Participated · Series B · Nov 2021

Evanesce manufactures compostable straws and other sustainable packaging products, with production facilities in South Carolina and Nevada. The company is expanding its product line to include compostable cups and cutlery. In March it produced approximately 40 million compostable straws at its South Carolina facility and about 90 million total straws in Q1 2022, all of which were sold. Evanesce plans to list its shares in 2022 on either the TSX or the NASDAQ. Management expects significant year‑over‑year revenue growth driven by increased business with professional sports teams and theme parks. The company has an incentive program that includes purchase warrants used by investors. Evanesce designs, develops and manufactures compostable plant-based packaging including Evanesce Biopolymers and its patented Evanesce® Molded Starch technology. The company upcycles starch and fiber by-products to produce home-compostable packaging that decomposes in significantly less than 90 days and is positioned to be cost-competitive (about half the cost of other certified compostable alternatives, per the company). Evanesce is scaling manufacturing capacity and has opened facilities in Early Branch, South Carolina and Las Vegas, Nevada, with plans to purchase equipment to expand PLA biopolymer and Molded Starch production and to grow operations and sales teams. Its business model encompasses manufacturing, licensing, collaborative partnerships and joint ventures to accelerate adoption. The company says its solutions are manufactured in the USA and are commercially scalable. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Evanesce aims to meet rising regulatory and consumer demand for sustainable foodservice and packaging alternatives. Financially, the company has raised over CAD $15M (US$12M) to date.

Led · Series A · Jun 2021

Rebelstork (branded as REBEL) provides a technology platform and marketplace that processes, quality-checks, and resells returned, never-used inventory for retail partners, turning costly returns into recovered revenue while offering consumers steep discounts. Its proprietary returns recommerce system has processed more than one million products as of August 2025, reflecting 2,640% growth in three years. The service diverts significant waste from landfills and is projected to keep over 25 million pounds of goods out of landfills by year-end 2025. Having started in the baby category, the company expanded into home goods earlier in 2025 and is now moving into higher-ticket outdoor and sporting goods—including water and winter sports, camping, and athletic gear—through existing retail partnerships. REBEL’s marketplace gives shoppers savings of up to 70% off while helping retailers meet sustainability goals and recapture value from returned merchandise. Certified as a B-Corp, the company positions circular retail at the core of its mission and branding. Rapid retailer adoption and consumer demand underscore its traction and support ongoing vertical expansion.

Led · Equity · May 2021

Founded in 2017, HydroGraph Clean Power owns the worldwide exclusive license from Kansas State University to manufacture graphene and hydrogen via a proprietary detonation technology. The process is designed to deliver the most consistent, high-quality and cost-effective graphene and hydrogen available, producing up to 2 kg of high-grade graphene per canister per day through automated production. With fresh capital in hand, the company is building a commercial manufacturing facility in Manhattan, Kansas, while also establishing a Canadian R&D hub in London, Ontario that will focus on graphene-based battery and supercapacitor applications. HydroGraph’s technology aims to serve fast-growing markets: hydrogen is projected to reach a $700 billion annual market by 2050 and graphene demand is expanding at a 38 % CAGR toward an estimated $2.8 billion market by 2027. Management is simultaneously pursuing a direct listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange to broaden its capital base. The firm has already invested heavily in digitizing and automating its production platform and plans to use the new funds to scale toward mass commercialization.

Led · Equity · Dec 2015

Clear Blue Technologies provides smart off-grid solar and hybrid power systems and accompanying software to remotely monitor and control devices such as streetlights, security and traffic cameras, and telecommunications equipment. The company says its energy-efficient control and management functions make off-grid devices more cost-effective. It recently launched Pico-Grid, a small singular power source aimed at satellite Wi‑Fi and IoT applications that can power stationary devices like home appliances and lighting and act as a wearable power source for mobile devices. Clear Blue will use an up to $4M FedDev Ontario Jobs and Growth Fund investment to expand production capacity, enhance sales and marketing, and support Pico-Grid commercialization; the funds are to be drawn through March 2024 with repayment beginning in 2025 and continuing to 2031. Co-founded by Miriam Tuerk (CEO) and John Tuerk (chief power officer) and incorporated in 2011, Clear Blue’s systems have been deployed in 37 countries, 25 U.S. states, and nine Canadian provinces. The company is publicly traded (TSXV: CBLU since 2018; OTCQB listed in 2021) and expects the Pico-Grid rollout to open new markets, create over 90 jobs, and reduce carbon emissions. Clear Blue Technologies develops remotely controlled smart off-grid technology serving lighting, telecom, solar, and hybrid systems. The company says its business model can help mitigate COVID-19–related operational risks while noting that broader global economic impacts could still be material. Clear Blue has a presence in 37 countries and is seeing adoption in lighting and telecom verticals. It recently signed an agreement with a telecommunications operator in Africa to deploy 500 2G and 3G cellular systems in rural areas as part of a phased 3–5 year rollout. The initial contract covers a first-year deployment of 500 systems for an estimated CAD 3.5 million. Clear Blue plans to use new financing for growth capital and research and development. Clear Blue Technologies develops smart off-grid hardware and cloud software for solar- and wind-powered streetlights, security systems, emergency power and other off-grid devices. The company sells its Illumient line of Smart Off-Grid streetlights through OEM partners and a network of agents and resellers who integrate Clear Blue’s hardware and software. It has deployed over 500 off-grid systems for more than 100 customers across 18 countries. Clear Blue recently launched Illumience, the second-generation cloud-based management and control platform for proactive servicing of its systems. Led by CEO Miriam Tuerk, the company is using new funding to support planned expansion in 2016. The business is based in Toronto, Canada. Clear Blue Technologies builds Smart Off-Grid technology that remotely controls, maintains and manages solar and wind powered systems. Its platform is being integrated into an increasing number of products. The company said it will use new funding to enhance its market-leading Smart Off-Grid technology and continue product integration. CEO Miriam Tuerk stated the funds will help the company grow its business and advance its technology. In March 2015 Clear Blue received $500K from the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation. The press release was issued from Toronto, ON. Clear Blue Technologies Inc. is a Toronto-based company that develops Smart Off-Grid systems combining solar and wind power controllers with cloud-based software. Its system, developed with assistance from Centennial and George Brown Colleges, is used for off-grid applications including street lights, security systems, mobile power and signage, and electric vehicle charging stations. The company’s Horizon cloud software allows owners to remotely monitor and control systems, change lighting profiles in real time, run diagnostics, and optimize power management. Leadership cited in the article includes co-founders John Tuerk (President & CEO), Miriam Tuerk (COO), and Mark Windrim (CTO). The company raised $500K in funding to accelerate market growth of its Smart Off-Grid technology. Backers included existing investors Grenville Strategic Royalties and Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).