Meet the Round 7 BC Fast Awardees

Delivered in partnership between Innovate BC and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), the BC Fast Pilot program helps regional small-medium sized enterprises design, build, and operate their technology at pilot scale in real-world conditions. This allows B.C. technology companies to demonstrate the impact of their product, measure the value of their solution, and encourage customer adoption, with the goal of scaling their solutions while strengthening key industries, solving local and global challenges, and driving prosperity for British Columbians.

This is the seventh 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, $13M has been invested into 98 B.C. pilot-scale demonstration projects.

Meet the latest round of BC Fast Pilot awardees.

A2O Advanced Materials Inc.

A2O Advanced Materials (A2O) has developed a novel adhesive material that can transform how the threat of corrosion is overcome in the marine industry and beyond. A2O’s product uses dynamic adhesion and self-healing to reduce maintenance costs and coating pollution, and prevent the failure of assets due to corrosion-mediated failure. This solution will be piloted with marine partners in Richmond to demonstrate its potential to simplify coating repairs and enable marine assets to work longer and safer. 

“The BC Fast Pilot program, supported by NRC-IRAP and Innovate BC, has enabled A2O to accelerate its product development and position the technology for critical piloting with its first customers in the marine industry. Along with pilots, this support is enabling much more rapid scale-up of manufacturing, which is a key milestone for buy-in with potential customers. A2O is developing a novel adhesive coating material that can overcome the limitations, in particular underwater adhesion and long-term durability, that hamper and frustrate marine operators who maintain assets and manage maintenance, repair and overhaul. A2O is positioned to offer a total coating solution to corrosion to extend asset lifetime and prevent marine pollution. We are grateful for the support from NRC-IRAP and Innovate BC.” – Damon Gilmour, Vice President, Research, A2O

 
Block 9 - RecycloRobo.ai

Block 9 Consultancy is transforming beverage container recycling with AI-powered Smart Return Bins that provide sorting-at-source for households, strata buildings, and community spaces such as schools and churches. Integrated with a mobile app, the system removes the hassle of depot lineups by bringing recycling directly to users, enabling them to track their consumption, earn instant rewards, and contribute to higher participation rates. The pilot project will take place in Vancouver to validate the solution’s ability to enhance convenience, generate audit-ready data, and strengthen ESG compliance while setting a new standard for sustainable recycling in Canada.

“Recycling today is often inconvenient and unclear, discouraging families from participating. Through the BC Fast Pilot program, we’ve been able to bring our Smart Return Bins into homes and communities, making recycling simple, traceable, and rewarding. The program funding has been instrumental in helping us test our innovation at scale, and our experience with the program has been incredibly supportive and collaborative. Together, we’re shaping a cleaner and more accountable future.” – Tanvir Ahsan, CEO, Block 9 - Recyclorobo.ai

 
Cascadia 4x4

Cascadia 4x4 is addressing the challenge of powering fleet and service vehicles with the world’s first vehicle-specific solar systems that integrate onto the hood of a vehicle to deliver a constant flow of green energy. This technology provides a steady trickle charge to maintain batteries when not in use and powers essential electronics such as radios, fridges, Starlink, tools, and safety equipment – reducing the need for idling and lowering GHG emissions. The solution will be piloted on service vehicles in the Squamish and Chilcotin regions to validate their commercial feasibility and effectiveness in supporting demanding operations under remote conditions.

"The Cascadia 4x4 team is very excited to prove the benefits and durability of our new VSS 2.0 Hood Solar Panel Systems working in conjunction with both the Xeni G'wetin First Nations and Squamish Search and Rescue who will provide us with feedback and field testing in remote and demanding real world settings. We anticipate achieving reduced vehicle fuel and maintenance costs along with a reduction in idle time and GHG emissions for service vehicles. This project would not be possible without the help of the BC Fast Pilot program. The results of this real-world testing will be invaluable for the future commercial feasibility of our product line and access to commercial contracts moving forward." David Loretto, Co-Owner, Cascadia 4x4 Ltd. 

ENVO Drive Systems

ENVO Drive Systems is piloting its Utility Personal Transporter (UPT), a lightweight, electric, and modular vehicle designed for municipal and urban applications. The UPT addresses the challenge of reducing reliance on internal combustion engine (ICE) utility trucks, lowering fuel costs and CO₂ emissions while improving operational efficiency. Taking place in Victoria, the pilot project will focus on testing the UPT’s real-world performance in municipal tasks such as park maintenance, snow removal on bike trails, and urban event logistics, and will validate the UPT’s durability, cost savings, emissions reduction, and overall market fit.

"The ENVO Utility Personal Transporter tackles the challenge of replacing gas-powered utility trucks with an efficient, modular, and zero-emission alternative. Thanks to the BC Fast Pilot program funding, we’ve been able to test our technology in real-world municipal operations with the City of Victoria—an essential step in validating cost savings, emissions reduction, and user adoption. This program is helping us bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization while supporting British Columbia’s clean technology goals." — Ali Kazemkhani, CEO, ENVO Drive Systems Inc.

Ergo Eco Solutions

Ergo Eco Solutions (Ergo) is piloting its dust control and road stabilization product derived from recycled organic materials to tackle air quality and road safety challenges, and high maintenance costs caused by traffic on unpaved roads. The pilot project is taking place on Mill Bay and will validate the solution’s ability to advance B.C.’s circular economy through upcycling food waste into bio-based Oil-ternative® industrial products that are safer for people and the planet.

“Significant dust generation from industrial and rural road use poses risks to health and safety and results in higher maintenance costs for roads and vehicles. During the dry summer months, excess dust is typically managed with water-intensive methods that are costly and increasingly at odds with water conservation priorities. With support from the BC Fast Pilot program, Ergo Eco Solutions is piloting a locally made, biodegradable dust control product derived from recycled food waste that significantly reduces both application frequency and water use. The program has been instrumental in helping us validate this innovative solution with the Malahat Nation, build strong local partnerships, and accelerate the adoption of clean, bio-based technologies like Ergo’s new Oil-ternative® dust control product.” – Brian Roberts, M.Sc., P.Ag., P.Geio., CEO, Ergo Eco Solutions

FUTURi Power

FUTURi Power is tackling high energy costs and complex infrastructure in Net Zero housing with the Energy Processor – a programmable energy computer that integrates load management, battery charging, and peak shaving in a single unit. The pilot project, taking place in Vancouver, is testing how the Energy Processor optimizes energy flow during off-peak and high-demand periods to lower energy costs, reduce grid strain, and enable reliable battery-based backup power. This demonstration will help validate cost savings, confirm compatibility with BC Hydro’s time-of-day pricing and rebate programs, and showcase how the Energy Processor can make Net Zero homes more affordable, resilient, and scalable.

“Home electrification is becoming expensive and complicated for builders. The Energy Processor changes that with one safe, intelligent system that cuts installation costs, eliminates extra hardware, and helps builders meet Net Zero standards without added complexity. The Energy Processor battery charger brings unprecedented intelligence and features to modern homes: off-peak energy storage, backup power, and peak shaving during high-demand periods. We are grateful to Innovate BC and NRC IRAP for their support – through the BC Fast Pilot Program – in deploying the Energy Processor and to Averra Developments for partnering with us on this pilot project. Together, we are advancing the province’s clean electrification efforts.” – Dr. Martin Ordonez, CEO, FUTURi Power

 
Pure Water Engineering

Pure Water Engineering is addressing harmful algal blooms and GHG emissions in lakes with its LimnOx oxygenation technology, which restores dissolved oxygen to lake bottom waters to suppress methane release, improve water quality, and support aquatic life. The pilot project is being implemented at Swan Lake in Victoria and will validate LimnOx’s performance in improving water quality while quantifying its impact on reducing methane emissions.

"Swan Lake faces a dual challenge: poor water quality and high methane emissions that threaten its ecology and the surrounding community. The BC Fast Pilot program has allowed us to take our technology from concept to real-world deployment, providing the resources and partnerships needed to demonstrate its benefits. This program has not only accelerated our technology’s development but also strengthened our ability to deliver measurable climate and water quality improvements across British Columbia." – Ryan Black, Principal Engineer, Pure Water Engineering

 
Shift Coastal Technologies

Shift Coastal Technologies is advancing maritime safety with a Very High Frequency (VHF) radio listening post designed to detect distress calls (such as Mayday, Pan-Pan, and Sécurité), and provide real-time notifications. Integrated with the company’s Coastal Incident Management System, the solution enables users to monitor ongoing transcripts for improved awareness and coordination. The solution will be piloted in Nanaimo to test and validate its ability to reduce missed distress calls, strengthening emergency readiness along the coast.

"This pilot demonstrates how technology can transform maritime safety. By combining a VHF listening post with real-time transcripts through our Coastal Incident Management System, we’re showing that faster, more reliable communication tools are possible for responders. We are grateful to the BC Fast Pilot program for their support in helping us validate this innovation and bring it to coastal communities." – James Spencer, CEO, Shift Coastal Technologies
 

Anaramapower (DBA Skyscouter) 

Anarampower (DBA SkyScouter) is tackling the high costs, safety risks, and GHG emissions associated with traditional forestry inspections that rely on helicopters or short-range electric drones with a hybrid-propulsion, AI-enabled drone system featuring enhanced flight endurance, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capability, and fleet coordination software, designed for long-range mapping, monitoring, and emergency response. The pilot project, taking place in Port Hardy is validating SkyScouter’s ability to deliver safer, lower-cost, and more environmentally friendly forest monitoring, demonstrating endurance, accuracy, and scalability for forestry operations, wildfire recovery, and infrastructure inspection.

“Traditional forestry inspections are costly, carbon-intensive, and often unsafe. With support from the BC Fast Pilot program, we have been able to validate our SkyScouter hybrid drone in real-world B.C. forests—proving its endurance, accuracy, and scalability. The program has been instrumental in accelerating our commercialization journey and has been a highly valuable experience for our team.” – Mohammad (Sam) Sarabi, Founder & CEO, Anarampower Ltd/SkyScouter

T-MAR Industries 

T-MAR Industries is piloting a new log yarder that utilizes T-MAR’s in-house designed hybrid diesel electric powertrain and live regenerative winch. This new class of machinery is cleaner, more powerful, easier to operate and requires less maintenance than traditional mechanically driven equipment. The pilot project is taking place in Campbell River and will help demonstrate how the solution can reduce GHG emissions for forestry companies while supporting the harvesting of renewable timber resources.

"The BC Fast Pilot program, supported by NRC IRAP and Innovate BC, has made this innovation possible by helping us test and demonstrate the new machinery to secure future orders, and to reduce the risk of introducing a radical new design in an industry steeped in tradition.  We have gained exposure and generated keen interest in our customers here at home, and around the world thanks to this program.” – Tyson Lambert, Vice President, Sales and Engineering, T-MAR Industries

Voxelis

Voxelis is tackling the challenge of collecting, processing and delivering high-bandwidth data from the edge in wildfire environments, where operations are remote, airborne, and infrastructure is limited. Building on its airborne AI system, VoxVision, this pilot project is focused on the airborne networking and ground-based server infrastructure needed to collect and aggregate data from a diverse aircraft fleet and deliver it as actionable intelligence with minimal delay. The solution is being piloted in Victoria, demonstrating how live connectivity between helicopters and ground systems can close the gap between airborne detection and coordinated wildfire response.

"By enabling affordable real-time transmission of high-bandwidth data from the airspace above a wildfire, this project unlocks a new level of capability from our VoxVision sensors and provides wildfire agencies with a practical, low-cost source of airborne intelligence from aircraft already under contract, effectively doubling their utility overnight. The BC Fast Pilot program has allowed us to rapidly iterate on the hardware, software, and testing needed to bring this powerful capability to operational status as quickly as possible. Programs like BC Fast let ambitious companies develop and scale homegrown technology here in B.C., and Voxelis AI is proud and honoured to be a beneficiary of this program." – Colin O’Neill, CEO, Voxelis Canada Corporation