NorthX has invested CAD $2.5 million in five women-led climate technology ventures in Canada as part of its Women in Climate Tech initiative. The funding will support companies working on carbon emissions, agricultural waste, permafrost risks, low-carbon building materials, and alternatives to microplastics. The programme is intended to help companies move from technology validation to commercial production while addressing women founders’ limited access to capital.
Five companies receive funding for carbon, agriculture, and materials innovation
The selected ventures focus on high-impact climate solutions: Carbonyx is developing materials made from captured carbon dioxide and industrial waste. NorthX’s funding is earmarked for demonstration units in British Columbia as the company works to validate its process while capturing CO2 and diverting concrete waste from landfill.
Insporos Technologies focuses on seed analysis for agriculture, using non-destructive methods and artificial intelligence to assess seed quality and disease risk before planting. The funding will support field evidence generation to help validate the technology and encourage uptake by growers and seed companies.
PermaC Land & Environment is developing technologies to stabilise thawing permafrost, which poses infrastructure and climate risks in northern regions. The support will be used to gather performance data and aid deployment in Arctic communities.
Seafoam Materials makes construction materials from seaweed and upcycled waste, aiming to store carbon in the built environment and reduce emissions linked to conventional building products. The investment will help fund pilot manufacturing as the company expands production.
Tydra Labs is developing biopolymers from waste streams as a substitute for microplastics used in cosmetics. The funding will support what NorthX described as British Columbia’s first decentralised fungal fermentation facility, moving the business from laboratory work toward pilot manufacturing.
A funding gap for women in deep-tech climate sectors
The initiative addresses a long-standing funding imbalance for women entrepreneurs in deep technology and industrial climate sectors, where capital needs are often high and development cycles are long. The organization, a non-profit investor in climate hard tech, describes its role as bridging the gap between early technical proof and commercial traction.
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Sarah Goodman, President and CEO of NorthX, highlighted the economic and environmental stakes. “Women founders are developing solutions to economic, industrial, and climate challenges facing Canada,” she said. “If we want to turn that innovation into companies that scale and create economic value here at home, we need to make sure founders have access to early capital and commercialization support to prove their technologies and reach the market.”
Since its founding in 2021 with backing from the British Columbia government, the Government of Canada, and Shell Canada, NorthX has committed more than CAD $36 million across 45 projects involving companies with women in leadership roles.
These investments have helped companies secure more than CAD $430 million in additional capital, or nearly CAD $12 from other sources for every NorthX dollar committed.
Government support ties investments to climate and economic goals
Federal and provincial officials praised the initiative, framing it as part of broader efforts to advance climate policy and industrial development. Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, noted that diverse solutions are essential to meeting Canada’s climate targets.
“Investing in women-led climate tech companies like Carbonyx, Seafoam Materials, and Tydra Labs will help bring innovative technologies to market, advancing our climate goals while creating good-paying jobs and strengthening our economy,”
Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry, echoed this perspective, emphasizing the role of women entrepreneurs in Canada’s innovation economy. “Support from organizations such as NorthX Climate Tech helps innovators bring these solutions to market for the benefit of all Canadians,” she said.
