Aerial view of a bio-industrial facility at the edge of a boreal forest at dawn

Open innovation for natural resources & the bioeconomy

Turn your hardest operational challenges into proven solutions.

We design and run innovation challenges for industry and government — defining the problem, sourcing the innovators, validating solutions in the field, and connecting the winners to capital so they can scale with you.

Book a scoping call Take the 3-minute readiness check
7+innovation challenges delivered across energy, mining & forestry
40+companies with faster time to market
$70M+investment secured by participating ventures
CAD$40M+follow-on investment from a single challenge

Challenges delivered with

COSIAInternational Minerals Innovation InstituteFPInnovationsNAL ResourcesInnovative Reduction Strategies

The problem we solve

Innovation stalls between the pitch deck and the purchase order.

Large organizations know what they need to fix. Innovators have promising solutions. The gap is a disciplined way to connect the two — with clear criteria, real field evidence and a path to adoption.

  • A sharply defined challengeWe turn a broad ambition into a measurable problem statement your executives will back.
  • Solutions you wouldn't find on your ownOpen calls reach startups, SMEs and researchers outside your usual vendor list.
  • De-risked adoptionStaged evaluation and field demonstrations give you evidence before you commit capital.
Industry executives reviewing maps and notes around a boardroom table

Who we work with

Three ways in, one ecosystem.

Every challenge connects sponsors, innovators and investors. Choose the path that fits you and we'll tailor the conversation.

Industry, associations & government

Sponsor a challenge

For innovation, operations and sustainability leaders who need a solution — not another report. We design the challenge, run the process and stay with you through the pilot.

  • Challenge prizes and open calls
  • Rapid innovation sprints
  • Field demonstrations and adoption planning
Scope your challenge Startups, SMEs & researchers

Get in front of real buyers

Compete for defined industrial problems, earn a field demonstration and sharpen your investment readiness.

Register your interest Investors & funders

Access validated deal flow

Meet ventures that have already been tested against a sponsor's criteria and field conditions.

Join the investor network

How a challenge works

A disciplined path from problem to deployment.

Our challenge-driven method is built on strategic sourcing and open innovation. Each stage starts open and becomes progressively more demanding, so only the strongest solutions reach your site.

01 — DEFINE

Frame the challenge

Work with your executive team to name the core challenge, set measurable success criteria and align it with business priorities.

Output: challenge brief
02 — SOURCE

Open the call

Reach innovators across the ecosystem with a clearly staged process and low barriers to entry.

Output: qualified shortlist
03 — VALIDATE

Prove it in the field

Evaluate against your criteria, then demonstrate finalists in real operating conditions.

Output: evidence & value case
04 — SCALE

Adopt and finance

Build the adoption plan, onboard the solution and connect the winner to investors and buyers.

Output: pilot-to-purchase plan

See our full approach

Proof

Challenges that moved to market.

From oil sands waste heat to biochar from demolition waste, our challenges produce results sponsors can act on. All case studies

Waste & bioeconomy Scaling

BioChar Production

A field demonstration converting construction and demolition waste into biochar, with a traceable claim for waste diversion.

Pilot moved to commercial production and is poised to scale.
Energy Complete

Waste Heat Recovery

Capturing and using waste heat across energy operations to lift efficiency and cut emissions.

Over CAD$40M in follow-on investment.
Mining & minerals Field demo next

Alternative Energy Solutions

An Innovation Sprint to reduce the levelized cost of energy for mining operations.

Clear value case for energy storage from winning firm Grengine.
Forestry Complete

Remote Sensing for Forest Harvesting

Real-time remote sensing data to assess and monitor forest harvesting activity.

Better decisions, less resource waste, higher productivity.
Forestry Complete

Autonomous Forklift

An autonomous material-handling system for demanding forestry environments.

Autonomous operation proven; productivity up, risk down.
We convert waste to value, improve efficiency and create climate-positive outcomes — by linking emerging solutions to pressing industrial needs.Challenge Ventures mission

Questions

What sponsors ask us first.

Still unsure? Ask us directly.

What is a challenge prize?
A clearly defined challenge is set and a prize is offered to the most successful solution. Performance is rewarded against measurable criteria, respondents move through progressively more demanding stages, and how they solve the problem is up to them.
Is a challenge right for our problem?
Challenges work best when the outcome is clear but the solution isn't — and when you're open to approaches from outside your usual suppliers. If you already know the technology you want, a targeted scouting or pilot engagement may be a better fit. The readiness check is a quick way to find out.
What's the difference between a challenge and an innovation sprint?
A full challenge runs open, staged rounds and usually ends in a field demonstration. An innovation sprint is a compressed version focused on rapidly building a value case with a smaller group of solution providers — as we did with IMII on alternative energy for mining.
Who can sponsor a challenge?
Corporates, industry associations and consortia, and government agencies. Many of our challenges have been run with industry alliances such as COSIA and IMII, which lets several members share the cost and the results.
What happens after a winner is chosen?
We help you plan adoption — pilot design, onboarding and risk mitigation — and connect winning ventures to investors and buyers so they can scale. That follow-through is where challenges like Waste Heat generated over CAD$40M in follow-on investment.

Start here

Have a challenge worth solving?

Tell us what is slowing your operations, your emissions targets or your technology pipeline. In a 30-minute scoping call we will map whether a challenge, a sprint or a targeted pilot is the right route — and what it would take.

Book a scoping call Email us

Not sure you're ready?

Take the 3-minute Innovation Challenge Readiness Check. You'll get a score across four dimensions and a recommended next step.

Take the readiness check