Novacem

Novacem was a cleantech company that emerged from Imperial College London in 2007, positioning itself to disrupt the highly carbon-intensive cement industry. The venture was founded by a team that blended entrepreneurial experience with deep scientific expertise: Stuart Evans served as the Executive Chairman, bringing a track record as a technology entrepreneur, while the core invention was driven by Chief Scientist Dr. Nikolaos Vlasopoulos and Senior Scientific Adviser Dr. Chris Cheeseman, both associated with Imperial College. Dr. Vlasopoulos' work on the technology began during his PhD at the university, and Dr. Cheeseman was a Reader in Waste Management, providing a strong academic and research foundation for the company's mission.

The company's core proposition was a groundbreaking cement based on magnesium silicates, a stark contrast to the traditional Portland cement which relies on limestone (calcium carbonate). This alternative chemistry was central to its value, as the production process operated at significantly lower temperatures (around 650°C compared to 1,450°C for Portland cement) and could utilize biomass fuels. Critically, the process was designed to be carbon-negative; it avoided the release of CO2 from raw materials and actively absorbed atmospheric CO2 during production and hardening. For every ton of conventional cement it replaced, Novacem's product had the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 850kg.

Novacem's business model was not to become a mass producer of cement itself, but rather to act as a technology licensor. The strategy involved proving the technology, securing intellectual property, and then selling patent rights to established global cement and construction companies. This approach attracted significant partners, including industry giants like Lafarge, Laing O'Rourke, Rio Tinto, and WSP Group. The firm secured over £1.5 million in funding from entities such as Imperial Innovations, the London Technology Fund, and the Royal Society Enterprise Fund to develop a pilot plant and advance its commercialization efforts. Despite receiving numerous accolades, including being named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and featuring in MIT's Technology Review, the company faced significant financial headwinds. In 2012, after failing to raise the substantial capital required for large-scale industrial deployment, Novacem entered voluntary liquidation and sold its intellectual property to the Australian technology company Calix.

Keywords: carbon negative cement, magnesium silicate cement, green building materials, cleantech, sustainable construction, low-carbon cement, Imperial College spin-out, Stuart Evans, Nikolaos Vlasopoulos, carbon capture, alternative cement, construction materials, green technology, building materials innovation, Lafarge, Laing O'Rourke, Rio Tinto, Calix, cement industry, CO2 absorption