Last night’s Angels for Climate Solutions innovation challenge lived up to its name. A group of investors dolled out $122,000 to Circular Rubber Technologies, a rubber recycling startup with a product that rivals brand new rubber—just with significantly lower CO2 emissions. While the angels and investors highlight the challenge’s finale, the competition takes a B.C. tech village. Angels for Climate Solutions is run by Spring Activator alongside the Vancouver Economic Commission, Innovate BC, Volition and Foresight. 

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Meet the winner

Circular Rubber Technologies
What they do: Circular economy rubber
How they do it: The company’s tech provides tire manufacturers with a high-quality alternative to virgin rubber at lower emissions with stable cost levels.
Where they do it: Vancouver

Meet the finalists

BinBreeze
What they do: Circular economy composting product
How they do it: By developing an all-natural, non-toxic composting powder that eliminates odours and kills fruit flies associated with indoor composting.
Where they do it: Victoria

SkyAcres Agrotechnologies Inc.
What they do: Vertical farming systems
How they do it: SkyAcres’ affordable system is geared towards making aeroponic vertical farming more cost-effective.
Where they do it: Surrey

Solaires Enterprise Inc.
What they do: High-output solar power
How they do it: Solaires’ technology and products enable solar cell manufacturers to produce a new generation of solar panels with a shorter value chain, 40-60 percent lower manufacturing costs, and the potential to increase output power up to 3X.
Where they do it: Victoria

Tradle
What they do: Sharing economy and childcare
How they do it: Tradle’s clothing-as-a-service platform helps new parents with fast-growing babies and toddlers have all the clothes their child needs (and outgrows) returned and replaced whenever there’s a growth spurt—all for a simple and affordable monthly subscription.
Where they do it: Vancouver

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Complete the circuit

The months-long innovation challenge culminated with the crowning of Circular Rubber Technologies, which stood out from shortlists of 20, 10 and five. CEO and co-founder Maartje Van der Sande can add her name to the likes of Julie Angus and Sumreen Rattan, past winners of Spring’s Impact Investor Challenges—a series of competitions in place to give underrepresented groups a shot at winning capital.

Capital often doesn’t stop at the $122,000 for the finalists, though. After Rattan’s Moment Energy won the competition in June 2021, the startup went on to raise a $3.5 million seed round the following November. Audette, RainStick and Gotcare, fellow members of the competitions’ top five, also announced raises. Pair that with Speakbox’s Techstars Boston accelerator appearance, and we’re confident that you’ll be seeing a lot more of these companies in the Funding and Deals section of our Sunday Briefing newsletter over the next year.