Clean Energy Venture Group is an angel investment group that provides seed capital and management expertise to early stage clean energy companies. The group is comprised of seasoned operating executives with strong capabilities in the energy and environmental sectors. With each investment, they not only bring capital, but also the value of their experience and network to help companies achieve their goals. While their focus is in the Northeast United States, they have worked with companies throughout the country.

Clean Energy Venture Group

The York Angels Investors are a group of accredited investors with a broad range of professional experience. Their individual and group focus is to create a return on investment for themselves and the businesses they work with.     Their porftolio companies benefit from their member expertise in information technology, telecommunications, internet; online applications, enterprise and SaaS software, retail and pharmaceutical.

York Angels Investors

At Upward Labs, our mission is to create the pathway for established enterprises and startups to work together in creating forward-thinking and sustainable solutions. At our core, we are an active matchmaker between startups and enterprises ensuring effective communication, efficiency, trust, and ultimately, a successful partnership. Our experienced team has a record of success in the industry working with early and growth-stage startups from around the world.  Our ever-expanding network of enterprise partners includes building owners, operators, developers, vendors and suppliers who trust us to serve as a middleman, specializing in the art of successful collaboration and the formation of meaningful relationships. Upward’s Net Zero Lab is a launchpad for innovative Net Zero startups to get to the next level. The centerpiece of the Lab is a fast paced, intense three month window (the “Program”) where startups meet regularly with large and marquee Enterprise Partners who express interest in them. Startups work to solve the Enterprise Partner’s pressing challenges, collaborate on promising use cases, pilots and deals, and gain vital feedback necessary to be successful in the market. Startups have access to a hand picked group of business advisors and experts during the program who can who help startups overcome common limitations and barriers to scale. After the Program, the Lab offers further commercialization support and advisory services for selected startups, providing an end to end experience for only the most promising startups.

Upward

Avesta Fund offers investments of $150K to $500K per company. They look for scalable solutions to inequality or climate change. Its funding is for tech-enabled companies whose positive impact is aligned with their business​ with an area of focus in Inequality: Education, Financial Inclusion, Future of Work, Health Access & Affordability, Housing, Entrepreneurship Development; and Climate: Sustainable Agriculture, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy, Carbon Sinks, Clean Manufacturing, Circular Economy, Green Buildings.

Avesta Fund

Ontario Centre of Innovation provides a preeminent research-to-commercialization vehicle in Ontario

Ontario Centre of Innovation

E8 Ventures is a venture capital company that invests in early-stage climate technology companies with technologies and business models.

E8 Ventures

QEA Tech

QEA Tech is a software company that combines AI, drone technology, and thermal imaging to provide insights into the building envelope. They process thousands of images using its proprietary software, transforming each pixel into a comprehensive 3D model of the building for quantifiable data and insights. Using 10,000+ high-resolution drone images, proprietary QEA Tech software converts each pixel into quantifiable data and a comprehensive 3D model before uploading each image to the cloud-based dashboard for 24/7 access. The QEA System identifies where and how much energy is being wasted in a building's envelope, allowing you to prioritize repairs and calculate payback and ROI. The QEA Solution calculates Negawatt (NKwh), which quantifies energy gushers (heat and cool air escaping) through the walls, windows, doors, and roof of the building.

QEA Tech is a climate-tech and energy audit startup based in Markham, Canada. The company conducts detailed building envelope energy audits by leveraging drones, thermography, and proprietary AI-based software. QEA Tech captures thousands of thermal images for a given building, which are processed by its patented software.

Foresight

Start Up Energy Transition

14 Canadian tech entrepreneurs to watch in 2023

Markham-based QEA Tech receives seed funding of $2.2M to accelerate its global growth

qeatech

QEA Tech secured funding of $1.1 M from Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Smart Building Technology

QEA Tech is a climate-tech and energy audit startup based in Markham, Canada. The company conducts detailed building envelope energy audits by leveraging drones, thermography, and proprietary AI-based software. QEA Tech captures thousands of thermal images for a given building, which are processed by its patented software.
The software pinpoints various issues in the building envelope, such as cracks, moisture penetration, and inadequate insulation. It calculates energy losses, greenhouse gas emissions, remediation costs, and projected returns on investment for retrofit projects associated with each building envelope element. This enables customers to make data-driven decisions on retrofit projects and capital plans to maximize energy savings.
QEA Tech's audits are fast, non-intrusive, cost-effective, and provide comprehensive recommendations. As of March 2024, the company had audited over 500 building envelopes across North America, Europe, and Australia, covering commercial, multi-unit residential, industrial, healthcare, and academic facilities. QEA Tech claimed to have identified over 20,000 tons of potential greenhouse gas emissions savings per building if the envelopes were brought up to building code or Net Zero standards.
In June 2021, QEA Tech secured USD 1.1 million in funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to improve the energy efficiencies of buildings and infrastructure. In April 2023, the company raised USD 2.2 million in seed funding led by Clean Energy Venture Group (CEVG) to drive growth in North America and beyond.

Verkada is a leading provider of a cloud-based physical security platform designed to protect people and assets. The company offers an integrated suite of solutions comprising video security cameras, door-based access control, environmental sensors, alarms, visitor management, and mailroom management. Verkada's hybrid cloud architecture leverages edge-based processing and cloud computing capabilities to deliver real-time insights and seamless remote access.
Verkada's innovative camera lineup includes a wide range of models suitable for indoor and outdoor deployments, with resolutions ranging from 2MP to 4K and onboard storage capacity of up to 365 days. The cameras feature powerful analytics like people and vehicle detection, enabling users to search and filter footage based on various attributes.
Verkada's Command platform serves as a centralized, user-friendly interface for managing and monitoring all devices across multiple locations. It offers advanced features such as face search, cross-camera tracking, and proactive alerts, empowering organizations to streamline investigations and enhance overall security posture.
As of June 2024, Verkada's platform is trusted by over 24,000 organizations worldwide, including several Fortune 500 companies. The company has continually expanded its product offerings and capabilities, introducing solutions like a multisensor camera, advanced air quality sensors, and a 16-door access controller in November 2022 to meet evolving customer needs.

Verkada

Cloudastructure is a cloud-based video surveillance provider that offers an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) powered platform. The platform utilizes proprietary technology to enable real-time monitoring, detection, and analysis of video footage. It offers features such as facial recognition, age and gender prediction, vehicle detection and color recognition, license plate recognition, object counting, and firearm detection. Cloudastructure's solution operates on a scalable cloud architecture, eliminating the need for on-premises hardware and associated costs.
The platform provides advanced search capabilities, customizable alerts and notifications, and integrates with various security systems. In January 2022, Cloudastructure acquired Visionful, a smart parking technology solution, to enhance its offerings with parking management and analytics capabilities. The company also announced plans to acquire Infrastructure Proving Grounds (IPG), an IoT cybersecurity monitoring service, to strengthen its cybersecurity offerings.
As of January 2022, Cloudastructure reported an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of over USD 1.3 million, representing a 1400% growth from the previous year. The company's sales pipeline grew from USD 60,000 in January 2021 to USD 10.5 million by January 2022, reflecting significant market traction.
In March 2023, Cloudastructure integrated remote guarding capabilities into its platform, enabling real-time intervention and deterrence of suspicious activities through virtual patrols, voice-down alerts, and escalation to law enforcement when necessary. The remote guarding feature has become a key differentiator, included in over 75% of the company's proposals as of August 2023.

Cloudastructure

Faceter is a computer vision surveillance technology that leverages a decentralized fog network of miners to provide smart security solutions for households and businesses worldwide. Their facial recognition technology, which has been independently tested and proven to have a 99.78% accuracy rate, enables users to set up their own CCTV systems using old smartphones or IP cameras. By activating facial recognition on these devices, Faceter allows users to detect potential threats and monitor their premises effectively.
The Faceter platform operates on a token economy, where users can contribute their GPU power to the decentralized network and earn FACE tokens in return. These tokens can then be used to pay for the computing power required to run the facial recognition and surveillance capabilities. Faceter's technology offers a range of features, including facial recognition, age detection, and person re-identification across multiple cameras.
In addition to its smart security solutions, Faceter provides easy integration with existing CCTV systems and apps, allowing users to enhance their surveillance capabilities seamlessly. The platform also offers a cloud-based storage solution for video data, ensuring secure and reliable access to recorded footage.
In February 2022, Faceter introduced a mobile video surveillance service that eliminates the need for additional equipment like servers. This service utilizes a cloud-based platform for storing and analyzing video data, providing a cost-effective and secure alternative to traditional surveillance systems.

Faceter

Blink Identity is a company that provides a privacy-focused facial recognition technology for access control and identification purposes. Their system utilizes proprietary biometric facial recognition software combined with specialized hardware to accurately identify individuals at full walking speed, even in varying lighting conditions. The technology does not store photographs; instead, it converts facial images into unique encrypted templates for comparison against enrolled templates securely stored in an encrypted database.
Blink Identity offers a "VIP Lane" service at venues, allowing streamlined entry for guests who have enrolled by providing their name, email address, and a forward-facing photograph taken with their cellphone camera. This photograph is converted into a template and associated with the user's ticket or event details. At the venue, high-speed machine vision cameras capture images of attendees, convert them into templates, and match them against the enrolled templates, facilitating expedited access while preventing fraud.
The company prioritizes data security and privacy, adhering to strict policies and procedures. In April 2022, Blink Identity successfully completed the Service Organization Control (SOC) two Type one audit, demonstrating its commitment to maintaining robust security controls for data processing and handling.

Blink identity

Augury is a leading provider of AI-based machine health solutions that enable manufacturers to predict and prevent industrial machine failures, thereby improving machine performance. The company's technology combines the internet of Things (IoT), AI, and human expertise to monitor machines continuously, diagnose issues, prescribe corrective actions, and guide users in implementing those actions.
Augury offers two primary solutions: Machine Health for Critical Equipment (MH CR) and Machine Health for Supporting Equipment (MH SE). MH CR provides precise fault diagnostics, root cause analysis, and detailed instructions to avert machine failures and optimize performance, backed by Augury's reliability engineers. MH SE enables users to quickly determine the severity of potential issues and perform proactive maintenance.
The process involves installing wireless sensors on machines to capture data, which is then transmitted to Augury's secure cloud for analysis by advanced AI algorithms. Diagnostic reports are sent to users, providing insights, recommended actions, and user guides. As of October 2022, Augury had diagnosed over 100,000 machines with 99.9% accurate diagnosis, helping global customers achieve 3-10x return on investment within months.
In December 2019, Augury received an USD 8 million investment from Qualcomm Ventures' AI Fund, recognizing its leadership in the Industrial internet of Things (IIoT). The investment aimed to accelerate the transformation of the industrial sector by leveraging 5G technologies for improved machine health solutions.

Augury

Platforms that automate building management. They gather and analyze data from multiple components, including hardware and sensors, and use a combination of technologies such as IoT, cloud computing, and machine learning for data-driven, proactive, and real-time building intelligence and controls.

Solutions that automatically adjust energy consumption using optimization algorithms, taking into account factors such as energy demand, weather, occupant comfort, and utility prices. These systems aim to reduce energy consumption, cost, and emissions without compromising occupant experience.

Smart lighting solutions include providers of hardware (e.g., smart light bulbs, smart windows, and shades) and lighting-as-a-service.

Smart HVAC solutions include sensors that integrate with building automation systems and specialized HVAC equipment that uses data gathered by sensors to manage temperature, humidity, and air flow. They aim to enhance occupant experience through improved comfort and indoor air quality whilst optimizing energy consumption and utility costs.

Providers of smart water management solutions including irrigation, leak detection, water health monitoring, and water usage analysis.

Developers of smart security solutions including security cameras, sensors, alarms, and access control combined with cloud-based software, and providers of video surveillance-as-a-service and access control-as-a-service.

Occupant experience platforms connect building owners, operators, and occupants to share information and feedback on comfort, maintenance, and safety. Rating systems allow building operators to measure, manage, and disclose key indicators such as ESG performance, digital connectivity and health and safety, assess their exposure to climate risk, and avail themselves of sustainable finance opportunities.

Providers of smart elevators and escalators as well as people-sensing platforms.

Technologies that monitor restroom usage, supplies, traffic, and maintenance.

Companies that use GenAI as a core part of their smart building product offering

Smart building technology companies use GenAI to optimize energy usage, enhance occupant comfort, and streamline building management processes

Smart buildings are a component of smart cities

Companies aim to provide sustainable solutions for energy and water usage

Smart building tech includes reducing energy and water consumption through recycling

Internet-enabled monitors and sensors optimize energy and water use and manage occupancy and security

Smart building tech products can monitor energy consumption and occupancy and adjust usage accordingly

Certain functions, such as HVAC, can be personalized

QEA Tech

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