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Earlier this month, the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy reintroduced itself to the world as NorthX Climate Tech—a rebrand that signals a bold new phase for the organization and its growing national ambition.
Under the leadership of CEO Sarah Goodman, NorthX is doubling down on climate hard tech: the tangible, scalable solutions that promise to decarbonize industries and create jobs.
Ahead of Web Summit Vancouver, where NorthX will co-host the Climate Innovation Zone, we caught up with Goodman to discuss the thinking behind the rebrand, how Canada can seize this climate-tech moment, and what’s next for the country’s innovation economy.
The B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy recently rebranded as NorthX Climate Tech. Can you walk us through the thinking behind the new name and what it signals about your evolving vision and national ambitions?
SG: Our new name reflects a bigger ambition: to accelerate the most promising climate hard tech solutions, regardless of focus area, and help scale their impact.
We’re still the same team with the same mission, but we’re evolving our identity to match the scale of the opportunity. At NorthX, we back the builders working on real-world technologies you can touch, deploy, and scale. These are solutions that cut emissions and create great jobs.
We chose NorthX because it speaks to both our ambition and our role. North is a signal to lead. It reflects our belief in a province—and a country—that builds not just for itself, but for the world. And X is the inflection point. It’s where potential meets capital gaps. Where innovation becomes industry. That’s where we operate.
The best climate hard tech innovations rarely fail for lack of promise, they fail for lack of early, sustained support. That’s why we exist: to write the first cheque, rally partners, and bridge the gap between promise and commercial success. NorthX signals our commitment to be early, bold, and all-in on climate and industrial innovation that gets built.
NorthX Climate Tech is participating in the Climate Innovation Zone at the upcoming Web Summit Vancouver. What are your goals for this global platform, and how do you see it helping to advance climate tech innovation in British Columbia and beyond?
SG: Web Summit is a major opportunity for BC’s innovation ecosystem. Thanks to the leadership from the Province, especially Minister Bailey and Minister Gibson, local tech leaders and the entire ecosystem have come together to make this a defining moment for tech in our region.
At NorthX, we’re excited to co-create the Climate Innovation Zone alongside Foresight Canada, Innovation UBC, Alacrity Canada, and CRIN. It will be the hub for climate innovation and collaboration within Web Summit. The Climate Stage will host a series of Climate Talks on topics from scaling ventures, electrification, and carbon removal, plus daily Lunch Hour Power Pitches featuring women founders, lab-to-market startups, and wildfire tech.
We also know that the real magic often happens outside the official agenda. Vancouver is buzzing with events and networking opportunities that week. One standout is the Innovation & Investment Insiders Tour on May 26, led by Invest Vancouver. It’s a unique chance for international investors to explore local innovation clusters and meet cleantech, life sciences, and creative tech companies seeking investment. Investors in town that Monday can still register to join. And we’re thrilled to be curating the clean tech investor tour highlighting local companies, ph7, Hydron, and Arca.
We’re also co-hosting Climate & Canapés with Fort Capital, bringing together the climate-minded in a more informal setting.
Congratulations on being named one of BC Business’ Women of the Year. What does this recognition mean to you personally—and how does it reflect the broader momentum you’re seeing in Canada’s climate tech sector?
SG: It’s an honour to be recognized by BC Business alongside other incredible women leaders. The recognition reflects the impact being driven by our whole team and the entrepreneurs and builders we’re lucky enough to support.
This recognition speaks to something bigger: climate tech in Canada is becoming more ambitious, more inclusive, and more collaborative. And that matters. Because, as we like to say at NorthX, communities build companies. So to be recognized as a community builder, that means something to me and to all of us doing this work together.
NorthX has supported dozens of early-stage clean energy projects across areas like hydrogen, carbon capture, and biofuels. What technologies or sectors are you most excited about in 2025?
SG: It’s tempting to list areas, but the real story is the moment itself—a mix of risk and opportunity. Geopolitical tensions, U.S. trade wars, and wavering climate support open a lane for Canada to outexecute and build real competitive advantage.
At NorthX, we’re backing builders of climate hard tech—carbon removal, wildfire tech, nextgen fuels—that cut emissions and create jobs. We’re seeing unprecedented alignment from government and industry to get things done, diversify our economy, and prove that Canada can lead.
That’s the story for 2025: no more complacency, no more hedging—this is our moment to bet on ourselves and build.
