Holcim partnered with AWS last year to provide its EcoPact concrete for constructing several Amazon data centres.
Holcim and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund have partnered to invest in two startups –14Trees and Paebbl – to support the advancement of sustainable building practices.
Follow-on investment into 14Trees will also be provided by Holcim to support its 3D printing joint venture with British International Investment. The funds will be used to accelerate the startup’s construction of large-scale buildings, including low-carbon data centres.
Meanwhile, the investment in Paebbl will support the scaling up of the startup’s mineralisation technology, designed to store CO2 in concrete as a carbon sink. For Marta Sjögren, Cofounder and CoCEO of Paebbl, the investment will provide the capital needed for the company to “make even bolder steps in our mission to make the built environment a cornerstone of the decarbonised economy.”
Nollaig Forrest, Chief Sustainability Officer at Holcim, commented on the investment, stating, “By investing with Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund into 14Trees and Paebbl, we can scale up these pioneering technologies to push the boundaries of sustainable building, from 3D printing to making concrete a carbon sink.”
Founded in 2016 as a joint venture between Holcim and BII, 14Trees aims to advance sustainable construction solutions across Africa.
Established in 2021, Paebbl transforms CO2 into a durable industrial raw material, enabling the built environment to serve as a long-term carbon storage solution.
Holcim has been at the forefront of the sustainable building sector. Last year, it partnered with Amazon Web Services to provide its EcoPact concrete for constructing several Amazon data centres. Holcim claims the material is available in various options, with carbon emissions ranging from 30 to 100 per cent less than regular concrete.
Amazon has previously invested in CarbonCure, which injects carbon dioxide into concrete as a way to remove carbon and strengthen concrete. It has also worked with American Rock Products for lower carbon concrete.
