New technologies are needed to create a more resilient and less carbon-intensive building and infrastructure for the future.
A new partnership could have far-reaching impacts on developing innovative and sustainable building solutions.
Holcim, one of the world’s largest suppliers of cement-based building products, is entering a partnership with Greentown Labs, the largest incubator of climate tech startups in North America, to accelerate open innovation for the decarbonization of the built environment.
The partnership with Greentown’s incubators in Somerville, Mass. and Houston, Texas, gives Holcim prime access to promising startups focused on innovative and sustainable building solutions.
Through it, Holcim aims to become an early adopter of cutting-edge technologies to decarbonize buildings.
It will participate in targeted engagements with innovative startups and attend exclusive building-sector pitch days. Holcim also joins Greentown’s Industry Leadership Council, which provides strategic guidance to Greentown, including on reducing tech-to-market lead times.
Nollaig Forrest, Chief Sustainability Officer, Holcim, stated, “With our open innovation ecosystem, we partner with hundreds of startups worldwide to accelerate the shift to sustainable building.”
By partnering with Greentown Labs, Holcim hopes to scale up its venture capital program- MAQER Ventures, with Greentown’s stellar roster of successful climate tech startups. “THIS will catalyze to reinvent how the world builds for a regenerative future,” added Forrest.
Kevin Knobloch, CEO of Greentown Labs, noted that engaging Holcim with our building tech startups, sharing its unmatched expertise in low-carbon building innovations and helping advance our entrepreneurs’ solutions.
“Greentown Labs is thrilled to partner with Holcim, a global leader in sustainable building solutions to decarbonize the built environment to bolster cutting-edge climate tech innovations in this critical sector,” he said.
Greentown is home to over 200 startups and has supported over 525 since its founding in 2011. Its two incubators offer lab space, shared office space, machine shops, electronics labs, tool shops, software and business resources, and an extensive network of stakeholders.
Holcim’s open innovation ecosystem spans hundreds of startups with which it partners through MAQER Ventures, its corporate venture capital program.
With advanced research in 15 areas, from ultra-high-strength concrete to 3D printing, Holcim’s innovative solutions cover the entire built environment lifecycle. They range from low-carbon ECOPact concrete and ECOPlanet cement to advanced roofing, insulation, and facade systems that make buildings more sustainable.
Diane Warner, Executive Director of the Oregon-based Northwest Cement Council, noted the potential benefits of such partnerships. “They mobilize climate solutions by providing climate tech startups with the resources, knowledge, connections, and equipment they need to thrive,” she noted.
The LafargeHolcim family of companies in the United States offers an unparalleled range of innovative cement, aggregates, asphalt, concrete products, and construction services, which have been the foundation for infrastructure projects worldwide. Lafarge Holcim is a member of the Northwest Cement Council.
