Our Programs

A portfolio built at the intersections

The Burnard Foundation supports ventures and research initiatives working where environmental sustainability, food security, advanced technology and equitable access meet.

The Portfolio

Each venture is chosen to move an entire system forward, not just a single product.

Our projects span controlled-environment agriculture, environmental sensing, renewable-energy materials, space propulsion, retail innovation, sustainable mobility and sovereign digital infrastructure. They range from early concepts and feasibility studies to independently inspected technologies, operating companies and published research — united by a single test: the potential for systemic, lasting impact.

Ventures in the portfolio

Focus areas

Countries active

Research & inspection partners

Incubation

Food Systems & Agriculture

Commonground

A global initiative to improve food quality, equitable access and social impact within environmental limits.

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Operating company

Food Systems & Agriculture

Truestart

Controlled-environment nursery supplying disease-free seedlings as a service to commercial growers.

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Patent-pending

Food Systems & Agriculture

Substrata

Wireless communication technology that retrieves sensor data from deep soil and other hard-to-reach places.

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Pre-industrialisation

Clean Energy & Materials

Voltskin

A nanomaterial photovoltaic coating that turns ordinary surfaces into electricity-generating ones.

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Orbital-scale qualification complete

Space Technology

Boreal Launch

A cleaner, lower-cost hybrid rocket propulsion system for satellite launch and in-space manoeuvring.

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Concept

Social Innovation

Openbasket

A retail concept giving consumers free access to essential goods, funded by tiered and augmented-reality advertising.

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Research & feasibility

Sustainable Mobility

Flatfare

A feasibility study for a subscription-based short-haul airline between European capitals.

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13 publications

Sovereign AI

A programme helping export-dependent developing nations own the digital and AI infrastructure their economies rely on — so the value of their resources and data stays at home.

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In Good Company

Research partners & collaborating institutions

Our portfolio is advanced alongside universities, inspection bodies and commercial partners named across the project documentation.

University of Leiden

Research partner, Commonground

University of Granada

Solar-paint characterisation & declaration of interest, Voltskin

McGill University

Academic advisers, Truestart

McGill Agtech

Product integration & testing, Substrata

Area-XO

Next-generation mobility testing, Substrata

TÜV SÜD Iberia

Independent inspection, Voltskin

Canadian Space Agency

Early funding, Boreal Launch

DIALOG

Design & engineering partner, Commonground

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