Maxterial, Inc.’s Post

Climate tech funding is going industrial... Blackhorn Ventures closes $150M industrial impact fund Focus is seed and Series A stage investments into capital-efficient software solutions, vertical SaaS companies, and AI applications that address the urgent need for industrial resource efficiency and decarbonization at scale. Portfolio companies are targeting the $1.7 trillion industrial resource efficiency market and leveraging the $4.5 trillion needed for the global energy transition by 2030. The fund has new limited partnerships with Mitsubishi Electric, Westlake Corporation, Goldbeck GmbH and Mercuria Energy. 8090 Industries raised $100M+ for its 2nd fund to invest in industrial companies Focuses on decarbonization, synthetic biology, aerospace, artificial intelligence, energy, and infrastructure to transform the industrial complex with breakthrough, zero-carbon technologies and significant economic advantages. Partnered with over 20 global conglomerates. Ironspring Ventures raised $100M to invest in the industrial revolution Industry focus: manufacturing, construction, transportation and energy. Additional capital allows the firm to write bigger checks this time around, $2 million to $4 million, which will help them stay competitive as seed rounds have gotten larger. The firm’s LP base is comprised of operators in the industries they work in that own construction companies and manufacturing plants and can not only give guidance and advice to companies but also serve as potential customers too. Raised a $50M fourth Refactor Capital fund Investing in the areas of biotech, climate and hard tech startups. This new fund will continue to lead pre-seed and seed investments into startups working in areas including novel battery technologies, cancer therapies, IVF advancements and chemicals. Check sizes are typically $1 million to $2 million, and will be split between 20 and 25 companies over the next three years. More and more capital going to the less sexy parts of the ecosystem, where there is huge decarbonization and economic potential. Sources in comment as usual. #deeptech #climatetech #greentech #sustainability #venturecapital #startups

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation Growth Forum in Denver is one of my favorite events of the year. It's also an endurance event, as indicated by the abundant availability of Redbull, Coffee and tons of snacks. The IGF is focused around startups, investors, incubators and government stakeholders. My day has been packed with back-to-back, 1:1, 15-minute, matchmaking meetings with #cleantech #startups, whom I evaluate for strategic fit with Fairstead's people, properties or processes, and investibility by Fairstead Ventures. The first meeting was with Scott Fleming, CEO of Pirta, a passive cooling technology that can be applied to building surfaces. Each of my many meetings were with innovators commercializing better ways to use, create and store energy and related materials. #venturecapital #multifamilyhousing #innovationgrowthforum #sustainability

🤩 We are back with Ecosystem News and today we are going to talk about CarbonX! CarbonX has just secured €10 million in early-stage VC funding! Originally founded as a spinoff from Delft University of Technology, the start-up has developed a unique alternative to graphite that can be used in the production of batteries, focusing mainly on EV applications. With China having announced halts on the export of graphite in January, supply has been restricted to both European and American battery manufacturers, representing a significant opportunity for the start-up to fill this new demand opened up by Chinese trade policy. Founded by Rutger Van Raalten and Daniela Sordi in 2014, CarbonX positions itself as a sustainable and effective supplier of critical raw materials for the production of batteries. Using CarbonX’s ‘feedstock’ technology, batteries can consume less energy compared to those using synthetic or natural graphite, resulting in lower costs and a reduced carbon footprint. Additionally, the company’s process allows them to set up localized supply chains rather than relying on the natural graphite supply chain. To make this funding round possible, Innovation Industries, InnovationQuarter, and Borski Fund partnered to raise €10M in an early-stage funding round. These funds will be used to set up the company for the next stage of commercial growth, with the new capital facilitating the further optimization of CarbonX’s unique material, and increasing production capacity to support higher-volume applications. 🚀 Excited to see the growth of yet another Dutch start-up!

👏 Congratulations to Nextmol on Their Successful Funding Round!👏 We're excited to congratulate Nextmol, a spin-off from the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, on closing their first funding round! 🎉 Nextmol is transforming R&D in the specialty chemicals industry with its innovative SaaS computational lab. Their technology reduces time and costs, offering molecular characterization without chemical synthesis. This breakthrough delivers up to 9 times cost savings and 5 times faster R&D timelines. ACT Venture Partners led the funding round (the amount raised was not specified) with participation from Axon Partners Group, Abac Nest Venture Capital and Grow Venture Partners. Gokhan Guner Managing Partner at ACT Venture Partners, sees Nextmol `as an accelerator in the chemical industry's green and digital transition.”  “Behind our decision to invest, there is Nextmol’s unique approach to addressing critical needs for accelerated and sustainable innovation in the chemical industry, its strong team with deep expertise, and its significant potential for growth and environmental impact.” Nextmol's solutions also promote sustainability, supporting the Green Deal goals for designing eco-friendly chemicals. 🌱🌍 💻 READ MORE: https://loom.ly/iEJLZE0 #Innovation #Sustainability #ChemicalIndustry #Nextmol #R&D #GreenDeal #TechNews #StartupSuccess

At World Fund, we’re thrilled to announce our follow-on investment in cylib - leading their €55 million Series A round - alongside Porsche Ventures. We first invested in Lilian Schwich and Gideon Schwich via the firm’s seed extension round in early 2023. We’re doubling down on our commitment, and leading this round - which is the largest round ever for a European battery recycling firm - as we continue to be impressed by Lilian, Gideon and Paul’s ability to execute, industrialise, and develop nascent technology at extreme speed. cylib’s technology - already being used by major OEMs and industrial firms - is addressing one of the last great barriers preventing full electrification of our economy: battery recycling.  cylib’s proprietary process will ensure that every component in a lithium-ion battery can be recycled, making it the only company on the market to offer clients a way to recover all elements from production scraps, EV or micro mobility batteries. Despite being only four years old, cylib’s technology is already outperforming industry break-even points, and achieving a 90%+ battery material recyclability rate. Kudos to co-investors, including Bosch Ventures, DTCF | DeepTech & Climate Fonds, NRW Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, Speedinvest and 10x Founders! News on the round can be found here: https://bit.ly/4aghBeg

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Maxterial, Inc., a technology company dedicated to pioneering advancements in material science including the commercialization of advanced coatings, has announced the successful closure of its Series A funding round, raising nearly $8 million. This milestone underscores Maxterial's rising influence in disruptive material science technologies and its commitment to reshaping traditional industry norms with dynamic and environmentally responsible solutions. Led by CEO Dr. Mehdi Kargar and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Amy Haghdoost, Maxterial has pioneered material science advancements for nearly a decade. The company's lean approach to reaching the product-growth fit stage has garnered widespread acclaim, attracting a range of customers and influential investors, including Peter Thiel's Breakout Labs, Pierre Omidyar's UP2398, and corporate innovation leaders like Saint-Gobain and Anglo American. The Series A funding round, led by Helios Climate Ventures, with participation from global corporation Qemetica (formerly CIECH Group) and the Mott Corporation, solidifies Maxterial's position as a leader in climate-conscious innovation. This capital enables Maxterial to accelerate its R&D efforts, including large-scale trials, expand its products, and scale operations in North America and Europe. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d6HzfVUh

Gender lens investor Borski Fund has invested €1.1m as part of a €6.5m funding round in German green chemistry startup DUDE CHEM and €1m as part of a €10m fundraising in Dutch deep tech startup CarbonX. Read our story by Karolina Adamkiewicz here: #impactinvesting #genderequity #climate #startups #venturecapital https://lnkd.in/evDFUxu3

The MIT Technology Review featured Boston Metal in this comprehensive reflection of the #climate tech landscape by David Rotman. Our scalable Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) cells will decarbonize primary steelmaking, eventually supplanting the carbon-intensive blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace route. A key benefit is that MOE cells can plug into the incumbent downstream steelmaking process. Leveraging existing industrial #infrastructure is critical to the success of clean tech startups. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g4GUJC5X #MIT

Carbon in Cement Manufacture - Here's the second video from the #impactNation conference series! 🎥 Thrilled to share this latest addition, which I scripted and which was produced by the talented Guy Lieberman. This video dives deep into the carbon footprint of #cement manufacturing showing where and how all the carbon is produced. 🏗️ Joining forces with venture capital firms and Israeli tech startups in sustainability, #ImpactNation is paving the way for real change. Special thanks to Nicky Newfield and #ArcImpact for championing tech innovation that is geared toward creating a greener future. Let's keep replacing, reducing, and recycling for a sustainable tomorrow! #EvaGreenTech #SustainabilityTechnology #SustainableCement #CarbonReduction #CircularEconomy

Great program from MassVentures. We at MIT Technology Licensing Office know (from a cursory check in our records) that over the course of 17 years we have licensed or optioned Massachusetts Institute of Technology owned #cleantech #ip to at least 32 #startup and large companies. We know there is much, much more to come particularly with the recent announcement about the new MIT Climate Project. https://lnkd.in/eSaUmuJE. Programs like MassVentures and others are vitally important and make this #cambridge ecosystem so vibrant and successful as are other funding sources and resources. Safar Partners, Osage University Partners (OUP) , Pillar VC , CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) ,Greentown Labs , LabCentral , The Engine Accelerator, Portal Innovations, LLC , The Engine , Flagship Pioneering , Northpond Ventures, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center