Ag-West Bio Invests in Saskatchewan Startup Focused on Diverting Waste From Landfills to Create Valuable Bioproducts

September 19, 2024 at 14:00 PM EDT

Ag-West Bio recently closed a $300,000 investment into NULIFE GreenTech, a Saskatoon-based startup that diverts waste from landfills and uses a patented technology, called HydroThermal Liquefaction (HTL), to transform agricultural residues, food manufacturing waste and sewage sludge into sustainable biocrude oil.

Current disposal methods are expensive, inefficient, and becoming more restricted due to landfill and land spreading bans. There is also a growing crisis around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), dubbed “forever chemicals” because they take so long to break down in the environment*. PFAS have been used in a wide range of products, from electronics to cosmetics, and research shows they can be detrimental to human health. NULIFE’s process removes 95% of PFAS.

NULIFE has been selected by Frontier as part of its 2024 prepurchase cycle. Founded by Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, Meta, and McKinsey, Frontier’s goal is to accelerate the development of carbon removal technologies by supporting early-stage suppliers like NULIFE. Frontier focuses on technologies that store carbon permanently, don’t compete for arable land, and can be affordable at scale.

Ag-West Bio’s investment will support the expansion of NULIFE’s commercial pilot to meet supply demand, ahead of a full commercial plant planned for late 2024/2025.

“Ag West Bio and Frontier’s support is catalytic towards NULIFE demonstrating massive scaling potential for carbon removal while solving a real problem of waste disposal in the market segments we impact: food manufacturing, agricultural processing, and waste water treatment plants (biosolids disposal),” said Jerry Kristian, co-founder of NULIFE GreenTech.

Ag-West Bio is keen on supporting the commercialization of NULIFE’s innovative technology, which directly benefits wet organic waste producers with cost savings while also lowering their environmental footprint. NULIFE’s made-in-Saskatchewan technology is modular and scalable, and well suited to processing food and dairy waste.

Kyle Adams, Ag-West Bio’s Director of Investment and Commercialization, says he has great respect for NULIFE co-founders, Brock Eidem and Jerry Kristian, as commercializing technology of this nature is a long and challenging road. “Brock and Jerry demonstrate the importance of having a team with diverse skillsets, building relationships, and tenacity. NULIFE has exciting traction; I am confident they will be a Saskatchewan success story.”

Visit www.nulifegreentech.com to learn more.

About Ag-West Bio

Ag-West Bio is Saskatchewan’s agricultural bioscience industry association. The company works as a catalyst for industry growth in the bioeconomy through direct investments, aiding strategic alliances, hosting educational and networking events, business planning support, and communications. Funding for Ag-West Bio is provided by the Government of Canada and Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Since 1989, Ag-West Bio has been investing in innovative Saskatchewan companies through its Technology Commercialization Fund. This self-replenishing fund targets early-stage companies that are commercializing bioscience technologies with potential to yield tangible benefits for the province’s agriculture industry. Ag-West Bio investments are patient, non-predatory and flexible.

* https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemicals-product-safety/per-polyfluoroalkyl-substances.html