Halifax, NOVA SCOTIA — Today Natural Products Canada (NPC) announced a $1,520,976 investment across nine early‑stage companies. This brings its total investment to over $14.6 million across more than 100 Canadian start‑ups.
The nine funding recipients represent the breadth of Canada’s bio‑based innovation pipeline. They are developing solutions in sustainable packaging and bioplastics, personal care, cultivated food ingredients, precision fermentation, advanced biomaterials, reforestation, and agricultural technology. NPC’s investment will enable $3,833,520 in total project activities across six provinces.
“What stands out about these recipients is where they are in their journey. These nine companies are past the question of whether the science works. Now they’re tackling the harder problems — scaling production, landing first customers, and building supply chains that can compete globally. That’s the stage where great bio‑innovations can stall, and it’s exactly where NPC is designed to help. We’re backing Canadian founders who are turning homegrown research into companies the world will want to buy from.”
Shelley King, Founder & CEO, Natural Products Canada.
“These investments, supported through the Strategic Response Fund, will accelerate the commercialization of homegrown technology, creating new jobs across the country and attributing to a more sustainable and resilient economy. The funded projects are advancing innovative solutions, expanding opportunities for Canadian entrepreneurs, and reinforcing Canada’s global leadership in the bioeconomy. By supporting early-stage companies, the Government of Canada is helping Canadian innovations scale and compete successfully on the world stage.”
Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
This investment is supported by the Government of Canada’s Strategic Response Fund. It is building momentum behind NPC’s bioeconomy leadership across the country and around the globe. NPC’s Commercialization Programs bridge the gap between innovation and market success for early‑stage companies.
Portfolio companies have leveraged every dollar of NPC investment to secure an additional $52 in follow‑on capital. This creates a powerful multiplier effect. Thirteen high‑performing companies from our initial investment fund catalyzed the formation of Nàdarra Ventures. This venture capital fund is now amplifying our impact helping to further strengthen Canada’s competitive position in commercializing homegrown bio‑innovations that address global markets.
Through Proof of Concept, Fast Track to Financing, and Access to Talent streams, NPC provides financial support while acting as a “strategic angel,” offering guidance and connections to its network.
Details of the nine recipients of our Commercialization Program investment are listed below. For more information about the clients and their innovations, or to explore collaboration opportunities with Natural Products Canada, please contact: [email protected]
Commercialization Program Recipients
GreenVeil Packaging
- Program: Proof of Concept
- Project Budget: $400,000
- NPC Contribution: $160,000
- Province: Ontario
GreenVeil Packaging develops ultra‑biodegradable bioplastic. This Proof of Concept project will support the production scale up and demonstration trials of nursery seedling trays and pots.
DermCo
- Program: Proof of Concept
- Project Budget: $471,600
- NPC Contribution: $186,640
- Province: Quebec
DermCo is validating a novel delivery system for personal care products. The funding will support the optimization, stability, and shelf‑life studies to demonstrate the performance for hair and acne natural health products.
Launch Bioindustries
- Program: Proof of Concept
- Project Budget: $770,965
- NPC Contribution: $308,386
- Province: Ontario
Launch Bioindustries has developed a vertically integrated biomanufacturing platform to produce bioplastic from waste. This project will advance production capabilities across novel feedstocks, demonstrating technical feasibility, process reproducibility, and economics.
Myo Palate
- Program: Proof of Concept
- Project Budget: $652,625
- NPC Contribution: $261,050
- Province: Ontario
Myo Palate is scaling production of cultivated pork. The project will validate their bioreactor technology and allow them to optimize ideal sensory targets for cultivated pork.
REVO Bio Chem
- Program: Fast Track to Financing
- Project Budget: $88,580
- NPC Contribution: $25,000
- Province: Alberta
REVO Bio Chem is developing a yeast‑based fermentation platform to produce high‑value bio‑based compounds. This funding supports the production planning required to optimize and de‑risk commercial scale‑up.
Anomera
- Program: Fast Track to Financing
- Project Budget: $60,000
- NPC Contribution: $24,000
- Province: Quebec
Anomera produces innovative cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) known to improve the strength and durability of products in the cosmetics, bioplastics, adhesives and coatings markets. This funding supports go‑to‑market planning to accelerate the commercialization into the coatings market.
Infusd
- Program: Access to Talent
- Project Budget: $212,750
- NPC Contribution: $85,100
- Province: Nova Scotia
Infusd has developed a proprietary solubilization platform that brings insoluble ingredients like flavours, dyes, oils into solution. This allows therapeutic doses of vitamins and minerals as well as spices and natural preservatives to be delivered in a wide range of food and beverage products. This funding supports the addition of a Senior Director of Operations to advance the robust pipeline of ingredients toward commercial scale food and beverage products.
TreeTrack Intelligence
- Program: Proof of Concept
- Project Budget: $677,000
- NPC Contribution: $270,800
- Province: British Columbia
TreeTrack is developing a plant‑based Seedpod to help seeds establish in challenging environments where traditional planting can be difficult. This project will include field trials in British Columbia and across Canada to test and validate the technology under real‑world conditions.
PhyCo Technologies
- Program: Proof of Concept
- Project Budget: $500,000
- NPC Contribution: $200,000
- Province: British Columbia / Nova Scotia
PhyCo is making a new kind of farm film from seaweed instead of oil‑based plastic. The films break down safely in the soil and leave no plastic pollution behind. With NPC’s support, the team will improve the product, scale up production, and test it on real farms.
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 Response 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.