D-CRBN Raises $19.3M to Turn CO2 Into Circular Carbon

Jan de Vries · 2026-05-26

### From Pollution to Profit: D-CRBN’s Big Bet on CO2 Recycling You know how we’re always hearing about carbon capture and storage? Well, D-CRBN, a DeepTech startup based in Antwerp, Belgium, is taking a different approach. Instead of just burying CO2 underground, they’re using electrified plasma technology to recycle it into valuable carbon molecules. And they just closed a $19.3 million Series A round to scale that vision. That’s right — $19.3 million. The original figure was 17.5 million euros, but we’re talking in U.S. dollars here since our audience is stateside. The round was led by Astaia, with follow-on investments from SFPIM and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. And here’s a cool twist: they’re also opening a secondary closing for up to $5.5 million for strategic industrial partners who’ll help accelerate deployment. ### What’s the Tech Behind This? Founded in 2021 by Gill Scheltjens, David Ziegler, Georgi Trenchev, and Annemie Bogaerts, D-CRBN has developed a process that uses renewable electricity to zap CO2-rich off-gases and hydrocarbons. The result? Carbon monoxide and syngas — the building blocks for sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials. No nasty byproducts like carbon black, either. Think of it like this: instead of letting industrial emissions go to waste, they’re turning them into something useful. It’s like making lemonade from lemons, but on an industrial scale. And they’ve already tested this at pilot scale with partners in the steel and chemicals sectors. Multiple demonstration projects are now moving toward commercial deployment.  ### Why This Matters for Europe (and Maybe the U.S.) Here’s the big picture. Europe’s heavy industries — think steel, chemicals, manufacturing — are under huge pressure to decarbonize. But they also need to stay competitive. D-CRBN’s tech offers a way to do both: reduce dependence on fossil feedstocks while creating new value from emissions that would otherwise be wasted. “By enabling circular carbon molecules at industrial scale, D-CRBN directly addresses Europe’s dependence on fossil resources while helping secure the future supply of critical materials for fuels, chemicals, and manufacturing,” said Andreas Blome, Director at Astaia. ### What’s Next for D-CRBN? With the Series A cash, the company plans to: - Scale its first industrial demonstration units - Expand engineering and operations teams - Accelerate commercial rollout of its CO2-to-CO and syngas platform They’ve also got a $2.75 million EIC Accelerator grant from 2023 to build on. And they’re working with big players across steel, chemicals, energy, and infrastructure. The goal? Become a key enabler of Europe’s circular carbon economy. ### The Bottom Line D-CRBN is a strong example of how deep tech can help decarbonize heavy industry while creating new economic value. As Hermann Hauser from the EIC Fund Board put it: “Europe’s ability to remain competitive will depend on how effectively we turn breakthrough innovation into scalable industrial solutions.” For U.S. readers watching European innovation, this is one to keep an eye on. It’s not just about capturing carbon — it’s about turning it into something the economy actually needs.