Californian startup Fortera lands $85 million for its low-carbon cement
The San Jose-based startup Fortera has just raised $85 million in Series C funding to accelerate the deployment of its low-carbon cement technology.
Fortera’s ReCarb® technology is the result of more than 100,000 hours of R&D and is supported by a hundred or so patents. It directly captures CO2 emitted during cement production, converting it into ready-to-use low-carbon cement. What’s so remarkable about this technology is that it can be integrated directly into existing infrastructure.
The cement produced can be used alone or mixed with ordinary cement. It also emits 70% less CO2 per ton than traditional cement, while offering the same strength and durability. Furthermore, it also meets existing regulations and is ASTM-approved as a partial cement substitute.
Full-scale ReCarb plants are expected to mineralize 165,000 tons of industrial carbon dioxide and produce around 375,000 tons of low-carbon cement annually.
The recent funding round included participation from previous investors such as Khosla Ventures and Temasek, as well as first-time investments from Wollemi Capital, NOVA by Saint-Gobain, Presidio Ventures and Alumni Ventures.
Paebbl raises $25 million for its innovative carbon-storing construction materials
The Rotterdam-based startup Paebbl has just secured $25 million in Series A funding. Founded in 2021, the startup has gone on to develop a unique mineralization process that transforms captured CO2 into carbon-storing construction materials. This innovative solution offers a sustainable alternative to traditional cement — whose carbon footprint is particularly high — by storing CO2 permanently, to help reduce the overall carbon footprint of a building.
The funds raised will be used to accelerate the startup’s efforts to scale-up its solution and develop business across several areas, including the completion of a demonstration plant in Rotterdam, signing new strategic partnerships and expanding across Europe, notably via its existing hubs in Helsinki, Stockholm and Rotterdam, as well as opening a new hub in the UK.
The funding round was led by Capnamic, with participation from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Holcim MAQER Ventures and GOLDBECK’s family office Aurum Impact. Several European industrial family offices also participated, including Antti Herlin. Previous investors, such as the French fund 2050, Pale Blue Dot and the Grantham Foundation, also increased their stakes.
Skysun raises €16.85 million for solar panel car park projects in France and Belgium
The Belgian startup Skysun, which specializes in financing and setting up solar panel projects for businesses, has recently secured €16.85 million in Series A funding. The funding round was led by Andera Partners, a Parisian real estate fund manager, with participation from Wallonie Entreprendre, a Belgian national investment fund.
Launched in 2017 by Leopold Coppieters and Arthur Dawans, Skysun offers a three-fold service, as it develops, installs and supplies energy and energy infrastructure. The company installs solar panels on car park roofs of businesses whose property covers at least 1,500 m2, then sells the renewable electricity generated by these panels back to those businesses. This model requires customers to sign a 15- to 20-year partnership deal, enabling them to benefit from renewable energy at competitive rates, without having to bear the investment outlay.
The amount raised will allow Skysun to continue its growth and expand its activity, especially in France where the company already has offices in Paris and Strasbourg. Skysun plans to increase its workforce from 25 to 45 employees. The company aims to finance and operate more than €300 million of solar panel assets by 2030, which is fifty times more than their current figures.
There’s more…
British startup Concretene raises €3.5 million to decarbonize cement manufacturing, read more on EU-Startups
US startup Planera lands $13.5 million to tackle scheduling management on construction sites, read more on Techcrunch
British construction software provider Datascope Systems secures a new multi-million pound investment, read more on UK Tech
US startup Track 3D raises $4.3 million seed funding to develop its AI-powered construction monitoring platform, read more on World Construction Network
Norwegian startup Birdsview tests an innovative sensor that analyzes cement strength and contributes to the development of decarbonized cements, read more on ArcticStartup
UK startup Viabily lands £535,000 to develop its risk assessment platform for property development projects, read more on UK Tech News
