In 2025, Calgary-based CURA secured pre-seed capital from Zacua Ventures and Amplify Capital.
This month, the decidedly Albertan cleantech company announced a much bigger round of financing.
CURA has secured US$10 million to accelerate commercialization, according to a statement, with both Zacua Ventures and Amplify Capital returning, as well as new investors Sandpiper Ventures and Vantage Futures.
“This investment is a launchpad for us,” CURA cofounder Erin Bobicki commented last year.
Since then, “we’ve made significant progress proving and scaling CURA’s electrochemical technology,” she says.
“This financing allows us to move into the next phase,” Bobicki stated.
Nearly five billion tonnes of cement are produced globally each year to build the homes, roads, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure—but production of the material contributes roughly 8% of global emissions.
CURA’s approach aims to replace the carbon‑intensive limestone‑decomposition part of cement production with a proprietary electrified process that uses renewable power instead of high‑temperature combustion.
Proceeds for CURA—whose technology produces cement with up to 85% less CO2 emissions—will support the buildout of a 100-tonnes-per-year pilot plant in Alberta alongside strategic partner Grand Forks Concrete.
The funding will also advance engineering design for a 30,000-tonne-per-year commercial demonstration facility as well as support hiring ambitions.
“Our focus now is on demonstrating that electrifying the core chemical step in cement production can deliver the performance, scale, and economics the industry needs,” says Bobicki. “We’re building technology that integrates with existing operations while reducing energy consumption, increasing productivity, and strengthening both industrial and supply‑chain resilience.”
Juan Nieto, Founding Partner at Zacua Ventures, acknowledges that “Cement has been made the same way for most of modern history, and for good reason.”
“Changing how you produce something this fundamental, at this scale, carries consequences that most industries never have to think about,” Nieto says.
But the potential for transformation is huge.
“This isn’t just about decarbonizing cement,” Bobicki says. “It’s about modernizing the industry so producers can do more with less.”
“The world will continue to rely on cement to build resilient infrastructure,” the CEO said. “Our goal is to help producers make that cement with far lower emissions, lower energy use, and less reliance on fossil fuels.”
CURA’s founding team includes Bobicki, former Deep Sky officer Phil De Luna, UBC researcher Sabrina Scott, and UBC professor Curtis Berlinguette.
The startup has also attracted capital from NorthX Climate Tech.
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