Revolutionising Concrete Production: Concrete4Change Secures £2.5M Seed Funding

January 23, 2024

Concrete4Change, a Nottingham-based startup, has made significant strides in its mission to revolutionise the construction industry's approach to carbon emissions. The company recently secured £2.5 million in seed funding, bringing its total investment to £4.5 million, including grant funding. This funding round, led by Zacua Ventures and Counteract, underscores growing investor confidence in Concrete4Change's innovative technology.

Concrete production is a major contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions, generating three billion tonnes annually. With projections suggesting that cement and concrete could become the leading cause of CO2 emissions by 2050, innovative solutions are urgently needed. Concrete4Change aims to address this challenge by developing technology that captures and mineralises CO2 in concrete, effectively turning an emission problem into a solution.

The startup's proprietary technology involves capturing CO2 using a carrier material, which is then integrated into fresh concrete as an additive. This process not only enhances the strength of the concrete by up to 20% but also transforms it into a CO2 sink, preventing further carbon leakage even after demolition. By utilising waste streams, such as CO2 emissions from cement production, Concrete4Change aims to establish localised supply chains, making its technology both sustainable and economically viable.

Dalraj Nijjar, Co-founder & Chief Commercial Officer of Concrete4Change, emphasised the significance of the company's technology in achieving net-zero concrete. He noted that the fresh funding injection will enable Concrete4Change to transition from successful lab demonstrations to real-world pilot projects, marking a crucial step in scaling their impact.

Prof. Sid Pourfalah, Founder & CEO of Concrete4Change, highlighted the scalability and long-term sustainability of their approach. By harnessing chemistry to efficiently mineralize CO2, Concrete4Change aims to provide the concrete industry with a viable, easy-to-adopt solution. Pourfalah emphasised the importance of converting CO2 emissions into concrete, thereby addressing a pressing environmental challenge while enhancing the properties of the material.

The involvement of strategic investors such as Goldbeck underscores the industry's recognition of Concrete4Change's potential. Juan Nieto, General Partner at Zacua Ventures, praised the startup's ability to "green up concrete" without disrupting existing production processes, making it a win-win solution for stakeholders. Richard Barker, Partner at Counteract, echoed this sentiment, emphasising the complementarity of Concrete4Change's technology with other decarbonising pathways in the industry.

Concrete4Change's success in securing funding and attracting strategic partnerships underscores the growing momentum behind sustainable innovation in the construction sector. As the world strives to mitigate the impacts of climate change, innovative solutions like those developed by Concrete4Change offer hope for a greener, more sustainable future. With continued support from investors and stakeholders, Concrete4Change is poised to lead the way towards a carbon-neutral construction industry.