Bengaluru Low Carbon Cement Gets Fresh Funding

A Bengaluru climate-tech company has raised ₹12.5 crore in seed funding to expand production of materials that can reduce cement use in concrete. The investment, led by IAN Angel Fund with participation from other climate-focused investors, comes as India faces the twin challenge of rapidly expanding construction and cutting emissions from one of the built environment’s most carbon-intensive materials.

The company’s approach centres on processing industrial waste into cementitious materials that can partially replace conventional cement. It says its current products can substitute up to 50% of cement in concrete while reducing material costs and improving durability. The technology is designed to work with existing concrete plants, potentially lowering the upfront cost for manufacturers adopting lower-carbon construction methods. That compatibility could be important for India’s urban expansion. New housing, transport networks, commercial buildings and public infrastructure are expected to drive sustained demand for concrete. Cutting emissions without requiring large changes to existing manufacturing systems could make low carbon cement substitutes easier to integrate into mainstream construction. The funding will be used to establish the startup’s first production facility, strengthen its workforce and continue product testing. The company is targeting production capacity of up to 100,000 tonnes annually within two years as it moves from customer trials towards commercial supply.

Its immediate market includes ready-mix concrete producers, contractors, builders and manufacturers of precast products and paving blocks. The company has already conducted trials and pilots in several Indian cities, providing an early indication of demand but not yet establishing whether the technology can achieve large-scale adoption. The larger opportunity lies in India’s substantial industrial waste streams. Fly ash, slag and other by-products from coal, steel and mining operations can create disposal and environmental challenges when they are not productively reused. Turning some of these materials into construction inputs could support a more circular urban economy while reducing reliance on virgin cement.

The funding does not represent a direct change to RERA rules or real estate regulation. However, as lower-carbon construction materials enter mainstream building projects, developers and contractors will still need to meet applicable structural, safety, quality and project-disclosure requirements under existing regulations, including state-level RERA obligations where relevant. For cities, the critical test will now be performance at scale. Lower-carbon materials will need to demonstrate consistent quality, reliable supply and cost competitiveness before they can materially change the emissions profile of India’s fast-growing built environment.

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Bengaluru Low Carbon Cement Gets Fresh Funding