D-CRBN Raises $19.6M to Turn CO2 Into Circular Carbon

Jan de Vries · 2026-05-26

A Belgian deep tech startup just scored a big funding round to tackle one of the hardest problems in heavy industry: what to do with all that CO2. D-CRBN, based in Antwerp, has closed its Series A at $19.6 million (that's about €17.5 million at current exchange rates). The company's technology is pretty wild. They use electrified plasma to break down CO2 and hydrocarbons into carbon monoxide and syngas. Those are the building blocks for things like sustainable fuels, chemicals, and even materials. Think of it like a supercharged recycling plant for emissions. ### Who's Behind the Money Astaia led this round, with SFPIM and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund jumping in too. But D-CRBN isn't stopping there. They're opening a secondary closing for up to $5.6 million (€5 million) just for strategic industrial partners. Smart move, because those partners will help push the tech into real factories. "This Series A marks a significant milestone for D-CRBN," said David Ziegler, co-founder and CCO. "With Astaia as lead investor and the continued support of SFPIM and the EIC Fund, we are well-positioned to transition from pilot validation toward industrial scale-up."  ### The Tech That Could Change Everything Founded in 2021 by Gill Scheltjens, David Ziegler, Georgi Trenchev, and Annemie Bogaerts, D-CRBN uses renewable electricity to zap CO2-rich off-gases. The result? Carbon monoxide and syngas without the nasty byproducts like carbon black. Here's why that matters: - It turns waste emissions into valuable feedstocks - It runs on clean electricity, not fossil fuels - It helps European industry cut its dependence on imported oil and gas ### From Pilot to Production The company says its tech has already been validated at industrial pilot scale with big players in steel and chemicals. Multiple demo projects are moving toward commercial deployment. That's a huge leap from lab to real world. "By enabling circular carbon molecules at industrial scale, D-CRBN directly addresses Europe's dependence on fossil resources," said Andreas Blome, Director at Astaia. "Their electrified plasma technology exemplifies the type of scalable, real-economy solution we seek to support." ### What's Next for D-CRBN With this cash, D-CRBN plans to scale its first industrial demonstration units. They'll also expand their engineering and operations teams. The goal is to accelerate the commercial rollout of their CO2-to-CO and syngas platform. Hermann Hauser from the EIC Fund Board put it well: "Europe's ability to remain competitive will depend on how effectively we turn breakthrough innovation into scalable industrial solutions. D-CRBN is a strong example of how deep tech can help decarbonise heavy industry." ### A Grant Boost This isn't the first time D-CRBN has caught investors' eyes. Back in 2023, they snagged a $2.8 million (€2.5 million) grant from the EIC Accelerator. That early support helped them get to where they are today. D-CRBN works with leading companies across steel, chemicals, energy, and infrastructure. They're positioning themselves as a key player in Europe's circular carbon economy. And honestly, with climate goals getting tighter, that's exactly the kind of innovation we need.