Reclinker Raises $13 Million to Recycle Construction Waste into Low Carbon Cement

Industrial decarbonization startup Reclinker announced that it has raised £10 million (USD$13 million) in a Series A funding round, with proceeds aimed at commercializing its low-carbon cement recycling technology.

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. Conventional cement contains an average of 77% clinker, which is produced by heating limestone in a process that releases significant amounts of CO2.

Founded in 2022, Cardiff, UK-based Reclinker has developed a process that transforms material recovered from concrete waste into high-performance, low-carbon cement. The company’s technology recycles cement from construction and demolition waste, using electric arc furnaces (EAFs) employed in steel production to convert recovered cement paste back into clinker, which eliminates the need for kilns, quarried limestone and fossil-fuel heat. The company said that the resulting cementitious slag could cut emissions by 50% initially, with further reductions as the technology scales, at cost parity with conventional cement.

Reclinker said that the new funding will be used to scale its team and production in Cardiff, and to expand across EAF sites in Europe and the U.S.

Bill Yost, CEO of Reclinker, said:

“This oversubscribed round sends a strong signal that UK investors are serious about decarbonisation. We are particularly glad this investment will support the growth of green industries in Wales.”

The new funding round was co-led by Clean Growth Fund and AP Ventures, with participation from Development Bank of Wales and Kibo Invest, alongside existing investors Zero Carbon Capital and Cambridge Enterprise.

Andrew Hinkly, AP Ventures Managing Partner, said:

“Reclinker has developed a unique, scalable, and cost-competitive route to low-carbon clinker production that can be deployed using existing steel industry capital equipment. Its ability to reduce cement emissions while consuming one of the world’s largest industrial waste streams made Reclinker a natural investment for AP Ventures in the cement sector.”