13 B.C. cleantech companies receive over $2 million combined from government funding arms

The fifth round of BC Fast Pilot awardees are about as diverse as it gets. The one uniting force across both regions and industries is that all of the companies are embarking on cleantech pilots as part of efforts to support the development of a greener B.C.

The way in which they’re doing that, of course, varies greatly.

For instance, there’s Salmon-Arm based 4AG Robotics, which is developing a vision-guided robotic system for harvesting, processing and packing fresh mushrooms; Vancouver electronics manufacturer VoltSafe Inc. and its work on internet-of-things capabilities for marinas; Vancouver’s CanDry Technologies, which is testing its dehydration technology on berries; and Summerland food innovation firm Crush Dynamics, which is partnering with Purdy’s to create a powdered version of its puree product.

The 13 companies are reeling in a combined total of $2,014,425 in research and development funding.

“We are supporting innovative technology that has the capability to create a more sustainable and green economy,” said Brenda Bailey, minister of jobs, economic development and innovation, in a release. “BC Fast Pilot allows small businesses the ability to accelerate their development process, resulting in a rapid growth in our clean tech sector that benefits both our economy and our environment.”

This is the fifth round of funding through the BC Fast Pilot program, which was launched in 2019. Since the program started in 2019, 75 pilot demonstrations have been funded a combined total of $9.9 million,

For a full list of this year’s recipients, click here.