Material Evolution

We're excited to feature in The Washington Post's big new piece on the future of concrete - the 2nd most used material on Earth (after water).    The piece captures the challenges and opportunities in the industry, highlights our proprietary alkali fusion process, and features some great shots of our R&D team (who the Washington Post calls "very focused bunnies").   Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/e_aS7SAJ   Sam Clark David Hughes Elizabeth Gilligan William Booth Emily Wright Ayesha Kazim #industrialdecarbonisation #greencement #concrete #cement #netzero #alkalifusion

With #InternationalWomensDay just around the corner, we’re shining a spotlight on the powerhouse women at Material Evolution who are pushing the boundaries of sustainability head-on. 💡    Did you know that women make up just 15% of the UK construction workforce? At Material Evolution, we’re proud to defy these statistics, leading the way in addressing barriers for women in a traditionally male-dominated industry.    From breaking new ground in ultra-low carbon cement technology to leading the way in transforming waste into opportunity, our women-led team is rewriting the playbook of what’s possible in the concrete industry and beyond.     This International Women’s Day and every day, we celebrate their vision, ingenuity and relentless pursuit of progress. #AccelerateAction #WomenInLeadership #WomenInConstruction #WomenInSTEM #ConstructionInnovation 

Had a great time pitching Material Evolution at the EVA Wales Innovation Day in Cardiff this week, organized by Associated British Ports & Plug and Play UK! Concrete is the 2nd most used material in the world (after water), and we need to do everything we can do decarbonize it. Great to see the South Wales industrial community excited about embracing this challenge - and looking forward to more trips to Cardiff (hopefully)! Max Harris Rebecca Rosser Tomás Christina Kim Hugo Nicholls Jack Stenson Kieran Borrett #industrialdecarbonisation #netzero #decarbonisation #innovation

We’ve had an incredible first day at 180 Studios listening to pitches from the first 4 finalists in our Accelerator for Sustainable Building Materials, Cocoon, EnviCore Inc., PHNX Materials and Material Evolution. 🚀 The level of competition is exceptionally strong and it’s clear that we have some very talented and focused individuals at companies intent on transforming the future of the building materials industry. 🏗️ Thank you to all those who participated in our panel discussion, shared insights and posed questions - the conversation has been excellent and very thought provoking! Keep following along tomorrow for day 2, as we hear from the next 4 finalists aiming to reinvent the way our world is built. 🌎 #SBMPitchDay #Accelerator #VentureCapital #ConTech #Innovation

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝗩𝗔 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆! ✨ 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗔𝗖𝗨𝗔 𝗢𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻 & 𝗛𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 ✨ We’re delighted to announce that ACUA Ocean, Material Evolution and Hynamics are presenting at our Innovation Day in Cardiff on March 5th! 🌊 ACUA Ocean is paving the way for cleaner oceans with their unmanned surface vessels for ocean monitoring and data collection. Their technology supports floating offshore wind by providing a smart, low-carbon solution for monitoring and maintaining offshore sites—keeping operations safe, efficient, and sustainable. 🏗️ Material Evolution is transforming construction with ultra-low-carbon cement, offering a practical way to cut emissions in one of the world’s most polluting industries. By replacing traditional materials with a more sustainable alternative, they are making industrial decarbonisation a reality. ⚡ Hynamics is driving the shift away from fossil fuels by delivering low-carbon hydrogen at scale. Their solutions help industries and transport systems reduce emissions, making clean energy a viable choice for businesses looking to decarbonise. Join us to see how these innovators are leading the green revolution! 📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲? The Coal Exchange, Cardiff 🗓️ 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻? 5th March, 2025 👥 𝗪𝗵𝗼? Corporates, startups, investors, universities, and government organisations actively engaging in solutions for floating offshore wind and industrial decarbonisation. 🎟️ 𝗥𝗦𝗩𝗣 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀: https://lu.ma/76c81ox2 ===== #floatingoffshorewind #industrialdecarbonisation #netzero #decarbonisation #startup #university #government #FLOW #innovation Max Harris, Hugo Nicholls, Pressiana Naydenova, James Westlake, Kieran Borrett, Christina Kim, Rebecca Rosser Tomás, Jack Stenson, Jack Browning Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Marine Energy Wales, Switch Net Zero Wales, Aker Solutions, Simply Blue Group, Associated British Ports, High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Stephen Wyatt, Jason Brown, Andy Reay, Kerry Hayes, Tata Steel, sumitesh das, Luciana Ciubotariu, Celtic Freeport, Jacqui Murray, Ralph Windeatt, Neil Tinmouth, Hayley Moller, Pierre de Raphélis-Soissan, Jason Cotrell, Andrew Symes Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff University Innovation + Impact, Trade & Invest Wales

One of my favorite Female Founder Office Hours success stories comes from our own portfolio here at Playfair 🚀 The story is of Elizabeth Gilligan, CEO and Co-founder of Material Evolution, meeting her pre-seed investors (us!) at a virtual FFOH event back in 2020 Since then, Liz has grown MEVO from her parents' garage into a company with 22 employees, a 120,000-tonne/year production facility, and a technology that reduces cement production emissions by up to 85% while repurposing industrial waste. MEVO also went on to raise a $23 million Series A round in 2023, with all existing investors participating 💪 Liz participated in FFOH before her pre-seed round kicked off to better understand investor perspectives and the fundraising process, she walked away with follow ups with her future investors 💥 We hope that one day, stories like Liz's will be the norm (rather than the exception), and encourage all female founders to apply to Edition 13 of FFOH so that we can make this a reality 🤝 Deadline to apply is March 12th. Read more about Liz's story and apply for Edition 13 below ⬇️

🔎Ordinary Portland cement? 860kg CO₂ per tonne  💡MevoCem? As low as 144kg CO₂ per tonne    But how do we do it?     To get into the technical details, read the latest piece from our chief scientific officer David Hughes in World Cement.    The feature showcases performance data, including different water:cement ratios, and how MevoCem can directly replace OPC while maintaining high performance, workability, and durability – plus an up to 85% reduction in CO2 emissions.     Read the full feature here (pages 44-48): https://lnkd.in/dqPTSC5A.    #LowCarbonCement #Sustainability #NetZero #ConcreteInnovation #TheConcreteSociety 

🚀 Big Ideas, Real Impact: Lessons from the The UK Concrete Show At Material Evolution, we’ve always believed that deep tech + AI can radically transform cement 🏗️ Launching our 120,000-tonne ultra-low carbon cement factory last year was a huge step forward. But innovation alone won’t get us to Net Zero. Scaling change takes an industry. 🌍 That’s why the conversations at the UK Concrete Show were so important. A few big takeaways: ➡️ A roadmap isn’t enough—execution is everything 📍 – Elaine Toogood laid out the industry’s decarbonisation plan, but making it real means funding, adoption, and risk-taking. ➡️ Tech alone doesn’t drive change—customers do 💡 – Tony Carney & Adam Cox showed that breakthrough materials only scale when clients demand them. Liverpool One Station proved what’s possible. ➡️ Low-carbon ≠ low performance ⚖️ – Jordan Smith reminded us that cutting emissions means balancing chemistry + performance—new solutions need to work just as well, or better. ➡️ Materials can be carbon sinks 🏢➡️🌱 – Franz-Josef Papen work on CO₂-absorbing facing bricks flips the script: what if our buildings stored carbon instead of emitting it? ➡️ Waste isn’t waste—it’s raw material 🔄 – Sakdirat Kaewunruen showed how recycled steel fibres can strengthen concrete, proving that circularity is a competitive advantage. The lesson? No one is solving this alone. Startups, corporates, and clients all need to take risks, push adoption, and back real change. The tech is ready—are we? ⚡ Let’s build something better. Who’s in? 💪 Hayley Moller Neil Cochrane #NetZero 🌍 #DeepTech 🤖 #MaterialInnovation 🏗️ #ConcreteRevolution

Grateful for the opportunity to step into uncharted territory! A huge thank you to Climate Connection Innovate UK for the insights, support, and collaboration as we navigate the world of capex-heavy investments. Also, a big shoutout to the incredible presenters who shared great perspectives and challenged our thinking—so many valuable takeaways! Here are a few key lessons from the Material Evolution so far: Lesson 1: Get comfortable with capex-heavy projects 🚀 Be humble about what you don’t know. 💡 Founders are the experts—advocate for them. 🛠️ Find where you can add value & help de-risk. 💰 No grants, no go—avoid early-stage hardware investments without them. Lesson 2: Throw your SaaS napkin in the recycling 🧱 Hardware isn’t SaaS—Look for other milestones, not ARR. 🤝 Offtakes are evolving; don’t expect easy answers. 🔄 Pivots in hardware look different—adapt accordingly. ⚡ Always expect the unexpected. Lesson 3: Over-index on the team—because you’re now part of it 🌍 Expand funding opportunities and bridge investment gaps. 🔥 Champion founders & their mission. 💬 Foster open discussions and offer real support. 🛠️ Scrappy founders are often the game-changers. Excited to keep learning and growing in this space! 🚀 Would love to hear from others navigating similar challenges—what lessons have stood out to you? Dr Stafford Lloyd, Juliette Devillard, Guy Cohen, Sightline Climate (CTVC) Freya Burton, LanzaTech, and Daniel McKeown, Highview Power #ClimateTech #HardwareInvesting #LessonsLearned #Startups #Innovation

🚧Just 2 days to go until The UK Concrete Show 2025! Will we see you there?    On 26 February, our CEO and co-founder Dr. Elizabeth Gilligan will take the stage to discuss lessons learned from our first-of-a-kind factory in Wrexham and how this fuels our mission to remove a gigaton of CO2 from the cement and concrete industries by 2040.    📍Where? Concrete Connect Seminar Theatre, Birmingham NEC  ⏳ When? Wednesday 26 February, 10:25 – 12:30am    Register for your FREE ticket to attend Liz’s talk: https://lnkd.in/d8XhKAP. 🎟️    Want to meet with our team on the ground? Drop a comment below or send an email to [email protected] to meet Liz, Neil Cochrane and Hayley Moller in person.     #NetZero #Innovation #ConcreteRevolution #SustainableFuture #TheUKConcreteShow2025