Terra CO2, a startup based in Golden, Colorado, recently secured $124.5 million in Series B funding to accelerate its mission to significantly reduce concrete’s carbon emissions. The funds will finance the construction of a large-scale manufacturing facility near Dallas, Texas, envisioned to produce up to 240,000 tons of the company’s supplementary cementitious material (SCM) every year.
Concrete itself has a critical environmental cost primarily due to Portland cement—the industry-standard binder that holds aggregate together—which contributes approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions. This environmental footprint mainly results from the chemical reactions involved in its production and the fossil fuels typically burned during manufacturing.
Challenging these conventional practices, Terra CO2 is one among several innovative startups exploring advanced solutions designed to replace substantial portions of traditional cement without compromising durability or strength. Its solution involves melting silicate-rich rocks into glassy powders that serve as effective substitutes for Portland cement. According to the company, these materials behave similarly in their binding properties but produce approximately 70% less carbon dioxide during their manufacturing process.
Currently, Terra CO2 claims it can replace up to 40% of Portland cement used in concrete production. However, the firm also revealed ongoing development of a next-generation SCM with the potential to fully displace conventional cement materials.
Notable investors backing Terra CO2 in this latest round include Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Eagle Materials, GenZero (supported by Singaporean investment company Temasek), and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s climate-focused venture group, Just Climate. Additional participants include Barclays Climate Ventures, Cemex, Prologis, and Siemens Financial Services.
This substantial financial investment demonstrates increasing confidence in new technologies aimed at tackling one of construction’s biggest environmental challenges.
