The Toronto technology hub, MaRS, has sought to support
female-led Canadian cleantech companies by teaming up with
RBC to launch a 24-month cleantech accelerator program. The
two-year program recruits
7-10 female entrepreneurs with impressive cleantech
products, and offers them mentorship opportunities, an expert
business advisor and access to investor networks in an effort to
help each startup excel in a historically male-dominated sector.
RBC has reported that in Canada, only
one in 10 cleantech founders are women, a statistic that
inspired the creation of the program.
Since its incubation in 2021, the accelerator has had much
success. One of many success stories surrounds
Moment Energy, a cleantech startup that repurposes used
electrical vehicle batteries and transforms them into larger,
rechargeable energy storage systems that can be used to balance
electricity flows and demand peaks. Moment Energy began in 2020 as
a small four-person operation,
led by its
