Mehrdad Mahoutian is building better concrete
The Co-Founder of CarbiCrete discusses the challenges and triumphs of bringing sustainable concrete to market
Welcome back to Building Better, a newsletter about Canadian business leaders tackling hard problems with positive impact.
This week, I’m excited to share the work of Dr. Mehrdad Mahoutian with you.
Mehrdad is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of CarbiCrete, a leading company in the decarbonization of concrete. He is the co-inventor of CarbiCrete’s patented process for making decarbonized concrete. Mehrdad holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from McGill University.
Meet the inventor of carbon-negative concrete
Mehrdad Mahoutian is on a mission to de-carbonize the construction industry.
The Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of CarbiCrete has dedicated his career to inventing and commercializing carbon-negative concrete, a breakthrough technology with the potential to eliminate up to 8% of global emissions.
Mahoutian’s journey began at McGill University, where he earned a PhD in Civil Engineering in 2014. During his studies, he became increasingly aware of the negative environmental impacts of the construction industry, specifically in the production of common materials such as concrete.
“There was no widespread solution to tackle the problem,” said Mahoutian.
Concrete is the one of the most widely used substances on Earth, second only to water. Globally, concrete production contributes 1.6B metric tonnes, or 8% of global emissions annually. Despite a clear opportunity for improvement, the industry has seen little innovation over the past decades.
Conventional concrete is made by mixing cement with other minerals and water, followed by a 28-day curing process. Mahoutian’s research, however, led to a novel solution that not only produces a stronger end product in less time but also avoids the emissions associated with cement production.
Instead of cement, CarbiCrete uses steel slag, a waste product from steel manufacturing. In a process similar to traditional concrete manufacturing, the steel slag is mixed with water and aggregate. The key difference is that CarbiCrete’s fresh product is placed into curing chambers, where CO₂ is injected. As the CO₂ reacts with the solution, the concrete cures and reaches full strength in just 24 hours
With his innovation, not only has Mahoutian found a way to reduce CO2 emissions of the steel industry by “trapping” them in concrete, he has also created a product with greater durability that is cost-competitive with conventional concrete.
“It’s important to have a sustainable green product, but at the end of the day if you want to sell something, the economics have to work too,” said Mahoutian.
From the lab to the construction site
While many PhD theses remain confined to university libraries, Mahoutian had bigger ambitions for his invention.
“I was spending so much time doing my PhD and honestly I did not want to waste that time,” said Mahoutian. “[Many PhD theses] can bring lots of good stuff to society, but for some reason, nothing happens with them. I did not want the same thing to happen to me. I wanted to have a positive lasting impact on society.”
Recognizing the need for broader impact, Mahoutian knew commercialization was the clear next step. In order to have the impact he desired, his carbon-negative concrete would need to be put to work in homes, buildings, and infrastructure around the world. His first move was to approach McGill’s Research and Innovation Office, where he received guidance on patents, IP protection, and introductions to potential business partners for his startup journey.
Since CarbiCrete’s official founding in 2016, the company has experienced prolific growth. After several years refining, testing, and certifying their product, CarbiCrete signed its first licensing agreement with Patio Drummond, a Quebec manufacturer, in 2023. Since then, they have expanded beyond their initial brick product line, also called concrete masonry units (CMUs). Today, CarbiCrete licenses its technology to produce paving stones, retaining walls, and other concrete products. They now have a second manufacturing partner in Ontario, and in 2024 announced a new financing agreement with Meta that will enable more rapid expansion of its products.
Paving the way
Although Mahoutian still considers himself young in his career, he has learned many lessons about entrepreneurship and innovation along the way.
“Starting a company is very challenging,” he said. “Everyone knows that the majority of startups up end up nowhere so you’re getting into territory where you know it may not go anywhere.”
Mahoutian recalled a time in 2018 when he and his co-founder were running out of cash and dipped into their personal savings to pay their employees.
“You can imagine the amount of pressure we felt at the time. Not only were we not making any money, but we had to invest some of our own money. And you don’t know what’s going to happen. In six months we could have been bankrupt,” he said.
Shortly after, the company had a successful Seed financing round, giving them the cashflow needed to continue operations. A Series A round followed, and CarbiCrete has now raised over $40M. But Mahoutian knows that was never guaranteed.
Today, he is bullish on the opportunities available to young entrepreneurs in the space. The lack of innovation thus far means it is an industry ripe for changemakers.
“Even small improvements in the CO2 footprint of concrete can have a huge impact on the environment and society,” said Mahoutian. “There are not many people working in this field so that gives huge room for anyone to get into this market.”
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