Lab-à-Startup reaches a milestone with the creation of its first two startups

Two years after announcing their collaboration to create a structuring model for entrepreneurial development in clean technologies, 2 Degrés and Cycle Momentum are today taking a decisive step forward with the creation and financing of the first two companies to emerge from the Lab-à-Startup program: Boréa Aquatech and BeNat.

This announcement marks a concrete step forward in the deployment of the program, and is the first tangible demonstration of its ability to transform innovations into viable, structured businesses ready for market deployment.

Launched in 2024, the Lab-to-Startup program aims to fill a blind spot in the ecosystem by supporting the transition from research to market. Based on a collaborative model bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs-in-residence and ecosystem partners, the initiative helps to structure high-growth, high-impact companies from the outset, rooted in real market needs.

"Two years ago, we officially announced the Consortium with a strong ambition: to deploy a collaborative model capable of transforming innovations into viable businesses. Today, with the creation of Boréa Aquatech and Benat, we have reached a major milestone for the Lab-à-Startup program, proving that by bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs and partners, it is possible to transform a research-derived idea into a company ready to deploy on the market. The adventure is just beginning! - Alexandre Guindon, CEO and founder of 2 Degrés

"The creation of Borea Aquatech and Benat is a concrete demonstration of the relevance of the Lab-to-Startup model: structuring research-based innovations from the outset to turn them into companies capable of meeting real industrial needs. At Cycle Momentum, we believe that by bringing researchers, entrepreneurs and partners closer together, we can accelerate the time-to-market of high-impact solutions and build the technological champions of tomorrow." - Patrick Gagné, President and CEO, Cycle Momentum

Two major innovations to accelerate the ecological transition

Boréa Aquatech

Boréa Aquatech is developing a sustainable solution for growing shrimp in inland farms, based on an innovative approach validated with Laval University. Founded in 2025, the company aims to transform aquaculture through a circular, high-performance model with a low environmental footprint. In so doing, it is responding to the sector's current challenges, in particular the environmental impacts of traditional production methods.

"At Boréa, we want to offer Quebecers a new culinary option that's local, fresh and gourmet. Shrimp, often imported and frozen, can be rediscovered with greater freshness, transparency and pleasure. Produced under the right conditions, it also represents a sustainable protein. Thanks to the Lab-à-Startup and Université Laval, we're building a new generation of aquaculture, rooted here in innovation and a taste for good products." - Valérie Robitaille, founder and CEO of Boréa Aquatech

BeNat

BeNat valorizes industrial residues to produce innovative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), thanks to a technology developed by Prof. Ammar Yahia and Mojtaba Kohandelnia, PhD at the Université de Sherbrooke. This solution makes it possible to replace up to 40% of the cement in concrete, reduce its carbon footprint by over 50%, and improve productivity for concrete manufacturers by reducing curing time.

"At BeNat, we develop cementitious materials to tackle two major challenges: climate change and the housing crisis. Our materials have a significantly lower carbon footprint than cement and are cost-competitive, but most importantly, they improve productivity and reduce the costs of precast concrete. By unleashing the full potential of prefabricated and modular construction, our innovations are speeding up worksites and making construction more affordable." Navi Cohen, co-founder and CEO Benat

Beyond the creation of these first two startups, this announcement reinforces the credibility of the Lab-à-Startup model and confirms its potential to generate a pool of clean-tech companies capable of meeting today's environmental and economic challenges.

About Lab-à-Startup

The Lab-to-Startup program helps researchers transform their innovations into viable, promising companies in the cleantech sector. Drawing on the expertise of seasoned entrepreneurs and close collaboration with academic, industrial and municipal partners, it deploys pilot projects that accelerate the transition from lab to market. The Lab-à-Startup is an initiative of the Cleantech Consortium, jointly supported by 2 Degrés, Cycle Momentum and IVÉO. The Lab-à-Startup initiative is made possible thanks to the support of the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie, as well as the Fonds du Grand Mouvement de Desjardins, Cycle Momentum's strategic partner in this initiative.