Calgary climatetech startup CURA advanced to the semi-finals of the PITCH startup competition at Web Summit Qatar 2026, representing Canada among the event’s Top 10 early-stage companies.
The competition took place last week as part of Web Summit Qatar, which brought together 30,274 attendees, 1,637 startups, and 931 investors from 127 countries, offering founders a high-profile platform to pitch investors and global industry leaders.
CURA is tackling one of the world’s most difficult-to-decarbonize industries: cement. The company has developed an electrochemical process that can cut cement-related CO₂ emissions by up to 85% while reducing energy use by pre-processing limestone before it enters the kiln.
Co-founded by Erin Bobicki, Phil De Luna, Sabrina Scott, and Curtis Berlinguette, CURA combines expertise in materials science, electrochemistry, and industrial decarbonization. As demand for low-carbon construction materials accelerates globally, the company is positioning itself as a key enabler of cleaner cement production heading into 2026.
“What a week it’s been at Web Summit Qatar 2026,” said Bobicki, CEO of CURA. “For CURA, it was an incredible opportunity to share our low-carbon cement story, connect Alberta’s climate tech journey with global audiences, and build new relationships across the Middle East. The conversations underscored just how much appetite there is in the region for breakthrough decarbonization technologies.”
The overall PITCH winner was Ottawa-based Plantaform, an agtech startup building smart, connected indoor gardens that use fogponics—a mist-based growing system that replaces soil and significantly reduces water use while accelerating plant growth.
Vancouver’s GlüxKind, a robotics startup developing AI-powered baby strollers, and Dubai-based fashion tech company &Again finished as runners-up in the competition.
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