Carbon Limit emerges victorious at the Big 5 Global’s Start-up City Pitch Competition while thought leaders at the FutureTech Summit call for a Construction 5.0 era marked by collaborative digital transformation.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates; December 7, 2023—The Big 5 Global event witnessed a groundbreaking moment as Carbon Limit, a climate tech company, claimed victory in the Start-up City Pitch Competition. The competition, a focal point of the event’s efforts to propel the construction industry into the future, featured startups from around the globe vying for recognition and support.
Abdulrahman Alkholy, Senior Principal Engineer at the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, set the stage at the Big 5 FutureTech Summit with a call for Construction 5.0, emphasizing the urgency of investing in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) tech. The summit, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, brought together thought leaders, innovators, and industry experts from the public and private sectors.
Alkholy’s opening session highlighted the necessity for collaborative efforts in achieving digital transformation, stressing that “collaboration must be prioritized between all teams.” This sentiment resonated throughout the summit, with a panel discussion on future-proofing the industry, featuring representatives from Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, Karmous-Edwards Consulting, Zacua Ventures, ARCHIDENTITY, and Premier Construction Software.
Carbon Limit Crowned as Champion
The pivotal moment arrived on the penultimate day, as the Start-Up City Pitch Competition crowned Carbon Limit as the champion among formidable contenders such as Angelswing, Arenpro, Aerofax, and Surviot. The competition, a hub for innovative startups, showcased 50 ventures from 20 countries, covering a spectrum of innovations ranging from 3D printing to IoT, AI, and sustainable construction materials.
Josine Heijmans, Vice President – Construction at dmg events, the organizers of Big 5 Global, highlighted startups’ crucial role in reshaping traditional practices within the industry.
“Startups play a pivotal role in reshaping traditional practices in the industry by introducing innovative solutions to design, build, and manage construction projects,” she noted.
Supported by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (DCDE) and Enterprise Greece, Start-up City facilitated one-on-one mentoring sessions with leading accelerators and investors in the startup ecosystem. Key sessions also provided insights into navigating the funding landscape, discussing the regional and global outlook for the startup ecosystem.
Betty Alexadropoulou, Executive Director at Enterprise Greece, and fellow panelists Abe Seksek, CEO of MENA and Africa at Rainmaking, and Laura Mansoor, Program Director at Flat6Labs, engaged in discussions to guide startups in navigating the funding landscape.
The finalists showcased a diverse array of transformative solutions, and Carbon Limit, with its carbon-negative powder additive made of active minerals reactive to CO2, claimed the top spot. The startup secured a $25,000 bespoke marketing package and a cash prize of AED 50,000, with Angelswing and Arenpro securing the second and third positions.
In addition to the financial rewards, ALEC, Founder Institute, Nirman Ventures, and other partners selected startups for various opportunities, highlighting the transformative potential of innovation in addressing challenges and shaping the future of construction.
While the summit and Start-up City Pitch Competition celebrated innovation, the Digital Construction World on the show floor showcased cutting-edge tech-enabled solutions. Exhibitors such as Premier Construction Software, Planradar, and Revizto demonstrated the application of artificial intelligence, blockchain, 3D printing, virtual reality, and geospatial technology in construction.
“At Big 5 Global, we are thrilled to have created a digital ecosystem that enables industry stakeholders to forge strategic partnerships supporting the industry’s transition to digitalization,” Josine Heijmans concluded.
The event marked a milestone in the industry’s journey toward a tech-driven future, with Carbon Limit leading the charge.
Cement Technology that Captures Atmospheric CO2
Concrete, the second most consumed material on the planet, has long been a contributor to climate change. Carbon Limit’s innovative approach turns this narrative on its head, actively capturing atmospheric CO2 and storing it permanently within the concrete, ensuring at least 1,000 years of permanence, as independently validated projects on their platform guarantee.
Carbon Limit’s cement additive, CaptureCrete, goes beyond traditional building materials. It uses specially formulated cement in construction projects and roads to capture carbon from the air, mineralizing harmful emissions within the concrete structure, thereby preventing them from harming the atmosphere. This move towards carbon capture and sequestering technology marks a significant stride in reducing carbon footprints for major construction projects.
CEO Tim Sperry emphasized the importance of tackling the concrete industry to make a quick and substantial impact on carbon footprints. Sperry’s motivation, sparked by the loss of a family member to lung cancer, drove him to find solutions to environmental issues, leading to the creation of Carbon Limit.
The technology works both pre-cure and post-cure, utilizing a nature-based cement replacement made of non-calcined active minerals and materials highly reactive to carbon dioxide. This reactive nature actively pulls carbon from the environment during the concrete pour and permanently captures it within the structure.
Based on the results of third-party testing, as mentioned by Sperry, users can lower the carbon footprint of their next concrete project by up to 75% with Carbon Limit’s CaptureCrete. With over 8 billion tons of concrete poured annually worldwide, Carbon Limit’s solution offers a significant opportunity for impactful and permanent CO2 reduction.
Carbon Limit’s rapid scale-up, accelerated by their participation in accelerators like The Heritage Group Powered by Techstars and Google for Startups Accelerator 2022: Climate Change, has seen pilot projects in the United States, including a sustainability project with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The company has garnered recognition through awards from BIM World Munich Smart Building/Smart Construction Innovation World Cup, Cemex Ventures Construction Startup Competition, and the XTech Clean Tech/SBIR Competition, as well as the EGS & Sustainability Innovator award at the North Star Dubai Supernova Pitch Competition 2022.
Looking ahead, the technology developed by Carbon Limit actively removes CO2 emissions from the air, promoting long-term sustainability for greener cities around the world. Carbon Limit’s innovative approach to cement technology not only signals a shift in the construction industry but also holds promise in restoring the delicate eco-balance of our planet. Their commitment to greener cities aligns seamlessly with the ethos of the Big 5 Global event, where their victory in the Start-up City Pitch Competition marks a pivotal moment in the industry’s transition to sustainable practices.
