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Carbon Cell secures major investment following Queen Mary Social Venture Fund success

A pioneering sustainability startup supported by Queen Mary University of London’s Social Venture Fund has gone on to achieve significant new investment and national recognition.

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Carbon Cell, a bio-based insulation company founded to combat the environmental impact of the construction industry, was awarded £15,000 in seed investment from Queen Mary’s Social Venture Fund in 2024. The startup, which impressed judges and student investors with its innovative and scalable solution to decarbonise buildings, has since attracted wider attention and was recently featured by Innovate UK as a success story of early-stage business support and recently closed a £1.2M pre-seed funding round.Carbon Cell’s rapid growth has been catalysed by a tailored support package from Innovate UK, including grant funding, investor connections, and strategic business mentoring. The Innovate UK feature highlights the company's ambitious plans for scaling production and expanding its reach across the UK’s construction sector.

The startup gained visibility through the Queen Mary Social Venture Fund Pitch Competition, homed at the School of Business and Management, where student impact investors selected Carbon Cell for funding based on both its commercial potential and environmental impact. The fund, now in its sixth year, empowers students to make real investment decisions that drive positive social and environmental change.

Professor Joanne Zhang, Director of the School of Business and Management Entrepreneurship Hub and the Queen Mary Social Venture Fund, said:
"We are delighted to see Carbon Cell making such incredible strides. Their progress is a testament to the power of impact-driven entrepreneurship and the role universities can play in nurturing it. The Social Venture Fund exemplifies Queen Mary’s commitment to creating real-world impact and giving our students the opportunity to lead it."

Carbon Cell’s success marks a proud moment for the School’s innovative entrepreneurship education and programmes with a focus on social and environmental impact. It demonstrates how early-stage university support can help lay the foundations for startups tackling some of society’s biggest challenges.

Carbon Cell founders with Queen Mary student investors
Carbon Cell founders with Queen Mary student investors

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