Decarbonized cement-focused technology developer Sublime Systems announced today that it has raised $40 million, with proceeds aimed at supporting the company’s growth and scale production of its low-carbon cement.

Spun out of MIT in 2020, Sublime has developed a proprietary process that utilizes an electrolyzer to produce cement at ambient temperature, replacing energy and fossil fuel-intensive kilns, and enabling the use of calcium sources as an input material, avoiding the release of CO2 from limestone.

Dr. Leah Ellis, Co-Founder and CEO of Sublime, said:

“Low-carbon cement is critical to build a decarbonized economy. We have successfully demonstrated the viability and scalability of our approach and we are able to produce cement with the same or better strength, slump, and durability than today’s portland cement.”

Cement production is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and one of the more difficult sectors to decarbonize. Cement currently accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with over 900 kg of CO2 emissions generated for every 1,000 kg of material produced.

While most efforts to decarbonize cement to date have relied on carbon capture and sequestration, Sublime’s technology produces cement with both low embodied CO2 and low embodied energy.

The company said that it will use the new capital to ramp up production at its pilot plant, build its team, conduct product testing, and advance offtake commitments from new customers and partners.

The series A funding round was led by climate-tech focused fund Lowercarbon Capital with participation from existing investors including The Engine, Energy Impact Partners and others. Siam Cement Group, the largest cement producer in Southeast Asia, has also joined as a strategic investor.

Lowercarbon Capital Founding and General Partner, Clay Dumas, said:  

“Sublime’s technology has cracked the code for low-carbon cement. We review countless investment proposals and Sublime’s decarbonized cement offers many advantages over competitors not only for emissions reduction potential, but also for ability to deploy. The team has a clear path towards commercialization and is set up to execute and scale.”

Tim McCaffery, Global Investment Director Deep Technology at Siam Cement Group, added:

“Sublime is the first company we’ve seen whose approach has the potential to decarbonize the entire process of creating cement. We are committed to decarbonizing our cement production as fast as possible, and we are proud to be working with such an innovative team. We’re eager to see the company progress from pilot to commercial scale.”