Terramera, Ekona Power, and Active Impact Investments were some of the winners recognized at this year’s BC CleanTech Awards.
Karn Manhas, the founder and CEO of AgTech startup Terramera, was honoured as an industry icon. The latter is defined as “someone who has made a significant impact and is changing the world of cleantech,” according to Foresight, the cleantech accelerator that hosts the awards.
Terramera unveiled plans in 2020 to create a new $730 million global centre focused on fighting climate change and strengthening the agriculture sector through technology. The startup was named a 2021 Export Star by Export Development Canada for developing technologies that are instrumental in the fight against climate change.
Sarah Applebaum, a partner with Pangaea Ventures, received the award for ecosystem builder, “an influential connector who lifts up others through introductions and networking,” according to the awards.
Pangaea Ventures, which invests in advanced materials, completed the final close of Pangaea Ventures Fund IV in 2019, with commitments of $95 million CAD.
Jonathan Wilkinson, the federal minister of natural resources, was named policy maker, “a self-proclaimed leader in government who’s working hard to move us forward on the path to net-zero.” Wilkinson has previously served as federal minister of environment and climate change. and minister of fisheries, oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard.
The top educator award went to Hassan Farhangi of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) for his innovative and leading approach to education in cleantech. Farhangi is the director of the Smart Microgrid Applied Research Team at BCIT.
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Ekona Power nabbed the rising star award for being an emerging cleantech company on the move. The hydrogen production tech startup closed a $79 million CAD equity Series A round in February. Ekona Power plans to use the funding to support the commercial readiness of the firm’s technology platform, which produces clean, low-cost hydrogen.
Active Impact Investments was declared the innovation funder winner as an impact investor or funder making a difference by investing in the clean economy. Active Impacts closed its second fund, securing an additional $13 million CAD, in 2021 to support early-stage climate tech startups across North America. The latest close brought the size of Fund II to $54 million CAD.
Other BC CleanTech award winners included HTEC, a startup that builds hydrogen supply solutions and station networks to support the rollout of fuel cell electric vehicles; TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s transit system; the Kanaka Bar Indian Band, which has supported cleantech; and Entrepreneurship@UBC, which helps innovations from the University of Britsh Columbia get off the ground.
“We are honoured to recognize the many change-makers in British Columbia who are leading the fight against climate change through innovation, investments and collaboration,” said Foresight CEO, Jeanette Jackson.
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