The Business Development Bank of Canada is committing an additional $135-million to its venture fund that supports Canadian clean-technology startups which offer products and services to improve energy efficiency in businesses.With the announcement scheduled for Wednesday, BDC Capital – the investment arm of the federal small-business bank – is increasing its focus on the clean-tech sector, a move that dovetails with the Liberal government’s effort to capitalize on a global investment boom in energy efficiency and renewable power.
“Our goal is to intensify our support for innovative Canadian entrepreneurs who are leading the way in the transition to a low-carbon economy,” Jerome Nycz, BDC Capital’s executive vice-president, said in a statement to be released Wednesday.BDC Capital launched a clean-tech fund in 2011 with $152-million aimed at a sector it calls Industrial, Clean and Energy Technology, or ICE, and said it showed a “strong performance” compared with international peers. The …