FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA – JUNE 18, 2025 – Natural Products Canada (NPC) today announced an investment of over $1 million into five early-stage companies bringing its total to $11 million in investments in 92 Canadian start-ups. The five companies, FREDsense Technologies; BioNorth Solutions; Ostia Sciences; Dispersa; and Scotiaderm, are recipients of NPC’s Commercialization Programs and represent highly innovative bio-based and natural products.

NPC’s most recent investment will enable pivotal activities to help the five companies address key challenges in their go-to-market journey. The recipients include start-ups from across the country developing sustainable, bio-based products ranging from targeted probiotic therapies for oral health to innovative contamination biosensor technology. 

“NPC’s strategic investments aren’t just funding companies—they’re actively building Canada’s competitive edge in the global bioeconomy,” said Shelley King, CEO, Natural Products Canada. “We are systematically transforming promising innovations into market-ready solutions, accelerating commercialization pathways that enable Canadian companies to capture emerging opportunities in climate technology, food innovation, and health advancement. This approach delivers immediate economic returns while positioning Canada to lead the next wave of bio-based solutions to our most pressing global challenges.”

This milestone marks NPC’s deployment of over $11 million across 92 Canadian innovators, strategically accelerating their market penetration through successful product commercialization, revenue expansion, and capital attraction. As of March 31, 2024, our portfolio companies have leveraged every dollar of NPC investment to secure an additional $53 in follow-on capital—creating a powerful multiplier effect throughout the Canadian bioeconomy. Thirteen high-performing companies from our initial investment fund catalyzed the formation of Nàdarra Ventures, a specialized private investment vehicle that is now amplifying our impact and strengthening Canada’s competitive position in commercializing homegrown bio-innovations that address global markets.

“The green economy is an emerging sector, and the Government of Canada will ensure that we support our entrepreneurs and remain a global leader,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. “With this partnership with Natural Products Canada, we continue to have our innovators’ backs as they help create better jobs for Canadians.”

NPC’s Commercialization Programs are designed to accelerate the path to market, which can be more time-consuming and resource-intensive for deep tech, high-innovation companies within the bioeconomy. NPC focuses on three areas that are conducive to companies attracting the partners and investors required for growth: product validation and scaling, talent, and competitive strategy. The Proof of Concept, Access to Talent, and Fast Track to Financing programs address each of these gaps and provide up to $350,000 in support. Building on its capital expertise and acting as a “strategic angel” NPC works with applicants before, during and after the official application process, providing in-depth advice, guidance and connections to resources from within its network of over 4000 investors, industry leaders, experts and others. 

Details of the five Commercialization Program recipients are listed below. For more information about the clients and their innovations, or to explore opportunities to collaborate with Natural Products Canada, please contact: [email protected].

• FREDsense Technologies
  • Program: Proof of Concept
  • Project Budget: $876,547
  • NPC Contribution: $350,000
  • Province: AB
  • The FRED-PFAS sensor is a powerful new tool to detect toxic “forever chemicals” in water. Fast, portable, and easy to use—and NPC’s support now enables them to accelerate the development of this rapid, field-ready PFAS detection tool.  
• BioNorth Solutions
  • Program: Access to Talent
  • Project Budget: $258,750
  • NPC Contribution: $103,500
  • Province: ON
  • BioNorth’s natural biostimulants help crops thrive—even in cold climates—by boosting growth, reducing fertilizer use, and improving soil health. NPC’s support for a new hire will accelerate this sustainable farming solution.
• Ostia Sciences
  • Program: Proof of Concept
  • Project Budget: $936,200
  • NPC Contribution: $350,000
  • Province: ON
  • Ostia Sciences is pioneering a novel class of oral health probiotics that produce phosphorylated lantibiotics. NPC’s program support will fund essential clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a natural oral health product. 
• Dispersa
  • Program: Access to Talent
  • Project Budget: $241,500
  • NPC Contribution: $96,600
  • Province:QC
  • Dispersa’s biosurfactants are natural replacements for key ingredients in many everyday products like detergents and personal care products.  NPC’s funding will support a new hire to lead the commercial scale-up operations and supply chain management.  
• Scotiaderm
  • Program: Proof of Concept
  • Project Budget: $347,246
  • NPC Contribution: $138,898
  • Province: NS
  • Scotiaderm has developed a proprietary natural active agent in a skin barrier formulation that protects against Moisture Associated Skin Damage caused by exposure to urine, feces, sweat and chaffing. Backed by strong early in vitro and in vivo results, they’re launching early adopter marketing trials while conducting Class III studies for this agent.

About Natural Products Canada

Natural Products Canada (NPC) is the driving force behind Canada’s Natural Product Innovation Cluster–a strategic and diverse community focused on the development and commercialization of naturally-derived products and technologies in health and life sciences, natural resources, agriculture and agri-food, and sustainable bioproducts. As part of its role in the Cluster, NPC offers in-depth advice and a suite of commercialization programs to Canadian early-stage companies and research institutes; provides connections and innovation scouting services to corporations and investors; and leverages an investment fund (Nàdarra Ventures) to help develop and de-risk promising Canadian opportunities. NPC has received financial support from the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund, administered by the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and the Centre of Excellence in Commercialization and Research (CECR) program, administered by the Networks of Centres of Excellence.