Natural Products Canada

Chinova Bioworks

Co-founders David Brown and Natasha Dhayagude ©Chinova Bioworks
Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

Natural Products Canada Invests $1.7M in Seven Startups, Including Chinova Bioworks & Henri Nutrition

Natural Products Canada (NPC) has announced an investment of $1.7 million into seven Canadian startups producing innovative bio-based and natural products. The startups are: “Investment in a stronger Canada” The seven companies are all recipients of NPC’s Commercialization Programs, designed to accelerate the path to market. The programs focus on three areas to help companies attract partners and investors — product validation & scaling, talent, and competitive strategy. Called Proof of Concept, Access to Talent, and Fast Track to Financing, NPC’s programs provide startups with up to $350,000 in support. NPC works with the companies as a “strategic angel” throughout the application process, providing guidance and resources from its network of over 4000 investors, industry leaders, and experts. In previous years, NPC has invested in …

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vegane Gummibärchen stehen auf weißer Fläche

© baudet72 – stock.adobe.com
Ingredients

Canadian Researchers Receive Funding to Disrupt Gelatin Market with Pea-Based Alternative

Nonprofit organization Natural Products Canada (NPC) is contributing $78,430 to support a novel plant-based gelatin project that could disrupt the gelatin market with a substitute for the growing vegan and halal demand. In 2022, Dr. Lingyun Chen and her team at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta found a process to create a plant-based gelatin substitute from pea protein.  Described as a “powerful” alternative, the novel gelatin changes easily from liquid to gel state and vice versa — a feature that could optimize industrial applications. Additionally, it contains more proteins than existing plant-based substitutes. The product is patent pending. Huge market for plant-based gelatin The project aims to evaluate how this new pea-protein-based gelatin performs in real food applications such …

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Plant-based Salmon Filet

©New School Foods
Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

From Honey Bee Conservation to Plant-Based Salmon: Natural Products Canada Awards $1M to Bio-Based Companies

Natural Products Canada (NPC) announces it has awarded over CAD $1M in grants to ten Canadian companies creating bio-based innovations. Representing a range of startups and universities, the innovators are creating solutions that address everything from saving honey bee colonies and upcycling industrial waste to making plant-based salmon, natural food additives and non-toxic cleaning supplies. To receive funding, which was administered through NPC’s Commercialization Programs, each applicant had to provide “a compelling case” for their innovation and detail the challenge the program funds would address. “We continue to be inspired by the innovators we work with on a daily basis,” says Shelley King, CEO of Natural Products Canada. “The solutions have the potential to address challenges as diverse as protecting our bee populations to ensure our farmers …

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