Achieving gigaton-scale COâ‚‚ reductions with continuous economic growth requires materials that are both high-performing and low-carbon. Achieving this will demand more than incremental improvements or cleaner versions of existing products. Industry needs materials that perform better, scale faster, and offer clear economic value.
Startups innovating in nanomaterials are tackling this challenge by integrating circularity, renewable feedstocks, improved efficiency, and low-carbon manufacturing into their solutions.
By engineering materials at the nanoscale, these companies create products that boost efficiency, reduce resource waste, and enable scalable industrial applications. Their innovations could accelerate the transition to Net Zero across energy, mobility, water, and manufacturing. This article highlights five startups translating nanomaterials innovation into measurable, climate-critical impact.
Lyten (USA)
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Lyten is a materials innovation company developing advanced graphene-based solutions to reduce industrial emissions while maintaining performance and cost competitiveness. Founded in 2015, the company focuses on embedding decarbonization directly into material production rather than treating it as a downstream offset.
At the core of its platform is Lyten 3D Graphene™, a nanostructured supermaterial engineered to deliver strength, conductivity, and durability across multiple applications. Unlike conventional graphene, Lyten’s material can be twisted and structured at the nanoscale. This enables precise tuning of mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties for specific use cases.
Lyten produces 3D Graphene™ by converting light hydrocarbons such as methane into clean hydrogen and solid carbon. This proprietary, non-combustion process permanently sequesters carbon in a stable solid form. The captured hydrogen can be reused as a clean energy input, further improving lifecycle emissions.
The material underpins Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries, advanced composites, sensor technologies, and green concrete additives. These products deliver higher performance with reduced reliance on scarce or emissions-intensive raw materials. In electric vehicles, Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries can reduce lifetime emissions by up to 33 tons of CO₂ equivalent.
Lyten has secured more than $200 million in equity funding as of July 2025 to support expansion and acquisitions.
Ionic Mineral Technologies (USA)
Ionic Mineral Technologies is a vertically integrated producer of high-performance nano-silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Based in Provo, Utah, the company operates a first-of-its-kind U.S. production facility supplying advanced battery materials at commercial scale. Ionisil™ is a scalable nano-silicon anode material designed to partially or fully replace graphite, enabling higher battery capacity and faster charging in lithium-ion cells.
Ionisil™ enables lithium-ion batteries to achieve higher capacity and faster charging, supporting longer-range electric vehicles and demanding energy storage applications. The material is engineered for compatibility with existing manufacturing lines, reducing adoption risk for battery producers. Ionic Mineral Technologies extracts nano-silicon powders and critical mineral byproducts from high-purity halloysite clay nanotubes.
The company controls one of the world’s largest known deposits of this material, creating a strong domestic supply advantage. Its 37,000-square-foot facility can scale production beyond 5,000 tons annually. A patented process delivers energy capacities exceeding 2,500 mAh per gram. This positions Ionisil™ as a cost-efficient alternative to conventional silicon anodes.
In addition to nano-silicon, the company produces IonAl™, a high-purity alumina critical for next-generation battery systems. Ionic Mineral Technologies closed a $29 million Series B round in July 2025 to accelerate production of high performance battery materials.
Keey Aerogel (France)
Keey Aerogel develops low-carbon aerogel insulation materials using construction and demolition waste as its primary feedstock. Aerogels are ultra-lightweight, highly porous materials known for exceptional thermal insulation performance. They are increasingly critical in electric vehicle batteries, where thermal protection improves durability and fire safety.
Founded in 2015, Keey Aerogel has patented a breakthrough production process that significantly reduces aerogel cost and environmental impact. Its closed-loop system fully recycles solvents, including ethanol and COâ‚‚, while consuming substantially less energy than conventional methods. This approach delivers aerogel performance comparable to traditional products with a far lower carbon footprint.
Keey Aerogel initially focuses on electric vehicle battery safety. Its fire-resistant aerogel delays thermal runaway, preventing rapid fire spread between battery cells. The material can withstand temperatures approaching 1,000°C while keeping adjacent areas below 100°C. This delay extends response time by several minutes, allowing passengers to exit vehicles safely during battery fire incidents.
The company inaugurated its pilot plant in Alsace in 2022 following seven years of research and three granted patents. Keey Aerogel has secured $18.6 million in Series A funding to scale production and become Europe’s leading low-carbon aerogel producer.
Evove (UK)
Evove is a UK-based company developing precision membrane technologies to enable efficient water recycling and resource recovery. The company focuses on improving filtration performance while reducing energy use, chemical inputs, and overall environmental impact.
Evove applies graphene oxide coatings, nanotechnology, and additive manufacturing to enhance conventional membrane systems. Its solutions target industries with high water intensity and resource dependency, including lithium extraction, green hydrogen, desalination, food and beverage, semiconductor manufacturing, and wastewater treatment. The technology enables industries and communities to increase water autonomy while reducing reliance on global supply chains for critical minerals.
A core innovation is Evove’s Separonics platform, a precision-engineered membrane system optimized through advanced 3D architecture. Separonics delivers uniform pore size and distribution, allowing membranes to be customized for higher flux or improved selectivity. This design achieves significant performance gains compared to traditional membranes.
The company raised $7.37 million in growth equity in October 2025 to scale deployment of its membrane solutions.
Modern Synthesis (UK)
London-based Modern Synthesis develops nanocellulose-based materials designed to replace plastic films, coated textiles, and animal-derived leathers. The company addresses rising emissions from plastics and animal inputs while responding to tightening regulations across consumer industries. Its focus is on delivering responsible materials that meet performance, aesthetic, and cost requirements for commercial adoption.
Modern Synthesis uses a patent-pending biotechnology process that combines biology, material science, engineering, and design. Bacteria are fed agricultural sugars during fermentation, producing bacterial nanocellulose as a natural byproduct. This fiber exhibits exceptional strength and binding properties and can be engineered into durable nonwoven materials.
Unlike conventional plant fibers, bacterial nanocellulose can be precisely manipulated after harvesting. The material can be formed into thin, wind-resistant films or textured surfaces that replicate high-quality leather. These materials are free from petrochemicals and toxic binders, reducing environmental and health impacts associated with traditional coatings and synthetic leathers.
The company’s materials offer comparable strength and durability to animal and synthetic leather while requiring significantly less land and generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Applications span fashion, footwear, and automotive interiors. Modern Synthesis raised $5.5 million in seed funding in February 2025 to advance commercialization.
Nanomaterials as a lever for industrial decarbonization
The startups featured in this article show how nanomaterials are playing an integral role in reducing industrial emissions. By re-engineering materials at the nano scale, they improve performance while lowering carbon intensity across energy, transport, water, and consumer applications.
Rather than relying on offsets, these companies embed decarbonization directly into material design and production. Graphene, nano-silicon, aerogels, precision membranes, and nanocellulose illustrate how advanced materials can reduce resource use, enhance efficiency, and improve system safety.
Large scale market adoption will depend on further scientific breakthroughs, investments, and partnerships. Together, these innovations position nanomaterials as an enabling factor for industrial decarbonization.
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