CarbonCure tackles one of the biggest sources of industrial carbon emissions: concrete. The construction material accounts for roughly 8% of global CO2 output, primarily because producing Portland cement requires heating limestone to extreme temperatures. CarbonCure’s technology injects recycled CO2 directly into concrete during the mixing process, where it chemically reacts with calcium ions and forms calcium carbonate nanoparticles embedded permanently in the finished product.
The embedded CO2 doesn’t just disappear into the concrete — it actually improves compressive strength. That means producers can reduce the amount of cement in each batch while hitting the same performance specs, cutting costs and emissions simultaneously. Each CarbonCure system is a bolt-on retrofit that attaches to existing concrete plants, requiring no changes to the production workflow. The CO2 sourcing is flexible, working with industrial waste streams or direct air capture.
Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, CarbonCure has installed its technology in over 700 concrete plants across North America and beyond. The company has mineralized hundreds of thousands of tons of CO2 and counts major ready-mix producers like Thomas Concrete and Central Concrete among its partners. Backed by investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Amazon, CarbonCure is expanding into precast concrete and additional cementitious products. With under 200 employees, the company punches well above its weight in climate impact per dollar of revenue.
