Boosting Sustainable Infrastructure Design Efficiency: Equator Secures SDTC Funding
Example of a sustainable infrastructure project (Bioswale SWM Installation) that relies on high-resolution data and collaboration (source).
Background
Equator was founded with a mission to revolutionize the way sustainable infrastructure is designed. We aimed to empower city builders worldwide to share data and designs in real-time, facilitating informed and rapid decision-making for projects such as GHG and clean water initiatives. Our platform, Equator, was developed to provide engineers, planners, and designers to collaborate and communicate effectively.
Problem
Last year, our real-time data-sharing tools were in the proof of concept stage, and we needed funding to hire software developers and further develop our tools and technology to realize their full value. This was when we discovered Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). SDTC is a foundation that funds Canadian cleantech projects, supporting the development and demonstration of innovative technological solutions that address climate change, clean air, clean water, and clean soil issues. We were excited to learn about their funding opportunities as they aligned well with our internal goals and objectives.
Graphic showing a representation of real-time collaboration in the Equator platform. We needed to improve collaboration, and the SDTC project helped us get there!
Example of a high-resolution LiDAR elevation data set in Equator (USGS). The SDTC project helped us to share this data with engineers and other sustainable infrastructure designers online, leveraging real-time collaboration tools.
SDTC Project
Our existing product was a proof-of-concept implementation of real-time data sharing and design tools. To scale our platform and expand our user base, we needed funding to hire software developers and further develop our tools and technology.
With SDTC funding, we hired a team of software developers to enhance our real-time design and communication tools. We also invested in user experience testing, analytics, and an iterative design process to ensure the solution had a broad audience reach.
Results
The funding enabled us to explore new data partnerships, develop a pipeline of new users, and secure additional investment.
The SDTC funding led to significant commercial growth for us, including a significant increase in monthly recurring revenue. We also saw an average monthly increase of 20% in new users since the project began.
Major upgrades to real-time collaboration tools and data provided in the Equator platform, as a result of SDTC funding.
