Two Canadian Agtech Firms Celebrated as part of Foresight 50

Nov 06, 2025
By Farms.com

Picketa Systems and HEJMAS Agrifibre honoured for innovation

Two leading agriculture technology firms, Picketa Systems and HEJMAS Agrifibre Technologies, have been recognized as part of the 2025 Foresight 50 Honoree List, Canada’s largest cleantech accelerator program. The announcement highlights both companies as innovators shaping the country’s agriculture future.

HEJMAS Agrifibre Technologies develops high-grade pulp made entirely from crop biomass instead of trees. Its patented process reduces water use by 60% and energy consumption by 85%, producing premium pulp without harmful sulphide or chloride chemicals. This approach promotes a sustainable alternative to traditional wood-based manufacturing.

Picketa Systems offers LENS™, a rapid plant tissue analysis tool that provides instant data without the need for lab testing. Farmers can make quick, data-driven decisions using its digital dashboard, improving fertilizer management and overall crop productivity.

The Foresight 50 program celebrates its fifth year of spotlighting Canada’s most investible cleantech ventures. Notably, all 50 of this year’s honorees are first-time winners, showing the nation’s growing innovation capacity. Since 2021, past recipients have raised over $2.6 billion in capital, contributing to Canada’s leadership in the clean energy transition.

“These honorees represent some of the most exciting prospects coming out of Canada's cleantech ecosystem. Their innovation is actively transforming traditional industries into new strengths, securing economic competitiveness, and creating positive change in our communities and daily lives. Foresight is proud to recognize these innovators and ensure they gain the resources necessary to continue their vital work. To all the ventures: congratulations and thank you!” said David Sanguinetti, Interim CEO, Foresight Canada.

Photo Credit: picketa-system-and Jejmas-logos

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.