Green Investment to Develop Carbon Free Insulation

FUNDING TO DEVELOP a carbon-negative insulation material was sought by Green Angel Syndicate which led a pre-seed round for Bristol- and Lisbon-based climate tech start-up, Mykor.

The investment will enable Mykor’s expansion plans for its carbon-negative insulation, MykoFoam.

The construction industry is responsible for 11% of worldwide carbon emissions. Mykor aims to help decarbonise the industry by developing carbon-negative materials.

Carbon-Negative Insulation

MykoFoam, the company’s proprietary thermal and acoustic insulation, feels and performs like foam but is completely renewable, unlike polystyrene. Utilising fungal mycelium adhesives, MykoFoam uses 90% less water, 40% less energy, and 60% less CO₂ than traditional competitors. It incorporates by-products from the paper industry that would normally be discarded to landfill or incinerated.

Mykor has already won several grants totalling £470,000 from Innovate UK and the EU, which funded the early stages of research and development.

This new funding will help the company build its pilot manufacturing line to launch and certify MykoFoam in the UK and Portuguese markets. It will also allow Mykor to expand its team in Portugal and test concepts for upcoming projects.

Cam Ross, GAS CEO, said: “Completing our investment in Mykor represents a significant further step for GAS towards helping to decarbonise the construction industry. This is innovation at its most direct and effective. We are very pleased to invest in Valentina, Olivia, and the growing Mykor team”

Valentina Dipietro, co-founder of Mykor, added: “We’re delighted to have secured this pre-seed funding round, which will allow us to accelerate our expansion plans and bring MykoFoam to market.

“Our mission is to decarbonize the construction industry and make sustainable housing a reality, and we’re excited to take this important step towards achieving that goal.”

Mykor’s successful funding round is another step towards achieving the company’s mission of creating a more sustainable future. With innovative products like MykoFoam, the company is striving towards a carbon-negative future for the construction industry.

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