BryoSphere Biotechnologies

Head Office: British Columbia

Sector: Bioproducts

BryoSphere Biotechnologies uses moss plants and biotechnology techniques to make rare, plant-derived specialty chemicals sustainably for various sectors, including personal care, supplements, therapeutics, and food & beverage. Unlike traditional methods, BryoSphere does not rely on petrochemicals, harsh solvents, antibiotics, or extensive land use for biomanufacturing and extraction. As moss is naturally adept at making plant compounds, it is an ideal organism for phytochemical production. Currently in the product development stage, the company is working on specialized moss strains to produce rare compounds for use in the skincare industry. With a commitment to sustainability and innovation, BryoSphere strives to provide eco-friendly, high-quality compounds that will make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Cedar Valley

Head Office: Ontario

Sector: Food & Beverage

Cedar Valley is an Ontario based manufacturer with an innovative line of Pita Chips that are made using 100% pure coconut oil. Starting as a school project, this mom and son team have turned their business into a flourishing brand in Canada. Using 100% Canadian sourced wheat flour and non-inflammatory oils, Cedar Valley provides consumers with a delicious, better-for-you snack option. Committed to reducing food production waste, all unsellable products from their manufacturing facility are upcycled to local chicken farmers to be used as feed. Since launching in the mass market in January 2021, Cedar Valley has grown from 30 retail points of distribution to 900 across Canada, including Sobeys, Whole Foods Market, Choices, and Healthy Planet.

Chickapea

Head Office: Ontario

Sector: Food & Beverage

More than just a pasta, Chickapea delivers plant-powered, protein-packed foods that use clean, whole ingredients like chickpeas and lentils for optimal nutrition. By using organic, plant-based proteins, Chickapea helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve fresh water stores, and reduce deforestation and biodiversity loss. Dedicated to making impactful social contributions, such as mitigating climate change and reducing food insecurity, the company partners with Community Food Centres Canada and the New Farm to donate regeneratively-grown produce to low-income communities. Chickapea products can be found in supermarkets, club stores and natural food stores across Canada and the US. As they continue to grow, they aspire to open new sales and distribution channels nationally and internationally.

Chinova Bioworks

Head Office: New Brunswick

Sector: Agri/Food Tech & Ingredients

Chinova Bioworks uses the power of mushrooms to reduce food waste. Using a proprietary green-chemistry process, they extract a natural fiber from White Button mushrooms to create Chiber™, a clean-label ingredient that improves quality, freshness and shelf-life, encouraging healthier long-lasting food and beverage products. They use only safe and sustainable processing chemicals that do not emit hazardous vapors, and their technology consumes far less energy than conventional chemical manufacturing processes, which results in reduced CO2 emissions. Chinova recently expanded its production operations from pilot scale to 20x their capacity, and plan to expand their global product distribution in 2023.

Choose Life Foods

Head Office: Ontario

Sector: Food & Beverage

Choose Life Foods is the Home of plant-based Caribbean Goodness and taps into the growing demand for diverse flavours in the vegan market with Jamaican patties. The company was born after Carolyn, the Patty Queen noticed a lack of Caribbean plant-based options in grocery. They offer delicious vegan certified patties including versions of the traditional beef and chicken patties. Choose Life is on a mission to create plant-based alternatives to the Caribbean’s most beloved dishes so consumers with different dietary restrictions can still enjoy them. The company has expanded from a kitchen to a CMO that has allowed them to grow capacity and increase sales. They plan to announce new retailers across Canada in 2023.

Coconut Goodness Food Products Inc.

Head Office: Nova Scotia

Sector: Supplement & Natural Health Product

Coconut Goodness Food Products Inc. is an innovative food company that produces a coconut milk kefir called The Cultured Coconut. Responding to the World Health Organization’s statement that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, its product offers a powerful probiotic with beneficial bacteria to support a robust immune system. Good for the body and the planet, the company maintains a commitment to consumer glass bottle packaging, recyclable safety equipment for production, and uses only recyclable insulated liners to fulfill their ecommerce orders. In 2022, The Cultured Coconut underwent an inaugural randomized controlled human trial to evaluate its efficacy in reducing bloating caused by inflammation. They hope to submit this study for peer review and publication in 2023.

DeNova

Head Office: Nova Scotia

Sector: Agri/Food Tech & Ingredients

DeNova is a clean biotechnology company addressing the global demand for sustainable protein. In response to the imminent need for more environmentally responsible and accessible protein ingredients, DeNova offers a high-quality, low-cost, product derived from methane feedstocks, harnessing the power of Canada’s natural resources to disrupt the global alternative protein market. Their end-to-end proprietary production process uses a fraction of the land and water resources required to produce an equal amount of plant or animal proteins, with a reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional agriculture. Its platform technologies will initially be used for feed in the aquaculture industry.

Dispersa

Head Office: Québec

Sector: Bioproducts

Dispersa has created the world’s first biosurfactant that is both healthy for people and the planet. The company’s innovative approach transforms food waste into biosurfactants – natural soapy ingredients used in everyday cleaning and personal care products. Through this process, Dispersa is addressing the huge industrial demand to replace the petroleum and palm-based surfactants found in conventional surfactants. In the past year, the small start-up has successfully grown its team to double the size, and expanded operations across Canada. They have secured North American wide revenue-generating partnerships in the cleaning industry, and have a pipeline of over $3M in sales from priority clients to be unlocked in 2024.

EMKAO FOODS INC

Head Office: British Columbia

Sector: Food & Beverage

EMKAO is redefining the chocolate industry by producing premium quality, traceable and sustainable cocoa ingredients. The African immigrant founder is tapping into long-standing family traditions and works with smallholder farmers from villages in Cameroon to harvest the best quality cocoa beans and turn them into organic-certified products, such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, chocolate chips and chocolate bars. In the past year, EMKAO has expanded their facility, added new retailers, B2B partners, and team members. EMKAO supports vegan cocoa products, and has developed partnerships with ice-cream manufacturers, bakeries, and confectioneries, offering a healthier and more natural option.

Everist

Head Office:

Sector: Household, Beauty & Personal Care

Named one of Time’s Best Inventions and Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, Everist is leading the waterless beauty movement with the first ever, patent-pending waterless shampoo and conditioner concentrates. Their products are formulated to the highest clean standards, using plant-based ingredients and are free from parabens, sulfates, silicones, dyes and synthetic fragrances. Packaged in 100% recycled and recyclable aluminum tubes, they are providing an eco product that disrupts the mainstream, creating a new category in the beauty industry. Still in its early stages, Everist has secured partnerships with major retailers including Credo Beauty, The Detox Market, Indigo, and Well.ca.

FourX The Better Chocolate

Head Office: Ontario

Sector: Supplement & Natural Health Product

FourX Better ChocolateTM are on a mission to make eating chocolate actually good for you. They produce and manufacture the world’s first chocolates that are also 1) vitamins and supplements; and 2) functional foods. Aside from the added nutritional benefits, FourX is focused on flavour. Using Fine Aroma CacaoTM from small NGO farms in the heart of Ecuador, their products consist of only a few clean ingredients, no alkali to preserve antioxidants, and 0 grams of added sugar. Just launched in 2022, the company has already secured a premier Canadian broker, two large food distribution deals, and major retailers in the USA.

FreshCap Mushrooms

Head Office: Alberta

Sector: Supplement & Natural Health Product

FreshCap Mushrooms is a Canadian pioneer in the functional mushroom industry and has become a trusted provider of premium quality, mushroom based health and wellness products. They use pure mushroom fruiting bodies specifically and thoroughly extracted in order to provide the highest quality mushroom supplements available on the market. Building a sizable YouTube following, they’re seen as thought leaders and educators in the mushroom industry, which supports their sales and distribution in making a large impact in a very efficient way. The company has plans for further product launches in 2023.

Future of Cheese

Head Office: Ontario

Sector: Food & Beverage

Disruptors in the plant-based food industry, Future of Cheese develops and manufactures dairy alternative products using organic, ethically sourced, simple ingredients with no chemical additives, fillers or preservatives. They use time-honoured ageing techniques, fermentation and cultures that produce best in quality plant-based dairy that mimics the taste, textures and look of their equivalent dairy counterparts in every aspect. Now that they’ve conquered the taste, Future of Cheese is in development of a unique extraction process that will create textures that mimic the culinary performance of conventional dairy. They have achieved some major milestones, including an acquisition transaction valued at over $5 million, national distribution, a spot on the shelves at Longos and Whole Foods Canada, and their plant-based Brie won an international award based on public votes for Best Brie Vegan Cheese of 2022.

Gaia Protein

Head Office: Alberta

Sector: Agri/Food Tech & Ingredients

Gaia Protein is an insect agriculture company that has developed a comprehensive cricket production system. Crickets are a high-quality source of protein suitable for food, pet food, and livestock feed. The positive nutritional and environmental attributes of insect protein have been lauded by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Gaia Protein’s production system reduces waste, utilizes byproduct inputs as feed, and produces a fertilizer product, which can partially replace inorganic fertilizers. Gaia Protein’s long-term commercial plan is to partner with farmers and provide them with technology, specialized equipment, training, and support to implement this system into their farming practices.

Genecis Bioindustries

Head Office: Ontario

Sector: Bioproducts

Genecis Bioindustries Inc. is solving the climate crises of food waste and plastic pollution with one circular economy solution: bioplastic made from food waste. This biotechnology company converts food waste destined for landfills into eco-friendly, biodegradable PHA plastics for packaging, food services, agriculture, textiles and many other sectors. Founded in 2017, Genecis employs 45 full-time staff including experts in polymer science, product development, and bacteria fermentation. Among their many accomplishments, Genecis is a graduate of Y Combinator, has backing from Khosla Ventures and BDC, and won the 2020 Extreme Tech Challenge for Cleantech & Energy. In 2023, they aim to launch products with existing partners and their own brands, bringing the next generation of sustainable materials into the market.