London-based startup Carbon Cell has secured nearly $1.6 million (£1.2 million) in pre-seed funding for its innovative technology that uses biochar to produce a carbon-negative, plastic-free foam material.
In a funding round led by Green Angel Ventures and Counteract, this breakthrough solution also received support from HERmesa, RCA Design and Innovation S/EIS Fund, and One Planet Capital.
Looking to create an alternative to conventional, polymer-based plastic foams, Carbon Cell has developed a product that offers a sustainable substitute that also provides a fix for excess carbon dioxide emissions.
Its patent-pending foam technology is based on natural polymers and biochar.
The biochar material is obtained by processing waste biomass that would otherwise decompose and emit CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, offering a long-term solution that will keep those emissions locked away in a stable form for hundreds of years.
When combined with natural polymers, the biochar is converted into a low-carbon foam that Carbon Cell claims can be used to replace conventional foam in many different sectors, including packaging and insulation.
The recently secured funding will enable Carbon Cell to scale this technology from batch processing to continuous production. The company will also perform a series of manufacturing trials to validate the material’s use as a drop-in replacement for plastics.
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The testing and evaluation of the foam product will be further advanced through collaborations with early customers, to whom Carbon Cell will deliver several thousand units of its product for trials.
Carbon Cell founder and CEO Liz Lee stated, “Traditional foams have dominated for too long at the expense of our environment. At Carbon Cell, we’re rethinking materials from the ground up, creating a carbon-negative foam that performs today and protects tomorrow.”
She goes on to add, “This investment will help us take the next big step in scaling production and bringing Carbon Cell to market.”
Read more: New Synthesized Biochar Study Finds Credible Indications For Gigaton Removal Potential
