Canadian innovation CEO named to Top 100 list
John Adams, CEO of NGIF Capital, Canada’s first venture capital firm offering a hybrid investment and market-validation platform for cleantech startups, has been named to the Global Top 100 Innovation CEOs list by World Biz Magazine, the publication announced August 20.
“We received over 40,000 entries for this year’s awards. To be selected in the top three of our 100 winners is a reflection of John’s success as an innovation-driver reshaping the venture capital and cleantech industry,” World Biz Magazine editor-in-chief Mike Walters said. “NGIF Capital’s approach to cleantech investments with industry validation and customer creation has the potential to reshape the future of natural gas.”
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With deep roots in the cleantech, finance and energy ecosystems, Adams was hired by the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) in 2016 to help create the Natural Gas Innovation Fund (NGIF) to support early-stage startups developing solutions to environmental and other challenges facing Canada’s natural gas industry.
Earlier this year, the CGA moved the original NGIF project into a new independent, wholly-owned vehicle, NGIF Capital, with Adams as president and CEO.
In addition to the original NGIF granting project, which is now known as NGIF Industry Grants, Adams helped create and launch NGIF Cleantech Ventures, a venture capital fund which has so far raised C$50mn (US$38.7mn). And he has also helped create and launch a new C$35mn NGIF Emissions Testing Centre, where startups have the opportunity to validate their solutions in a live natural gas operating environment.
“I am truly thankful to be selected as #3 of the World Biz Magazine Top 100 Innovation CEOs of 2021,” Adams said. “It is an honour to be in the distinguished ranks of the other innovation CEOs and is a testament to the hard work and vision of CGA, the NGIF team, our investors, and the startups we support.”