L’Assomption, September 3, 2026 – Zone Agtech and its partners Écotech Québec and Cycle Momentum are unveiling the companies selected to participate in the Nexterre Program, which aims to accelerate the development and adoption of clean technologies addressing the current challenges facing Quebec’s agricultural sector.

Launched last spring, Nexterre generated strong interest across the ecosystem, with more than 40 applications received. The cohort brings together companies developing solutions in a wide range of fields, including precision agriculture, robotics, artificial intelligence, photonics, traceability, waste valorization, and production system optimization.

“The diversity and quality of the applications received demonstrate the tremendous potential of Quebec innovation to address the environmental and operational challenges facing our agricultural sector. Through the Nexterre Program, we want to build concrete bridges between the companies developing these solutions and the realities on the ground, in order to accelerate their development and adoption. This cohort brings together technologies that can contribute to several levers of the agricultural transition, from reducing inputs and optimizing operations to automating processes and maximizing resource use,” said Marilou Cyr, Executive Director of Zone Agtech.

“The enthusiasm generated by Nexterre, with more than 40 applications received, confirms the tremendous potential of Quebec’s agtech innovation. But this potential can only truly be realized in the field, under the real-world conditions of farms and agri-food businesses. This is precisely what the program’s demonstration phase will enable, by giving companies the means to test their solutions at scale and demonstrate their value to producers. In a context where agriculture is facing growing environmental and economic pressures, these pilot projects are an essential step in ensuring that Quebec innovation becomes a genuine driver of transition across the sector,” added Morgan Guiton, Vice President, Programs, Cycle Momentum.

“Supporting the development of clean technologies through programs such as Nexterre is valuable not only because it fosters the emergence of concrete solutions adapted to the realities of businesses, helping clean technology developers test their innovations and diversify their markets among potential customers, but also because it gives agri-food businesses access to a broader range of cutting-edge technologies that can improve their competitiveness in international markets. In an economic and geopolitical context marked by uncertainty, this type of government support, combined with expert guidance, provides a dual benefit. It contributes to a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable agricultural sector while representing a strategic investment for Quebec and Canada as a whole, stimulating the economy and supporting the transition toward a forward-looking agricultural sector,” concluded Isabelle Dubé-Côté, President and CEO, Écotech Québec.

While Phase 1 focuses on project maturation, enabling companies to structure their approach, adapt their technology, and prepare for demonstration, Phase 2 will focus on demonstrations under real-world conditions. Selected companies will therefore be able to validate their solutions directly in the field, with financial support to facilitate implementation.

A total of 12 companies have been selected for Phase 1, while 3 companies will move directly to Phase 2. Following the maturation process, 9 companies from Phase 1 will be selected to continue their projects in Phase 2. The selection will be announced in December.

Ultimately, the Nexterre Program aims to foster the emergence of concrete solutions adapted to the realities of Quebec producers and capable of contributing to a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable agricultural sector.

A Cohort Reflecting the Diversity of Agricultural Innovation

The companies selected for the program offer complementary approaches to the sector’s sustainability and performance challenges. Here are the 12 companies selected for Phase 1 of the program:

  • GrowClean develops automated precision agriculture technologies designed to improve crop productivity and quality while reducing costs and environmental impact.
  • Serres Toundra specializes in greenhouse horticultural production and relies on controlled growing conditions to support local production and reduce dependence on imports.
  • ADSOL – Advanced Solutions provides LED lighting and photonics technologies for horticulture, including solutions designed to optimize plant growth, photosynthesis, and certain plant health parameters, as well as light-based disinfection solutions.
  • Mon Système Fourrager provides producers with an integrated digital management platform for forage systems, centralizing data related to fields, livestock, silage, and agronomic recommendations.
  • Solugen Global valorizes agricultural by-products, particularly pig manure, to produce liquid nitrogen fertilizers for agricultural use.
  • OPTEL Group provides traceability and supply chain visibility technologies, enabling users to track raw materials, improve compliance, and optimize agricultural and agri-food operations.
  • Constellia focuses on the digitization, management, and analysis of data to improve operational processes and decision-making.
  • SpectrAI Inc. leverages artificial intelligence and spectral and visual data analysis to transform collected data into actionable insights for decision-making.
  • BLEIZ Productions Inc. develops electrical seed treatment technologies designed to support seed vitality and performance while reducing reliance on chemical inputs.
  • Permalution draws on the principles of permaculture and the circular economy to design solutions that foster more resilient production systems.
  • Biocene Solutions has developed Algo, a mechanical device designed to remove excessive algae growth from bodies of water and valorize the recovered biomass into value-added materials and inputs.
  • CropMind Inc. leverages computer vision technology to analyze crops from images, helping producers forecast yields and optimize their interventions.

Given their level of maturity, three companies will move directly to the demonstration phase of the Nexterre Program:

  • Circulus Agtech leverages the circular economy to transform agricultural waste materials into liquid fertilizers, particularly for greenhouse crops.
  • Désherbex offers a precision mechanical weeding robotic solution for vegetable crops. Using vision and artificial intelligence, its technology identifies weeds and mechanically removes them without herbicides.
  • Sentinus Technologies Inc. provides digital solutions that integrate data into agricultural operations to improve decision-making and the efficiency of farming practices.

Accelerating the Journey from Innovation to the Field

Through the Nexterre Program, Zone Agtech, Cycle Momentum, and Écotech Québec aim to bring technology companies closer to producers, experts, and other sector stakeholders in order to better align innovations with the real needs of Quebec’s agricultural sector.

By fostering exchanges between innovative companies and the agricultural ecosystem, the Nexterre Program helps create the conditions necessary for clean technologies to move from technological potential to tangible impact in the field.

 

About

Nexterre Program

Led by Zone Agtech in collaboration with Écotech Québec and Cycle Momentum, Nexterre is an innovation program dedicated to advancing clean and sustainable agriculture. It aims to support innovative clean technologies that can improve the performance and environmental footprint of the agricultural sector. With funding of up to $3.25 million, the project launched in 2026 provides support and assistance for the implementation of demonstration projects. It is supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Clean Technology Program – Research and Innovation Stream – Agricultural and Agri-Food Accelerator.

Zone Agtech

Zone Agtech is an innovation ecosystem dedicated to agricultural technologies and plant-based bioproducts. Its mission is to bring together, propel, and showcase companies in the agtech and plant-based bioproducts sectors by providing, within a unique business hub, the resources needed to accelerate the development, adaptation, and commercialization of agricultural innovations.

Cycle Momentum

Cycle Momentum is an international acceleration and innovation platform whose mission since 2015 has been to identify and support the development of cutting-edge technologies to address the major ecological challenges facing humanity. As a member of the Cycle Capital platform, Cycle Momentum offers acceleration and open innovation programs to support the growth of entrepreneurs, financing, and the commercialization of climate technologies. We build the collaborations needed between industrial companies and startups to accelerate the commercialization of their solutions.

Cycle Momentum invests through Origo, an investment-matching program supported by the Government of Quebec.

Écotech Québec

Canada’s first organization of its kind, Écotech Québec has represented the clean technology cluster since 2009. Its initiatives aim to support local stakeholders—including companies, researchers, investors, and organizations—in accelerating the development and deployment of clean technologies. Écotech Québec collaborates with several organizations across Quebec, including G15+ and SWITCH, the Alliance for a Green Economy.