The global construction industry relies on one of the most widely used materials on Earth: cement. Yet the production of cement is responsible for approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions — a figure comparable to the emissions of all the world’s passenger vehicles.
Enter CURA, a UBC spinout with a bold vision to make low-carbon cement not just possible, but the new industry standard. The company was founded to commercialize an electrochemical “pre-calcination” process developed at UBC that enables cement producers to use existing feedstocks and infrastructure while cutting CO₂ emissions by up to 85%.
Turning a foundational material into a climate opportunity
Cement manufacturing has long been labelled a “hard-to-abate” sector. Much of its emissions come not from burning fuel but from the chemical process of converting limestone (CaCO₃) into lime (CaO) and CO₂, known as calcination.
CURA’s process uses electricity, powered by renewables, to split limestone into a zero-carbon lime feedstock and a stream of pure CO₂ that can be captured, stored or utilized. This means the process interrupts the emissions before the kiln rather than trying to capture them after the fact.
By doing so, producers can retrofit their existing plants rather than rebuild them — a significant advantage in an industry known for long-lived assets and conservative engineering cycles.
The team behind the breakthrough
CURA’s leadership team brings together deep climate-tech and industrial scale-up experience:
- Erin Bobicki (CEO), formerly of Brimstone and co-founder of Aurora Hydrogen.
- Phil De Luna (CTO), former Chief Science & Commercial Officer at Deep Sky and carbon tech expert.
- Sabrina Scott (COO), UBC-trained researcher and listed inventor on one of CURA’s core patents, UBC Faculty of Science
- Curtis Berlinguette (Science Advisor), UBC Professor and serial climate tech entrepreneur, UBC Faculty of Applied Science
Their combined expertise spans materials science, climate innovation and industrial deployment, which positions CURA to move swiftly from lab demonstration to industrial adoption.
Progress, pilots and partnerships
CURA, a UBC spin-off company, announced in November 2025 that it has emerged from stealth mode and is developing a 100-tonne-per-annum (TPA) pilot plant in Canada, scaling toward a 10,000 TPA demonstration facility within three years.
At Innovation UBC, we’re excited by ventures like CURA that bring research-derived innovation into major decarbonization opportunities. CURA was part of Innovation UBC’s Venture Founder program in Spring 2025, working with our team of experts and entrepreneurs to validate their business model and develop their go-to-market strategy. The very first invention disclosure related to their technology was filed in October 2021, and since then UBC has continuously supported the process and costs of patent applications on this and subsequent improvement inventions. This work has involved multiple patent filings across several countries. With support from Innovation UBC’s Technology Transfer team, CURA translated this foundational research into protectable, scalable IP and took the first steps toward commercialization. Since then, the venture has secured new investment, strengthened industry interest, and continued to advance its commercialization plans. They were one of five ventures awarded $100K in November 2025 by NorthX, and they also completed their first private capital raise led by Amplify Capital and Zacua Ventures, further accelerating their technical development, pilot planning, and industry partnerships.
Their technology is already resonating with industry. As one industry voice noted, “If they hit their scale-up milestones, CURA could become one of the most deployable pathways for producers to meet 2030 and 2050 targets with real operational practicality.”
CURA’s momentum is also propelled by the recent recognition of COO Sabrina Scott, who was named to the Forbes 2026 30 Under 30 Science list for her contributions to breakthrough climate technologies.
Why this matters for Canada and the world
For Canada and the global climate agenda, CURA’s progress is significant. A home-grown company unlocking major emissions reductions in a foundational industry speaks to the power of innovation to deliver climate and economic value in tandem.
For mines, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors alike, the ability to decarbonize cement production without scrapping major investments is a durable advantage.
As Phil De Luna puts it, “Our goal is to make low-carbon cement not just possible, but the default standard — and to help producers achieve deep decarbonization without disruption."
Looking ahead: scaling, deployment and impact
As CURA moves into its next phase of development, the team is focused on scaling its electrochemical process through a 100-tonne-per-year pilot and preparing for a 10,000-tonne demonstration facility in the years ahead. This stage will be critical for validating performance in real industrial conditions, strengthening partnerships with cement producers, and advancing the company’s commercialization strategy.
With growing interest and momentum from industry, CURA is positioning its made-in-Canada technology for real-world deployment and long-term impact on one of the world’s most challenging sectors to decarbonize.
