Elkimia Inc. accepts Government of Canada funding to expand

“We are helping businesses equip themselves with what they need to remain competitive, prosper and create good jobs,” ​says the Honorable Mélanie Joly, explaining the larger goals of Canada Economic Development (CED) for Quebec Regions. (Joly is a Member of Parliament for Ahuntsic-Cartierville, the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and the Minister responsible for CED.

“Thanks to Government of Canada financial assistance,” ​ she says in this month’s press release about the funding, “Elkimia has been able to continue to innovate in a cutting-edge field and strengthen its position in the industry and on the markets, which is also helping to stimulate the regional economy. This support will thus benefit the entire Greater Montréal region and enable the Canadian economy to come back even stronger.”​

Elkimia specializes in UV protectant tech

Elkimia Inc. got its start in 2004. In 2011, the company’s team of chemists and researchers began specializing in UV protectants that mimic Mycosporic-lik Amino Acids. Elkimia technology has application in the textiles industry, in the coatings industry, the plastics industry, and of course in the cosmetics and personal care industry as well.

The company produces its mimics by replicating (to a certain extent) the sun protection mechanisms of algae and marine bacteria.

Earlier this year, Elkimia signed a licensing deal with Sensient technologies, allowing that beauty ingredient company to manufacture and commercialize an MMA mimic.

And now funding from CED is allowing the company to further its own research activities and make more such innovative sun care ingredient tech available to companies like Sensient. “We greatly appreciate the financial support received from CED for equipment purchases,” ​says Elie A. Khalil, President and CEO, Elkimia Inc. in his remarks to the press.

“This equipment,” ​he says, “has allowed us to overcome a number of major technological and economic obstacles for scaling up and industrializing our chemical process.”​

CED funding for sun care innovation and local jobs

And while the $150,000 of support is repayable, the money not only allowed Elkimia to add equipment to its facility but also to create and maintain 10 jobs—a key indication of recovery for CED.

“By investing in Elkimia's process improvements, the Government of Canada is following through on its commitments and helping businesses to expand, innovate and export their products so they can create quality jobs and thereby ensure a prosperous Canadian economy,”​ affirms Anthony Housefather, Member of Parliament for Mount Royal and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour, in the release.