Clean50’s Clean Tech Nominees for 2024 – Part 6 of 8
This week featuring Precision AI, RecycLiCo Battery Materials Inc., ReDeTec, ALTRA | SANEXEN, Sequestr Carbon Inc., Sixone Labs Ltd., and Solar Panda.
Each year the Clean50 Awards attract more worthy nominees than we can possibly include on our list when we release it each fall (this year September 28th), and that’s an incredible shame – because this year we have 60 incredible nominees in the Cleantech and R&D categories alone. It’s great to know that clean tech innovation is alive and well in this country!
But innovation is not enough: Organizations and individual Canadians need to make the conscious choice to support made-in-Canada innovation – and buy Canadian wherever and whenever they can. Because here’s the thing: the incredible sums of money Joe Biden has invested in US based clean tech and the tax advantages he has conferred on clean tech investors means that US based clean tech companies are rich with cash – and they can afford to buy up Canadian competitors, and then take the intellectual property – and the jobs – and the revenues – to the USA. So we’re trying to do our part and show you 60 companies doing amazing stuff – and we hope you’ll do your part – and BUY some of it!
As we go through this process, we’ve been amazed at where some of our clean tech innovation is coming from: It’s not just start ups and university labs. We’re featuring lots of those, for sure – but also a company using drones to weed farmers’ fields, a 3D printer that can recycle consumer plastics on the spot to deliver brand new creations from your blue box, and a process that’s recycling clothing into virgin yarn – and three more exciting solutions! Keep reading to see just how bright our future can be!
We promise – each of the 8 articles in this series will open your mind to some seriously cool possibilities! Congratulations to all of our nominees!
Precision AI
Clean 50 Nominee Daniel McCann, CEO
Regina, SK
What does the product do?
Our spray drone, see-only payload, and digital twinning use record-setting speeds and unparalleled edge performance to reduce the amount of chemicals being used in today’s agricultural landscape, reducing the reliance on heavy outdated machines. In a single pass, drones image the field, apply artificial intelligence to separate the weeds from the crop, and can result in further spraying actions that target the weeds specifically, or the data can be used near-instantaneously for further crop optimization insights at an individual plant level.
Who should buy it?
Agronomists, Farmers, Large chemical/agriculture companies.
RecycLiCo Battery Materials Inc.
Clean 50 Nominee Zarko Meseldzija, CEO
Surrey, BC
What does the product do?
Our patented process efficiently recovers battery-grade materials locked within lithium-ion batteries, addressing the global demand for environmentally friendly solutions in energy storage. With minimal processing steps and up to 99% extraction of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, our patented, closed-loop hydrometallurgical process turns lithium-ion battery waste into battery-grade cathode precursor, lithium hydroxide, and lithium carbonate for direct integration into the re-manufacturing of new lithium-ion batteries.
Who should buy it?
Cathode manufacturers, battery manufacturers, electric vehicle manufacturers, and anyone who works with high levels of cathode scrap, black mass, or end-of-life lithium-ion batteries.
ReDeTec
Clean 50 Nominee Dennon Oosterman, CEO
Toronto, ON
What does the product do?
ReDeTec has developed patented MixFlow plastics processing technology which is 50% more efficient than existing technologies, significantly reducing the energy consumption and GHG emissions inherent to the plastics industry. MixFlow also reduces polymer degradation to 1% or less with recycled materials – allowing up to 100% recycled content without affecting material properties. We currently offer lab scale 3D printing solutions, and further expansion to industrial equipment is underway with the goal of 10 full scale deployments by 2025.
Who should buy it?
Schools, businesses, and R&D labs that use 3D printing – and soon, anyone in industrial plastics profile extrusion (automotive, construction, packaging, etc).
ALTRA | SANEXEN
Clean 50 Nominee Martin Bureau, VP, Innovation & PFAS Lead
Brossard, QC
What does the product do?
As forever chemicals PFAS have become pervasive in the environment and pose real human health risks, we need to safely get rid of these contaminants. ALTRA offers today the most comprehensive and only one-stop shop – clean water as a service – guaranteeing our results. SANEXEN’s proprietary technology allows the removal of PFAS at levels over 99%. This customized and sustainable approach is able to treat highly contaminated streams of PFAS at a fraction of the cost and risk associated with other solutions.
Who should buy it?
Military bases, airports, landfills, water treatment plants, and industrial facilities.
Sequestr Carbon Inc.
Clean 50 Nominees Rishabh Varshney and Tony Qu, Co-founders
Toronto, ON
What does the product do?
Sequestr offers an integrated platform for high-quality carbon offset and credit projects, encompassing development, management, risk evaluation, and upfront capital facilitation. Using proprietary tools aligned with core principles such as additionality, permanence, verifiability, and transparency, Sequestr streamlines project development and ensures quality in projects it brings to market. It opens the carbon market to new entrants without needing expert-level knowledge.
Who should buy it?
Target customers include carbon offset and credit project developers, corporations aiming for net-zero targets through offsets, and funders interested in low-risk investments in the emerging carbon asset class.
Sixone Labs Ltd.
Clean 50 Nominee Christopher Wai, CEO
Vancouver, BC
What does the product do?
Sixone’s mission is to transform textile waste into a valuable feedstock for circular recycling. Sixone’s patent pending technology applies a data-driven machine learning approach to enable targeted and controlled chemical recycling reactions. This provides the environmental and quality benefits of chemical recycling in a cost effective and efficient manner. This technology has been implemented at Sixone’s pilot facility to produce high-quality circularly recycled polyester pellets for manufacturers and brands.
Who should buy it?
Sixone’s circularly recycled polyester pellets can be used by clothing brands and their manufacturers with their existing production processes.
Solar Panda
Clean 50 Nominee Andy Keith, CEO
Toronto, ON
What does the product do?
Solar Panda provides small off-grid home solar systems. Our smaller system comes with a 20W solar panel and powers lights, phone, radio etc. Our largest system comes with a 40W panel and also includes a 32” TV. We have sold to 250,000 homes in Kenya, most of whom are replacing kerosene lanterns, which have huge health and climate impacts.
Who should buy it?
Solar Panda sells directly to consumers without electricity access and/or anyone who wants to buy a small off grid solar kit, with financing available.
