Fairmat raises $35 million to recycle carbon fiber composite into a brand new materials • TechCrunch

French startup Fairmat closed a $35 million Collection A funding spherical (€34 million) final month. It needs to show carbon fiber composite that’s now not in use into a brand new materials that can be utilized in new merchandise.

Temasek and CNP (Compagnie Nationale à Portefeuille) are main the spherical with Pictet Group, Singular, The Friedkin Group Worldwide and others additionally collaborating. Total, the corporate has raised $45.5 million (€44 million) since its inception.

The concept behind Fairmat is kind of easy. Some high-tech supplies like carbon fiber composites have nice properties. These supplies are mild, versatile and resistant. That’s why you’ll find carbon fiber composites in wind generators or aircrafts.

When these industrial tasks attain the end-of-life standing, Fairmat is available in and picks up these components with carbon fiber composites. The startup then creates a brand new type of materials that isn’t as refined as carbon fiber composites, however that may be fairly helpful.

You received’t discover Fairmat materials in wind generators, however you could purchase objects that you just use in your on a regular basis life which can be made with this new type of materials. This material is known as Fairmat Quest and it could possibly be 10 instances cheaper than new composites and twice as mild as aluminum.

And the corporate has made some nice progress since my first article on Fairmat. It has signed partnerships with 15 industrial firms to gather their carbon fiber waste, together with Hexcel, Tarmac Aerosave, Siemens Gamesa, Dassault Aviation and MerConcept. It’s a extremely concentrated market as these 15 firms symbolize greater than 35% of carbon fiber composite waste in Europe.

On the opposite finish of the market, some manufacturing compannies are already engaged on prototypes with Fairmat’s new materials. Whereas the startup can’t disclose the names behind its 30 contracts, you’ll quickly discover sporting items, audio merchandise and furnishings made with Fairmat Quest.

With at this time’s funding spherical, the corporate plans to progressively enhance the processing capability of its automated sorting plant. Ultimately, 100 robots will deal with as much as 3,500 metric tons of scrap per 12 months.

In 2023, Fairmat additionally plans to broaden to the U.S. There are at the moment 80 individuals working for the corporate. By 2025, Fairmat hopes that it’ll work with 400 individuals.

Repurposed supplies have a a lot decrease carbon footprint than virgin materials, and that’s the primary cause why Fairmat will simply discover prospects within the coming years. As quickly as carbon accounting guidelines turn into widespread, producers might be taking a look at new supplies like Fairmat Quest to decrease the general influence of their manufacturing.