Ten prizes totalling more than $1 million awarded to Quebec innovators

MONTREAL, June 19, 2024 /CNW/ - This year's edition of the Climate Solutions Festival brought together more than 1,200 leading investors, researchers, startups and clean tech entrepreneurs in a mash-up of innovative ideas and brave venture capital to address pressing climate issues with impactful solutions.

"The Climate Solutions Prize is unique in the way it brings together innovative ideas to address the climate crisis which can make a difference quickly, and the capital needed to see those innovations through to reality," said Jeff Hart, Executive Chair of the Climate Solutions Prize. "By catalyzing big ideas into doable, marketable actions, we are demonstrating leadership as the Climate Solutions Prize grows every year."

The 2024 Climate Solutions Festival explored four tracks, with panelists and speakers presenting unique perspectives and innovations anchored in one or more of these categories:

• H₂O: exploring the latest in water technology innovation.
• Built Environment: uncovering the potential in green real estate solutions.
• Lab-to-market: moving cutting edge research quickly to real-world applications.
• Innovation: pitches from the brightest minds in the climate sector.

"As a catalyst for real change, the Climate Solutions Festival represents an inflection point, bringing together actors from the climate innovation and investment sectors," said Galith Levy, CEO of the Climate Solutions Prize. "Once they meet, there is a magical chemistry that builds and grows towards solutions which might never have otherwise been realized."

The two-day event which took place on June 17 and 18 was made possible thanks to the generosity of partners who share the belief that nurturing innovation is a key ingredient in addressing climate-related challenges. This year's leading partners are the Gouvernement du Québec, BMO Financial Group, Power Sustainable, Sagard, National Bank of Canada, Canderel, Mackenzie Investments, Sun Life, WCPD, Cycle Momentum, 2 degrés, Mitacs and JNF Canada.

"The unique mash-up created by the Climate Solutions Festival is a prime example of how small-scale projects with the right support can make a very significant difference, by helping foster connections between different actors in the green tech space.," said Patrick Gagné, CEO of Cycle Momentum.

The 2024 Climate Solutions Prize selected 10 winning submissions in six categories representing a purse totalling more than $1 million.

The Climate Solutions Prize seeks to incentivize the development of marketable applications that address different aspects of the climate crisis. This year's winning submissions were selected based on criteria including impact, innovation, development potential, and cost-effectiveness.

Breakthrough Research Prize ($250,000):

First Prize ($150,000)
Name: Jeffrey Bergthorson (McGill University)
Project: Decarbonizing industry using long-duration iron energy storage.

Second Prize ($100,000)
Name: Michael di Mare (Polytechnique Montréal)
Project: Turning aluminum byproducts into sustainable concrete.

Startup Track Prize, powered by Cycle Momentum ($300,000):

Pre-commercialization ($150,000):
Name: Monika Rak (Agapyo)
Project: Using organic material to make a mouldable "jam" that replaces petroleum-based plastics.

Post-commercialization ($150,000):
Name: Nivatha Balendra (Dispersa)
Project: Transforming food waste into ingredients for consumer cleaning products.

Women in Clean Tech Prize, powered by BDC ($150,000 x2):

Name: Monika Rak (Agapyo)
Project: Using organic material to make a mouldable "jam" that replaces petroleum-based plastics.

Name: Nivatha Balendra (Dispersa)
Project: Transforming food waste into ingredients for consumer cleaning products.

Student Entrepreneur Innovation Prize, powered by Mitacs ($160,000):

First Prize ($90,000)
Name: Alvaro Macias (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières)
Project: Optimization technology to reduce household electricity waste.

Second Prize ($70,000)
Name: Barida Joseph Nafo (Polytechnique Montréal)
Project: Replacing diesel in heavy machinery with sustainable operations fuel.

Live Pitch Prize ($25,000):
Name: Michael di Mare (Bauxite Technologies)
Project: Turning aluminum byproducts into sustainable concrete.

Audience Choice Award ($10,000):
Name: Maxime Dimidschstein (Phoenix Impact)
Project: Recovery and reconditioning service to reduce single-use plastic waste.

The Climate Solutions Festival brings together hundreds of innovators, investors, and renowned speakers, taking the Quebec climate tech ecosystem to new heights bringing ideas and capital together to help solve the greatest challenge facing humanity. Launched in 2022, the Climate Solutions Prize has awarded more than $7.5 million worldwide, providing a platform for key players in the research, technology and climate ecosystems to come together behind innovative ideas that address the climate crisis with real impact potential.

SOURCE Climate Solutions Prize