sequestra receives 3 million euros for CO2 mineralization

The Viennese climate tech startup sequestra has completed a seed financing round of 3 million euros. The aim is to transfer its proprietary CO2 mineralization technology to an industrial scale.

The round was led by VSE Beteiligungs GmbH, which is backed by the Dr. Rudolf Fries Family Private Foundation. The company also receives funding from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency and Austria Wirtschaftsservice.

With the new funding and existing subsidies, sequestra has a total of around 5 million euros at its disposal for the further development of its technology.

Converting CO2 into stable minerals

The company develops processes in which carbon dioxide is permanently bound through chemical reactions with industrial waste materials. This produces stable minerals, known as carbonates, which can then be used in the construction sector, for example.

The technology is based on a natural process that takes place in nature over very long periods of time. sequestra accelerates this process to just a few hours. According to the company, up to 300 kilograms of CO2 can be permanently bound per ton of source material.

In addition to the direct binding of CO2, there are additional benefits, as industrial by-products can be used as raw materials for new applications after mineralization.

Data-supported analysis of industrial residues

A central component of sequestra's infrastructure is a laboratory for analyzing mineral materials. This laboratory investigates how well industrial residues can absorb CO2 and what economic uses can be made of them.

To date, the company has carried out more than 250 mineralization tests with various materials. The results are being incorporated into a growing data model that maps the relationships between material properties, CO2 absorption and process conditions.

This data-driven approach is intended to accelerate the development of industrial applications and identify suitable combinations of raw materials and process parameters more quickly.

First modular plant planned by 2027

sequestra was founded in 2024 by Lukas Höber, Roberto Lerche and Gero Schwarz. The company now employs a team of around 15 people at locations in Vienna and Upper Austria.

The start-up is planning to use the new capital to build its first modular mineralization plant in container format. This is to be built by the end of 2027 and used directly at industrial sites.

The plant will make it possible to convert CO2 emissions and industrial by-products into stable minerals directly at the point of origin. Target groups include operators of biomass power plants, waste incineration plants and companies from the steel and building materials industries.