The results are in!
3 years. 6 women. $1 million grand prize
Diversity of thought. Real technological solutions. Solving climate and environmental challenges!
On November 30, Amanda Hall was selected as the Grand Prize Winner and was awarded the $1-million grand prize.
It all started in 2018, when MaRS Discovery District and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) announced the Women in Cleantech Challenge, a three-year national competition that provided six entrepreneurs with unprecedented levels of support, and connected them to some of the top government laboratories, investors, and corporations in the world.
Transcript
In 2018 we launched the Impact Canada Women in Cleantech Challenge to change the future of innovation and support women in STEM.
Of 148 competitors, 6 finalists were selected to participate in an intensive 30-month business accelerator program competing for funding to invest in their business.
We're now pleased to announce the winner of the $1 million grand prize! Congratulations to Amanda Hall, Founder & CEO of Summit Nanotech, who has developed a "green" method to generate battery-grade lithium.
#WomenInCleantech
#ImpactCanada
MaRS
Canada
Why “Women in Cleantech”
Much of the technology needed to reach net zero has not been invented yet. Empowering women to succeed in Canada’s clean tech economy will help bring the needed diversity of thought to yield real technological answers for some of the biggest global problems. Women are a powerful force in Canada’s innovation economy, but are significantly underrepresented in the area of clean technology.
Innovative Funding, Innovative Solutions
The Women in Cleantech Challenge is part of the broader, government-wide Impact Canada Initiative, led by the Privy Council Office, and is coordinated by NRCan in partnership with MaRS Discovery District. This is the first of NRCan’s Clean Tech Impact Challenges to announce the winner.
The Challenge was designed to help mitigate gender imbalance in STEM careers and is currently supporting the creation of six new, highly impactful and globally significant clean technology companies founded and run by women.
Following a national call and expert selection process, six finalists were chosen from almost 150 applicants to participate in an intensive 3 year incubation program.
Challenge details
To apply you must be
- A woman
- A Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- The main innovator/individual leading the project
Key dates
- Deadline to apply: July 13, 2018
- Grand Prize Winner announced: November 30, 2021
Prizes
- Six Winners received $115,000 per year for 3 years for living and travel expenses
- $300,000 in business incubation support, and up to $250,000 for Federal Laboratory research support
- One Grand Prize Winner will receive $1 million to continue building her business