Category: Startup Interventions

Project Zero econext Circular Economy Incubator

Posted on by Chelsie Cake

The Project Zero econext Circular Economy Incubator is a free program to help entrepreneurs and businesses explore opportunities for innovative new approaches to waste management in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).

Over the course of 6 months, participants will advance their ideas forward and benefit from entrepreneurial skill-building, circular economy expertise, ongoing business mentorship, and access to a network of like-minded organizations and leaders. You can read more our first cohort and our latest pitch winner here.

Program Outcomes

Through the incubator, program participants will:

  • Develop a business plan
  • Learn how to pitch their ideas
  • ​Build a foundation of business fundamentals and entrepreneurial skills
  • ​Connect with mentors and coaches
  • ​Network with innovative business leaders and industry experts
  • ​Come together with like-minded entrepreneurs going through the same process

At the end of the program, participants will have a better understanding of the feasibility of their ideas and what the next steps are in their pursuit.

Applications

Applications are now closed.

Program Schedule

  • February – Applications open.
  • April – Applications close. Cohort is selected from the applicant pool.
  • May – Each venture is matched with a business coach, meeting monthly to provide mentorship, facilitate connections, and jump hurdles. Ventures participate in monthly virtual sessions hosted by industry experts, covering entrepreneurship and sustainability fundamentals. In tandem with sessions, ventures complete assignments that build towards a comprehensive business plan.
  • December – Ventures compete in the final pitch event, presenting to an audience of investors, industry experts, and media.

Why is Innovation in NL’s Waste Management Important?

Newfoundland and Labrador has a small population spread across vast areas of land. Its communities and industries are often found in rural and sometimes even remote areas. These circumstances make the provision of waste management services challenging. Processes and technologies that are proven elsewhere often are uneconomic in the NL context due to smaller scales of activity and volumes of waste. Meanwhile, NL is one of the largest producers per capita of waste in Canada; our waste has significant environmental impacts including the fact that our landfills are responsible for ~7% of the province’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Developing and adopting new technologies and services that diverts waste from our landfills can have a positive environmental impact and reduce our waste management costs.

What is the Circular Economy?

In today’s world, most of the products we purchase are made from raw resources and are designed to be used for only a short time before being disposed of and ending up at a landfill. On average, only 7.2% of materials are recirculated back into the global economy at end-of-life. This ‘take-make-waste’ economy is resource-intensive and puts pressure on Earth’s natural ecosystems.

Taking a more ‘circular’ approach means rethinking how products are designed, manufactured, used, and treated at the end of their useful life. In a circular economy, products and materials recirculate within the supply chain through reduction, reuse and repair, redistribution, reconditioning, and recycling processes.

A more circular economy reduces waste and pollution, while helping to increase resource efficiency.

Questions

If you have any questions on the Project Zero econext Circular Economy Incubator or the application process, please reach out to incubator@econext.ca.

About Synergy Foundation

Synergy Foundation was created in 2013 by the Synergy Enterprises team and a group of passionate community members and leaders who recognized the need for a non-profit organization to lead the transition towards a green economy on the west coast. Since its inception, Synergy Foundation has focused on innovative projects and programs that have pushed the envelope, supported hundreds of businesses, and turned great ideas into action.

​Our core focus areas include supporting communities and businesses in adopting circular economy practices and advancing green business operations to foster a regenerative, inclusive, and equitable economy. This is represented in our core initiatives: BC Green Business, Project Zero, and the Ecostar Awards.

2025 Program Participants

2025 Program Cohort List

• Chemisphere
• Ecofoundland Innovation
• FutureSprout
• Gale’s Wastewater Services
• MME Energy Inc.
• Oil Filtration Solutions Ltd.
• PrinterAPI
• ReLab Arts
• Starfish Anchor

2025 Program Mentor List

We are extremely grateful to our mentors for generously volunteering their time and expertise to support the Project Zero econext Incubator ventures.

• Brad Russell
• Don Drew
• Joshua Barrett
• Larry Gray
• Renita Dominaux
• Shandi Caines
• Shem Evans
• BJ Danylchuk
• Diane Hollett

2025 Informational Webinar

Please find both the recording and presentation from the 2025 Project Zero econext Circular Economy Incubator webinar.

Click here for the presentation.

Click here for the webinar recording.

Ocean Startup Activator – NL Edition

Posted on by Chelsie Cake

The Ocean Startup Activator – NL Edition is an in-person event on March 11 at Memorial University’s Core Science Facility, designed for students, researchers, innovators, and aspiring entrepreneurs passionate about the Blue Economy. This immersive day features dynamic ideation exercises, team-building activities, and insights from industry leaders, offering participants the opportunity to develop innovative solutions to real-world ocean challenges! Gain access to valuable resources, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and take the next step on your entrepreneurial journey in the ocean sector.

Prizes

1st Place: $400
2nd Place: $300
3rd Place: $200

For this Ocean Startup Activator participants can expect the challenge statements to fall under Sustainable Seafood or Autonomous Vessels & Robotics. Additional details will be presented on the morning of the Activator. You do not need to have a background, knowledge or experience in these areas to participate. We encourage those that have no exposure to these industries to participate to bring an outside perspective with unique ideas to solving these real world problems. Teams for the Ocean Startup Activator should consist of 2 to 4 members.

Following the Ocean Startup Activator, econext will provide student participants the opportunity to have their ideas reviewed by industry mentors and receive expert feedback. Students that incorporate the feedback into an updated pitch will be eligible to receive a gift card as a thank you for your effort.

Learn more and register here.

About the organizers

econext

econext is a not-for-profit association with a mission to accelerate clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador through a focus in three areas of activity: innovation, workforce, and net zero. econext has been working for over 30 years on behalf of its members across many sectors to support environmentally sustainable economic development. With a membership of over 150 businesses, research institutions, governments, and organizations – econext is Newfoundland and Labrador’s leading voice on the green economy.

Ocean Startup Project

The Ocean Startup Project propels Canada as the top destination for ocean entrepreneurs, driving innovation across the ocean economy. Our mission is to transform Canada into a global hub where ocean startups can thrive, from inception to global market presence. Leveraging a network that includes Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and partners from across the country – Genesis, Springboard Atlantic, PEI BioAlliance, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF), Technopole Maritime du Québec (TMQ), Invest Nova Scotia, and the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) – we bolster Canada’s innovation ecosystem for ocean-focused startups. Our efforts have catapulted us to the forefront, being recognized in the top 5 accelerators/incubators in North America and top 10 globally in the Blue Economy sector according to Startup Genome’s Report. Launched in 2020, we’ve quickly become a global contender, not only speeding up market access for Canadian startups but also attracting international ventures. Join us in navigating the future of the ocean economy, where together, we can unlock the ocean’s full potential.

Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship

We inspire students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to seek ways to solve real-world local and global problems through innovative business solutions. By fostering collaboration and accelerating innovation, we aim to cultivate Newfoundland and Labrador’s next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. In doing so, we seek to be the early-stage catalyst that helps make Newfoundland and Labrador the most entrepreneurial province in Canada.

Genesis

As Newfoundland and Labrador’s pre-eminent innovation hub, Genesis is known for its flagship incubator program, Enterprise, which began over twenty-five years ago. Since its inception, Genesis has expanded its programming to support startups from the ideation stage all the way to scaling their business. Genesis’ mission is to create opportunity for the province by developing and supporting technology entrepreneurs.

econext partners with Ocean Startup Project to present innovation spotlights for idea challenge

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
June 5, 2024

econext has partnered with the Ocean Startup Project to present a series of innovation spotlights to help inspire entrepreneurs competing in The Ocean Idea Challenge.

The Ocean Idea Challenge invites aspiring entrepreneurs to begin their customer discovery journey, aimed at turning innovative ideas into viable solutions for sustainable ocean industries.

“The development of ocean technology is one of our great innovative strengths in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO. “We want to double down on that and do what we can to help create a wave of new startups focused on environmental sustainability in our oceans.”

Hanley said that one way econext can contribute is by providing entrepreneurs with real world environmental challenges that industry is facing. “Not every entrepreneurially-minded person comes to table with an idea in hand, and so we are helping by seeding a few ideas worth exploring.”

“Collaboration between industry and startups is crucial in bringing fresh and innovative perspectives to expert-identified ocean challenges,” said Paula Mendonça, Executive Director at the Ocean Startup Project. “By working together, we not only lend credibility and validation to these emerging companies but also give them a significant advantage in their customer discovery journey. It’s through this synergy that we can drive meaningful change and propel our industries forward, creating a future where innovation and expertise go hand in hand.”

More information on the Ocean Idea Challenge can be found here.

Winners of the challenge receive:

  • Funding: Secure up to $7,000 to support your early stages of customer discovery and help bring your ideas to fruition.
  • Resources and Support: Access local technology innovation hubs, receive expert guidance, and utilize extensive resources to refine your project.
  • Network Building: Engage with potential teammates, partners, and industry leaders who are equally committed to the health of our oceans.

Innovation Spotlights

econext submitted the following industry challenges for entrepreneurs to consider:

Offshore Energy

Canada’s oceans present a new challenge for offshore wind developments: icebergs. To realize the region’s full economic potential, new technologies and procedures are needed to mitigate the risks that icebergs may present to offshore wind farms. Challenge: Develop a solution to predict the flow and/or mitigate the risks of icebergs on offshore wind farms and infrastructure.

Fuel switching for marine transportation

Ships and boats are long-term investments; while future vessels may incorporate renewable technologies in their designs, fossil fuels dependent vessels will still be on our waters for many years. Given the size of Canada’s ocean sectors and the important role that marine transportation plays, economical approaches to fuel switching for marine transportation are required if Canada is to meet its net zero by 2050 commitments. Challenge: Develop economical and scalable solutions for retrofitting existing marine vessels to utilize alternative, low-emission fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, or biofuels, ensuring compatibility with current infrastructure and operational demands.

Storm surge modeling

Climate change is causing more intense storm activity more often in Canada. Storm surges have proven to have the capacity to inflict a great deal of damage to our communities, and this is true in many places of the world. Better storm surge modeling may prove to have important benefits from the perspective of infrastructure planning, emergency preparedness, etc. Challenge: Develop advanced modeling tools that can predict the impact of storm surges with greater accuracy and provide real-time data integration. These tools should be designed to assist in urban planning, emergency response strategies, and the development of infrastructure capable of withstanding severe weather events.

Wastewater

Regions across Canada have a significant wastewater problem. The discharge of sewage to the ocean environment in the form of treated or untreated wastewater can have serious impacts on life. The investment, installation, monitoring, and maintenance related to most technologies is a burden that most small communities find extremely difficult to bear. New approaches and solutions are required to help Canada to discontinue this environmentally unsustainable practice. Challenge: Develop cost-effective, low-maintenance wastewater treatment solutions tailored for small communities in Canada. These solutions should minimize environmental impact, be easy to implement and maintain, and effectively reduce or eliminate the discharge of harmful contaminants into the marine environment.

Registration

Registration for the Ocean Idea Challenge is open from Tuesday, April 30 until Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 11:59pm PT. Click here for more information.

econext is an association of businesses that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador and works on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.

The Ocean Startup Project propels Canada as the top destination for ocean entrepreneurs, driving innovation across the ocean economy. Our mission is to transform Canada into a global hub where ocean startups can thrive, from inception to global market presence. Leveraging a network that includes Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and partners from across the country – Genesis, Springboard Atlantic, PEI BioAlliance, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF), Technopole Maritime du Québec (TMQ), Invest Nova Scotia, and the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) – we bolster Canada’s innovation ecosystem for ocean-focused startups. Our efforts have catapulted us to the forefront, being recognized in the top 5 accelerators/incubators in North America and top 10 globally in the Blue Economy sector according to Startup Genome’s Report. Launched in 2020, we’ve quickly become a global contender, not only speeding up market access for Canadian startups but also attracting international ventures. Join us in navigating the future of the ocean economy, where together, we can unlock the ocean’s full potential. Learn more about The Ocean Startup Project at https://oceanstartupproject.ca/.

econext partners with the Ocean Startup Project to stimulate clean growth innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
August 16, 2022

St. John’s (NL) – econext is working with the Ocean Startup Project to highlight industry challenges related to Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean growth economy.

The partnership is part of the Ocean Startup Challenge which aims to uncover and support early stage entrepreneurial ideas or technologies in the oceans sector. The Ocean Startup Challenge will award approximately $750,000 to founders and teams across the country. In addition to the funding, winners will receive ocean-specific programming, mentorship, one-on-one sessions with Executives-in-Residence and industry experts, networking opportunities and more.

“Our province is home to a world class cleantech cluster, with much of our technology being oceans focused,” said Kieran Hanley, CEO at econext. “It is important to recognize and build on these strengths to help solve the problems that will help fight climate change and grow our green and blue economies.” Hanley said that partnering with the Ocean Startup Project to present Innovation Spotlights will help draw attention to opportunities particularly relevant in the Newfoundland and Labrador context.

Innovation Spotlights aim to inspire and encourage prospective entrepreneurs to develop cutting-edge technologies and solve real-world problems the ocean sector is facing. These Innovation Spotlights are areas where Canadian-based innovators can achieve significant wins based on capability, natural assets and skillset, while driving change within the industry that is more sustainable and efficient.

“We are seeing really strong momentum in Canada’s ocean startup ecosystem with net-new entrepreneurs, more research being commercialized and new ocean hubs being created to foster ocean technology,” said Donald Grant, Executive Director at the Ocean Startup Project. “What we know in Canada is that there is a deep, inherent knowledge of the ocean, world-class research occurring and an awakening appetite for sustainable, innovative solutions – and that is what we are intending to leverage through the Ocean Startup Challenge and Innovation Spotlights.”

The partnership is highlighting three industry challenges, including:

  • The development of a more reliable and lower-cost technology and/or process to monitor and manage the subsea assets of clean energy infrastructure that will withstand the challenges presented by the North Atlantic (e.g., icebergs, geology, weather conditions). More Info
  • The development of a technology and/or process that allows ports to maximize the role that they can play in electricity supply and demand management to the benefit of electricity grids. More Info
  • The development of a technology and/or process that allows for finding value in or alternative disposal methods for plastic wastes associated with aquaculture operations. More Info

Hanley said that the Innovation Spotlights were designed to align with emerging clean growth opportunities in the province, as well as with environmental challenges it is already facing. “The solutions that we develop right here in Newfoundland and Labrador can be exported and applied worldwide; we hope to spark the interest of creative and innovative minds here in this province by putting these forward,” Hanley said.

More information on the Ocean Startup Challenge and Innovation Spotlights can be found at https://oceanstartupproject.ca/challenge/. Applications for the 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge are open until September 1, 2022 at 11:59pm ADT.

econext is an association of businesses that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador, working on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.

The Ocean Startup Project inspires, initiates and invests, making Canada the best place in the world to start and grow an ocean venture. The project team creates and delivers activities to support ideation through commercialization, for innovators and entrepreneurs from industry to academia. The Ocean Startup Project offerings complement existing industry accelerators, incubators and other support organizations across Canada’s world-class innovation ecosystem. Together with our partners – Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), Genesis Centre, Innovacorp, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, PEI BioAlliance, Springboard Atlantic, Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST), and Technopole Maritime du Québec (TMQ) – the Ocean Startup Project is accelerating how homegrown startups get their technologies to market and attract international companies to Canada’s shores.

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Media Contacts:

Kieran Hanley
CEO
kieran@econext.ca

Laurie Snell
Director of Marketing and Communications, Ocean Startup Project
lsnell@oceanstartupproject.ca