Twelve projects launching with the BC Fast Pilot program

Twelve B.C. businesses will be receiving funding for pilot projects thanks to a combined $1.5 million investment from Innovate BC and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), delivered through the BC Fast Pilot program.

“Innovation transforms industries and helps them remain competitive in global markets, and through the BC Fast Pilot program, we’re supporting the growth of B.C. companies creating new solutions that aim to do just that,” said Peter Cowan, president and CEO of Innovate BC. “This year’s recipients, which are addressing critical areas such as emission reduction, wildfire management, and health sciences, emphasize the immense value in advancing entrepreneurship and the impact of innovation in creating a more prosperous, future-ready British Columbia. We’re proud to deliver this initiative in partnership with NRC IRAP, strengthening the region’s innovation economy and cementing B.C.’s reputation as a global leader in technology.”

The 12 recipients in this year’s funding round include eight businesses from the Lower Mainland, three from the Interior, and one from Vancouver Island. 

The featured pilot projects include everything from residential water monitoring solutions and IoT-enabled period product dispensers to autonomous drones that fight wildfires and devices that clean the air at healthcare facilities.

The funding program is intended to help regional small-medium sized enterprises design, build, and operate a pilot plant or small demonstration of their technology in real-world conditions, thereby showing its impact and value to potential customers.

“The BC Fast Pilot program [...] has been instrumental in providing us the ability to secure large potential customers who very much recognize the potential of Orca technology,” said Kerry Chin, founder and CEO of Orca Water Solutions, which uses machine learning to spot usage patterns or unexpected water events. “Whereas we might have been able to sponsor one commercial scale pilot, now we are running three, each with its own set of unique challenges and new customer insights. We have dramatically improved our commercialization readiness and can speak to these pilots as ideal case studies for multiple distinct customer segments that we have identified as ideal for Orca.” 

One of this year’s funding recipients, pH7 Technologies, is receiving the award for the second time. After participating in the 2022-23 round, the Vancouver-based company went on to secure $1.5 million from PacifiCan, raise USD $16 million in a Series A round, and be recognized as one of the Global Cleantech 100 companies in 2024 and 2025. Now, pH7 Technologies is teaming up with a B.C.-based mining company to pilot a critical mineral extraction process.

"The BC Fast Pilot Program has provided vital resources for advancing our copper extraction technology, supporting both crucial R&D phases and pilot development,” said Mohammad Doostmohammadi, CEO and founder of pH7 Technologies. “This program recognizes the importance of innovative solutions in sustainable mining and has enabled us to demonstrate how our copper extraction process can achieve high yields while maintaining environmental responsibility." 

This is the sixth round of funding through the BC Fast Pilot program, which was launched in 2019. Since the program’s inception, and including this year’s awardees, $11.4 million has been invested into 87 B.C. pilot demonstrations.

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