CRH Ventures, the venture capital branch of building materials company CRH, has announced a Sustainable Building Materials accelerator, looking to support innovations in the construction industry.
As one of the leading companies in the building industry, CRH launched its venture capital branch in an effort to accelerate the sustainability transition of the construction industry—a sector that is hard to decarbonize swiftly due to its high energy demand.
This accelerator program comes off the heels of two previous ones, which were targeting novel solutions in the water management and road construction spheres.
Through the Sustainable Building Materials accelerator program, CRH Ventures is looking to back companies with market-ready products that combine construction and climate technology and are in need of Series A or B seed funding.
As key focus areas, the accelerator is looking for companies that provide:
- binder innovations that boost the performance of CO2 and conventional materials used in concrete and cement
- original new materials or current materials repurposed into new applications to develop groundbreaking solutions for cement and concrete
- solutions like aggregates, binders, concrete, or waste feedstock created with carbon mineralization that offer CO2 storage
Being among the first batch of selected companies will give businesses an opportunity to further refine their technological advancement, with CRH Ventures providing each shortlisted company with one or more pilot programs.
Once the pilot stage is completed, accelerator participants will also be eligible for a possible investment by CRH Ventures and its $250 million innovation fund.
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Additionally, the shortlisted selection of businesses will gain exposure to commercial users for their innovative products, and they will be introduced to a network of relevant partners from the construction market.
Front-runners will be given unique access to the elaborate CRH network of 200+ operating companies, with the possibility to receive feedback and insights from CRH experts on the journey towards scaling business operations.
Companies can apply for the program up until December 16, after which CRH Ventures will select 10-12 startups that will deliver a live pitch in an event scheduled for early February 2025.
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