Germany-based alcemy secures €9.25M to decarbonise the cement and concrete industry

Berlin-based alcemy, a deeptech startup, has secured $10M (approximately €9.25M) in funding to expand its cement decarbonisation solution. 

This funding follows alcemy’s partnership with Spenner, Germany’s fifth-largest cement manufacturer. Together, they have developed a commercial-grade low-clinker, low-carbon cement mixture, a first for the industry globally.

The round, led by Norrsken VC, aims to advance alcemy’s research and development efforts and facilitate entry into new markets in 2024, including the United States.

Climate investors such as Galvanize Climate Solutions and AENU also contributed to the round, emphasising the strategic importance of decarbonisation solutions in global climate initiatives.

A novel way of making cement and concrete

Founded in 2018 by Leopold Spenner and Dr. Robert Meyer, alcemy aims to transform the concrete and cement industry by digitising and greening its practices.

Using machine learning and control technology, alcemy predicts cement and concrete quality properties. This approach provides real-time insights across the entire value chain, transforming traditional materials into data-driven high-tech products.

alcemy’s solution enhances product quality, reduces production costs, and achieves CO2 reductions of up to 65 per cent.

Co-founder Spenner, says, “We launched alcemy with a bold vision: together with the manufacturers, we want to achieve the decarbonisation of the cement and concrete industry, which is responsible for 5-8 per cent of CO2 emissions worldwide.”

“What we have been able to achieve in commercial settings has only ever been done before in a lab. With this additional nearly $10M in funding and support from Norrsken VC, in addition to our first-round investors, we’re paving the way to a low-carbon construction industry, one project at a time.”

alcemy has expanded its footprint by partnering with TITAN America, a subsidiary of the global leader Titan Group, marking a significant step into the US market. The startup will debut its AI-powered quality control software at a Titan cement plant in Florida.

Fabian Heilemann, founder and CEO of AENU, adds, “Concrete is one of the most ubiquitous materials upon which society is built. At the same time, it’s one of the biggest polluters on the planet. alcemy is in a unique position to immediately enable the production of more sustainable cement and concrete at scale with carbon emissions reduced by up to 30 per cent per ton.”

alcemy leads predictive quality control for cement and concrete in Germany, with its technology operational in one-third of German cement plants and over 40 ready-mix concrete plants.

Brief about the investors supporting alcemy

Stockholm-based Norrsken VC is an early-stage fund focused on impact investing aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its portfolio includes three “impact unicorns” – Einride, Northvolt, and 1KOMMA5°.

Galvanize Climate Solutions, launched by Tom Steyer and Katie Hall in September 2021, is a purpose-driven investment platform focused on accelerating global decarbonisation through strategic investments and partnerships.

AENU is an evergreen impact fund investing across multiple stages in climate-tech and social impact companies in the EU and the US. It focuses on driving systemic change in venture capital by promoting impact, accessibility, and stakeholder alignment.