BC innovators have to offer.”

Canada’s forests store 30-40% of the world’s land-based carbon, playing a critical role in carbon sequestration and climate mitigation. In 2023, 18.4 million hectares of the country’s forests burned, exceeding the 10-year average by 6.5 times. These wildfires emitted 2.3 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide, over three times the total emissions from Canada’s economy.

“In Canada and globally, surges in destructive wildfires are fueling global emissions and threatening the safety, well-being, and prosperity of communities,” said Sarah Goodman, Chief Executive Officer at CICE.

“Just this week, thousands evacuated their homes across multiple provinces, underscoring the mounting risk faced by Canadians as wildfires intensify.”

“By drawing upon our hard-earned insights, we can integrate our expertise in clean technology with our knowledge of wildfire and land management to deliver the solutions the world urgently needs, addressing growing global demand for wildfire technology innovations,” Goodman continued.

Applications for the wildfire technology innovation call will be accepted until August 7th, 2024.

CICE will prioritize solutions that have significant co-benefits such as integrating carbon sequestration and removal initiatives, promoting ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation, empowering Indigenous fire stewardship practices, and enhancing community resilience and socio-economic benefits through wildfire management efforts.