A Manchester-based nanomaterials technology that wants to decarbonize the concrete industry has secured £3 million in venture capital investment to commercialize its carbon-saving concrete admixture.

The raise includes two investors: specialist technology venture capital fund Molten Ventures is leading the Seed+ investment round, while LocalGlobe – Europe’s leading backer of tech unicorns, whose seed investment has enabled the constitution of the Concretene core team in 2023 – became more engaged in the project.

The investment will fund the development of the Concretene product – a graphene-enriched admixture that reduces the carbon footprint of concrete – to take the company through product certification and achieve premium revenues.

Alongside its new investors, Concretene is working with UK precast manufacturer Roger Bullivant and global cement giant Cemex on specific formulations for low carbon CEM II/III cements. This work is supported by a £1.2 million grant from Innovate UK, secured in 2023.

Concretene scientists are also working with concrete specialists from Arup, the world-renowned engineering consultancy, on an extensive materials testing program. This will generate a comprehensive data set to support material performance and accreditation of Concretene as a concrete admixture.

Concretene was founded by civil engineers Rob Hibberd and Alex McDermott, who worked with the Graphene Engineering Innovation Center (GEIC) at the University of Manchester to develop the prototype formulation.

This prototype generated a 25-30% increase in compressive strength in the laboratory and an average of 17% in three field tests. Depending on the application, this performance makes it possible to reduce CO 2 emissions from concrete by approximately 10 to 15%.

Rob and Alex then hired an experienced team – including former GEIC scientist and co-inventor of Concretene, Dr Craig Dawson – to develop the product for commercial deployment. Reliable and scalable supply chain partners are essential to commercial viability and the company has refocused the product on raw materials with sustainable credentials.

Concretene was the first tenant in Manchester’s new innovation district, currently being developed by Bruntwood SciTech. Formerly known as ID Manchester, the £1.7 billion development is located on 22 acres of the university’s former north campus and was launched with its new ‘Sister’ brand on September 27 by Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

Mike Harrison, Chief Operating Officer at Concretene, said: “Our team in Manchester has a unique combination of expertise and experience in construction and nanomaterial science, which will enable us to achieve our next stage of development and gain the trust and certification of the industry.

“With the support of our funders and strategic partners Arup and Black Swan Graphene, we are now well positioned to move quickly towards commercialization.”

George Chalmers, Head of Climate at Molten Ventures, said: “Concrete has made huge strides in taking its technology out of the laboratory and into meaningful real-world projects and applications. Its solution, viable today, is poised to have a significant impact on reducing emissions in one of the most difficult sectors to reduce.