Record-Breaking Wins and Bold Climate Breakthroughs Take Center Stage at 2025 Climate Solutions Prize Festival

MONTREAL, June 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The 2025 Climate Solutions Prize Festival was a resounding success, bringing together over 1,500 researchers, investors, policymakers, and climate tech entrepreneurs for two days of bold ideas, actionable solutions, and high-impact networking.

The Festival awarded breakthrough research, including Kevin Danner's carbon capture technology in partnership with RXN Hub, which sets new industry benchmarks, alongside vibrant startup successes such as Green Graphite Technologies and Harvest Moon Foods, representing Montreal's entrepreneurial spirit.

Leaders in climate innovation showcased breakthrough projects, including Cycle H2O's landmark $2.5 million investment in BioAlert, a significant milestone in private sector funding for water monitoring technologies. 

"The Climate Solutions Prize Festival in Montreal was a transformative success, an inspiring convergence of innovation, collaboration, and bold vision," said Simon Olivier, Senior Partner at Cycle Capital and Head of the Cycle H2O Water Fund. "We were proud to be part of the momentum, spotlighting scalable water-focused technologies and reinforcing our commitment to advancing climate solutions across Canada and beyond."

Nearly 400 applicants from across Canada competed for $1.27 million in prize funding across six tracks, making this Canada's most significant climate innovation event to date. Compared to 2024, the Festival welcomed more than 110 speakers, up from 68, and attracted its highest number of applicants ever. Presenters from all five continents shared insights through keynotes, pitch competitions, and expert panels. Now in its third year, the Festival has rapidly evolved into a global platform for environmental breakthroughs and a catalyst for accelerating real-world impact solutions.

"What makes the Climate Solutions Prize truly unique is how we bring together game-changing ideas and the ecosystem needed to turn them into climate solutions at warp speed," said Galith Levy, Co-founder and CEO of the Climate Solutions Prize. "We connect innovators with adopters and investors to create a climate movement. This year's Festival showcased the urgency, creativity, and collaboration needed to build a sustainable future, not in theory, but in practice. Our vision is to keep opening doors for funding, growth, and climate leadership."

In a year marked by uncertainty and shifting climate priorities worldwide, the Festival was a timely reminder of the need to keep bold, science-driven solutions at the forefront. It also reinforced Montreal's growing role as a leading international hub for climate innovation, where collaboration drives tangible progress.

"The Festival continues to grow in size and significance," said Jeff Hart, Executive Chair of the Climate Solutions Prize. "What we're building here is a global climate innovation hub, where ideas meet capital, research meets execution, and the public and private sectors come together to accelerate scalable change."

2025 Prize Winners

• Breakthrough Research Prize
  • 1st Prize ($250,000): Kevin Danner, Carbon Lock Technologies Inc. in collaboration with RXN Hub, Manitoba/Ontario
  •  2nd Prize ($150,000): Andy Lam, CarbonRun in collaboration with Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Climate Tech Trailblazer Prize
  • Winner ($100,000): Christophe Roy, Technologies de pêche Aquarius inc., Sherbrooke, Quebec
  • 2nd Place ($50,000): Patrick Racine, ChillSkyn, Inc., Montreal, Quebec
• Climate Startup Prize powered by Cycle Momentum
  • Pre-Commercialization ($150,000): Harvest Moon Foods Inc., Montreal, Quebec
  • Commercialized ($250,000): Gillian Holcroft, Green Graphite Technologies, Montreal, Quebec
• Canadian Energy Innovator Prize powered by AtkinsRéalis
  • Winner ($100,000): Sahar Sam, Solaires Entreprises Inc., Victoria, BC
• Student Entrepreneur Prize in collaboration with Mitacs
  • 1st Prize ($100,000): Alexander Savard, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec
  • 2nd Prize ($80,000): Juliette Gagnon, Université Laval, Laval, Quebec
    
    
• Carbon Removal Prize powered by Deep Sky
  • Winner ($25,000): Mina Zarabian, Carbonova, Calgary, Alberta
• Audience Choice Award
  • Winner ($15,000): Natasha Kostenuk, Ayrton Energy, Calgary, Alberta

The event was supported by partners including BMO Financial Group, Power Sustainable, National Bank of Canada, Deep Sky, AtkinsRéalis, and Cycle Momentum.

About the Climate Solutions Prize

Founded in 2020, the Climate Solutions Prize (CSP) was created to serve as a catalyst for climate action by accelerating innovation, investment, and collaboration. Through its annual flagship event, the Climate Solutions Prize Festival brings together innovators, investors, academics, policymakers, and industry leaders to spotlight and scale breakthrough environmental technologies and solutions — creating a nexus between innovation and investment to accelerate a sustainable climate future. For more information, visit www.climatesolutionsprize.com.

SOURCE Climate Solutions Prize