Venture debt to scale low-carbon cement, a 3D-printed house in Yaroslavl, and rising Contech investment reshape construction.
Yaroslavl, Russia, September 8, 2025
Three sector developments signal near-term shifts in construction and building materials. A climate-tech cement developer secured venture debt to scale an alkali-fusion, AI-driven ultra-low carbon cement that claims up to 85% CO2 reduction versus traditional Portland cement. In Yaroslavl a multi-company team completed Europe/CIS’s first residential 3D-printed house, printed in parts and assembled on site, now connected to utilities and habitable. Separately, an investor programme published its Top 50 Contech startups and a market report showing strong deal activity and investor focus on productivity and green construction, informing priorities for contractors and funders.
Industry updates this year highlight a move to finance scaling climate tech, fresh evidence of building‑scale 3D printing, and a snapshot of where investors are placing their bets in construction technology. Key items include a UK cement start‑up obtaining a venture debt facility to grow an ultra‑low carbon cement product, a Russia‑based group completing what is described as the first habitable home in Europe and the CIS printed with construction 3D equipment, and the publication of a ranked list that maps the most promising construction tech start‑ups for 2025.
A climate tech company focused on decarbonising cement has secured a venture debt facility from a bank that specialises in innovation banking for high‑growth firms. The facility is intended to back further development and scaling of a proprietary technology that combines alkali fusion with AI‑driven design to create alternatives to traditional Portland cement.
The firm’s first commercial formulation, named MevoCem in public materials, is reported to lower lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 85% versus conventional methods. Company leadership framed the financing as a step toward diversifying capital beyond grants and venture capital, noting that debt will play an increasing role as hardware‑focused climate businesses mature and scale internationally. The lender described the move as part of its commitment to unlocking growth for climate innovators and to supporting scaling of impact‑oriented technologies.
The new capital will be used to expand commercial traction—moving the product from pilot and demonstration stages into broader market deployment—and to support manufacturing and sales activities needed for global roll‑out.
A leading corporate venturing arm in construction released its sixth annual list of the Top 50 Contech Startups for 2025, accompanied by a report analysing 2024 activity and forecasting investment trends for the year ahead. The 2024 data shows total Contech investment of roughly US$3.1 billion across 325 deals, a year‑on‑year increase in deal volume of about 38% and a modest rise in total capital of roughly 2.3%.
The report highlights a shift since the 2021 investment peak toward a more selective funding approach, with investors concentrating on technologies that address construction’s core challenges. Deal mix in 2024 was led by solutions tied to productivity—representing about 47% of deals—followed by green construction solutions at roughly 24%. The authors interpret these patterns as evidence that demand for digital and sustainable solutions is driving the sector’s transformation and supporting the broader industry goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Top 50 list is organised around four strategic focus areas—Green Construction, Enhanced Productivity, Construction Supply Chain, and Future of Construction—and is framed as a tool to give corporate and investor audiences a strategic view of emerging innovations and funding flows.
A construction group reported completion of a residential building in Yaroslavl created with 3D construction printing technology. The project timeline began in 2015, with the frame printed in parts, transported to site and assembled within a month in December 2015. Roofing and interior finishing continued into 2017, and the house is reported to be fully connected to utilities and ready for occupancy.
The building’s total area is given as 298.5 square metres, and the team described it as the largest building in Europe and the CIS produced by additive technology at the time. The printing workflow followed standard additive practices: digital modelling, slicing into layers, layer‑by‑layer extrusion of a cement‑based mixture, and material solidification. Parts were printed indoors on a portal‑type S‑6044 machine (working field ~3.5 x 3.6 x 1 m), then assembled on site in a modular, Lego‑like sequence.
Reported printing parameters included layer heights of 10 mm, bead widths between 30 and 50 mm, and wall printing rates up to about 15 sq.m/h. The team emphasised that the completed house followed required permitting, cadastral registration and technical inventory steps to comply with individual housing rules rather than remaining a demonstration piece.
Together, these items underscore three linked trends: capital mechanisms are evolving to underwrite scale‑up of climate hardware; investors are increasingly favouring digital and sustainability solutions that boost productivity and cut carbon; and 3D printing has moved from proof‑of‑concept to real, habitable construction in at least some projects. Each thread points to a construction sector that is testing new materials, new financing tools and new production methods to meet targets for efficiency and carbon reduction.
Some reports and detailed lists remain available under registration on the original publishers’ sites. Podcast episodes and extended interviews exploring topics such as carbon capture and circular economy are also available through major podcast platforms for listeners seeking deeper technical or policy context.
Venture debt is a loan product designed for growth companies. Unlike equity, it does not dilute ownership but must be repaid with interest. It is often used alongside venture capital to extend runway or fund scaling activities.
Cement alternatives can cut emissions by changing raw materials and chemical routes. Approaches reported here combine high‑temperature alkali fusion with computational design to create binder formulations that significantly lower the CO2 emitted during production and curing.
Projects that followed local permitting and registration show it can be used for habitable structures. Advantages include faster production cycles for parts, geometric flexibility and potential material savings. Compliance with building codes and integration of utilities remain important steps.
Recent deal data shows investors favour solutions improving productivity and reducing carbon footprint. Supply chain agility and disruptive future‑focused technologies also attract funding, with a stronger selection process than seen during the 2021 peak.
Comprehensive lists and accompanying reports are published by corporate venturing groups and are often downloadable from those organisations’ websites, subject to any registration requirements they set.
| Topic | Key facts | Potential impact |
|---|---|---|
| Venture debt for low‑carbon cement | Debt facility from an innovation bank to scale alkali‑fusion + AI binders; MevoCem claims up to 85% CO2 reduction. | Speeds commercialisation; reduces reliance on grants/VC; helps bring lower‑carbon mixes to market. |
| Contech Top 50 and 2024 funding | US$3.1bn across 325 deals in 2024; 47% of deals for productivity, 24% for green construction. | Signals investor confidence in digital and sustainability solutions; informs strategic R&D and M&A. |
| 3D‑printed house, Yaroslavl | Project began 2015; 298.5 sq.m; printed in parts on S‑6044 printer; assembled on site; utilities connected. | Demonstrates real‑world habitable application of additive construction; points to modular printing workflows. |
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