Data centre boom fuels need for cement substitutes as London’s Cocoon Carbon lands €13 million

UK-based Cocoon Carbon has secured €13 million in Series A funding to develop cement substitutes, addressing a critical material deficit driven by booming data center construction and global infrastructure growth. This investment highlights a significant trend in Europe towards decarbonizing construction, with multiple startups attracting substantial funding for innovative, low-carbon building material solutions. The company's focus on producing supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) from steel slag aims to provide an affordable and accessible alternative to traditional cement. Cocoon Carbon's scalable, modular process converts byproducts from electric steelmaking into a cost-competitive cement replacement. This approach is crucial as the demand for SCMs, historically derived from polluting industrial processes, is rising while supply shrinks due to the retirement of coal plants and iron blast furnaces. The company's solution offers a "plug-and-play" option for concrete producers, promising to stabilize costs and reduce the carbon footprint of construction materials. This funding round underscores the growing European emphasis on digital sovereignty and sustainability, extending to foundational industries like construction. By providing a viable and economical alternative to conventional cement, Cocoon Carbon contributes to the broader goal of reducing the environmental impact of essential infrastructure, such as the rapidly expanding data center sector. This development positions European companies at the forefront of innovation in sustainable industrial materials.