Making cement creates huge amount of greenhouse gas. This NC company aims to change that.
Biomason, a Research Triangle Park biotechnology startup trying to devise an environmentally friendly way to make cement, said Monday it’s raised $65 million in a Series C round from investors — money it will use to add employees and expand its product line.
The manufacturing of cement is one of the largest worldwide emitters of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is a major contributor to climate change. In 2016 alone, cement production contributed 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, the BBC reported.
Cement, essentially the glue that holds concrete together, is traditionally created through a process called calcination, in which materials like limestone and clay are treated at incredibly high temperatures — around 900 degrees Celsius. That’s about 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit. Reaching those temperatures requires a large amount of fossil fuels, and the burning of limestone itself releases carbon dioxide.
Biomason, founded by former architect Ginger Krieg Dosier, attempts to create cement by injecting bacteria into raw materials. The mixture of the bacteria and raw materials works to create calcium carbonate. The process was inspired by how coral naturally forms. Importantly, the process can be done at room temperature.
The technology is attracting a lot of interest, and already the company is selling its own tile. The clothing retailer H&M signed a contract with Biomason to use the tile in its stores, Business Insider previously reported.
“We are on a direct flight to revolutionize the cement industry,” Dosier said in a written statement. “This financing not only supports our ever-growing team, technology platform, and continued commercialization, it also proves that our vision to end the world’s dependence on carbon-emitting construction materials is within reach.”
Its latest funding round included investments from Novo Holdings and the Raleigh building materials company Martin Marietta. Martin Marietta declined to comment on the investment.
In total, Biomason has now raised more than $90 million since it was founded in 2012, including from the U.S. Department of Defense.
The company declined to share its valuation or revenue numbers.
In a statement, Novo Holdings said biotechnology solutions like Biomason’s are key to creating a greener economy.
“Our mission is to make a growing and positive impact on health, science and society,” Anders Bendsen Spohr, of Novo Holdings, said. “[O]ur investment in Biomason reflects our vision that biology can create much more sustainable solutions in industry and construction.”
Katie Bailey, a spokeswoman for Biomason, said the new funding round would help it scale its technology beyond tile.
“This round is specifically helping us scale our tech to new applications,” she said in a phone interview.
Biomason is working on producing a ready-mix, a cement mixture that allows workers to use cement on construction sites.
“In order to make a real impact in the cement and concrete industry, you need to have ready-mix technology,” she said.
Biomason now employs around 100 people, across two facilities in Research Triangle Park. Its main headquarters is located at 2 Triangle Dr. in RTP.
Bailey said the company plans to add to that figure in the coming year, with a number of open research and engineering roles.
It also plans to add a production facility in Denmark, as part of a partnership with the Danish concrete company IBF.
“Our plan is to continue on that growth path,” Bailey said.
This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Learn more; go to bit.ly/newsinnovate.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
