Institute for Carbon Management

What Institute for Carbon Management does

The Institute for Carbon Management (ICM) is a research accelerator within UCLA's Samueli School of Engineering, founded in 2019 and led by Professor Gaurav Sant. ICM sources bench-scale climate technology concepts (TRL 2-4) from within and around the UCLA ecosystem and operates a structured three-stage translation pipeline — bench-scale de-risking, pilot-scale de-risking, and pre-spinout support — to convert them into independent commercial ventures. The institute focuses on three areas: industrial decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors (cement, steel, construction), scalable carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere and oceans, and extraction of critical materials (lithium, nickel, cobalt) for the energy transition. Its core technology assets include 22 U.S. patents and six spinout companies: CarbonBuilt (ultra-low-carbon concrete that reduces carbon footprint by 70% to over 100%), Concrete.AI (AI-powered mix-design optimization), Equatic (seawater electrolysis producing CO2 removal and green hydrogen), x/44 (modular electrochemical direct air capture), SpecifX Lithium (direct lithium extraction from waste brines), and Nextli Technologies (stealth-mode cement and concrete decarbonization).

ICM does not sell products or services directly to end customers. Its revenue model is indirect: value accrues through the spinout portfolio, which commercialize independently via licensing, royalties, and direct enterprise sales. ICM itself is funded through a combination of grants and philanthropy from government agencies (DOE, NSF, ARPA-E, FHWA), foundations (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative $21M, Temasek Foundation, Grantham Foundation, Pritzker Family Foundation, Climateworks, The Nicholas Endowment), corporate partners (Shell, BASF, Boeing, Stripe, Suffolk, MBCC Group, Yara), and competition prizes (Carbon XPRIZE $7.5M). The institute provides its partners with early access to grant-making and investment opportunities across pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages, and engages community-led go-to-market support through portfolio companies and a broad advisory network. Operating geographies span Los Angeles (pilot operations and HQ) and Singapore (Equatic plant via Singapore PUB partnership).

Name

Institute for Carbon Management

Legal name

Institute for Carbon Management at UCLA

Website

https://icm.ucla.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Carbon Management at UCLA is a university-based climate technology accelerator that translates bench-scale decarbonization, carbon removal, and energy-transition research into spinout companies serving heavy industry, CDR buyers, and critical-materials markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Technology Research & Commercialization

NAICS

Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing (3273), Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing (32732), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (325120), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Supplier Engagement & Value-Chain Decarbonization Programs (EUABAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM), Analog & Mixed-Signal ICs (HDAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Climate technology acceleration
• Industrial decarbonization
• Carbon dioxide removal
• Concrete decarbonization
• Energy transition minerals

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Technology spinout/commercialization: ICM accelerates technologies from bench-scale to commercial maturity and spins them out as independent start-up companies. The revenue model is indirect — ICM generates impact and value through its portfolio of spinout companies rather than direct product revenue.
2. Partner funding and grants: ICM receives funding from corporate partners, family offices, foundations, government agencies, and investors (e.g., $21M grant from CZI, $7.5M XPRIZE prize) to support technology development and pilot operations.
3. Early access investment opportunities: ICM provides early access to grant-making and investment opportunities in its portfolio of technologies and startups across pre-seed, seed, and Series A stage, facilitated through partner relationships.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ICM develops, accelerates, and invests in breakthrough climate technologies sourced at TRL 2-4 from the UCLA ecosystem, de-risking science, technology, and engineering through pilot-scale work, and spinning out independent companies. Its portfolio spans ultra-low-carbon concrete (CarbonBuilt), AI-enabled concrete mix optimization (Concrete.AI), seawater electrolysis for carbon dioxide removal and green hydrogen (Equatic), modular electrochemical direct air capture (x/44), and direct lithium extraction (SpecifX Lithium). ICM does not sell products directly; impact and value are generated through its portfolio of spin-out companies and licensing arrangements.

Product overview

ICM is UCLA's accelerator for breakthrough climate technologies, operating as a portfolio of spin-out companies and ongoing research projects across three focus areas: industrial decarbonization, carbon removal, and energy transition. The organization translates bench-scale concepts (TRL 2-4) into commercial ventures through de-risking of science, technology, engineering, and business development. Key spin-out companies include CarbonBuilt (ultra-low-carbon concrete), Concrete.AI (AI-powered concrete optimization), Equatic (seawater electrolysis for carbon removal and green hydrogen), x/44 (electrochemical direct air capture), and SpecifX Lithium (direct lithium extraction). Ongoing projects focus on cement and concrete decarbonization, atmospheric carbon dioxide removal, and critical materials extraction for the energy transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CarbonBuilt ultra-low-carbon concrete technology Ultra-low-carbon concrete technology that reduces concrete's carbon footprint by 70% to over 100% without compromising product performance or plant operations and at the same cost, offered through ICM spin-out CarbonBuilt to concrete producers.
• Concrete.AI mix-design optimization tool AI-powered software tool that helps concrete producers optimize their mix design to reduce cost and embodied carbon without compromising performance and strength, delivered via ICM spin-out Concrete.AI.
• Equatic seawater electrolysis carbon dioxide removal and green hydrogen Novel seawater electrolysis process for carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere coupled with production of green hydrogen at the lowest costs, commercialized through ICM spin-out Equatic with operational pilots in Los Angeles and Singapore.
• x/44 modular electrochemical direct air capture technology Low-cost, modular, electrochemical direct air capture technology for removal of atmospheric CO2, offered via ICM spin-out x/44.
• SpecifX direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology Direct lithium extraction technology that pulls lithium from waste brines using a novel approach at the lowest cost and minimal environmental footprint, offered through ICM spin-out SpecifX Lithium for critical materials needed in the energy transition.
• Nextli Technologies cement and concrete decarbonization technology Stealth-mode ICM spin-out focused on cement and concrete decarbonization, currently in the process of being spun out from the institute.

Quantifiable outcome

• CarbonBuilt reduces concrete's carbon footprint by 70% to over 100%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ShellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShell is listed as a corporate partner of ICM, collaborating on industrial decarbonization and climate technology development.
• BASFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBASF is listed as a corporate partner working with ICM on decarbonization technologies.
• SuffolkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuffolk is listed as a corporate partner of ICM, collaborating on construction and concrete decarbonization.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPRI is listed as a government/industry partner collaborating on energy and decarbonization research.
• BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoeing signed an alternative fuel deal with ICM spinout Equatic and collaborates on carbon removal and sustainable aviation fuel initiatives.
• MBCC GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBCC Group is listed as a corporate partner of ICM for concrete and construction decarbonization.
• StripecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStripe is a corporate partner that has provided pre-purchase commitments for ICM's carbon removal technologies and collaborates on climate solutions.
• YaracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYara is listed as a corporate partner of ICM, collaborating on industrial decarbonization.
• United States Department of EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOE and its sub-agencies (ARPA-E, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Nuclear Energy University Program) partner with ICM on technology development and pilot projects.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF partners with ICM on research and technology development grants.
• Singapore Public Utilities Board (PUB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSingapore PUB (National Water Agency) partners with ICM, notably on the Equatic seawater carbon removal pilot facility in Singapore.
• Federal Highway AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFHWA partners with ICM on research related to concrete decarbonization and sustainable infrastructure.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Engine (MIT): The Engine is MIT-affiliated tough-tech venture fund and accelerator supporting breakthrough science from energy, advanced materials, and climate. Comparable to ICM as a leading university-affiliated platform converting frontier research into spinout companies in hard-tech climate verticals.
• Activate (formerly Cyclotron Road): Activate is a deep-tech fellowship supporting scientists and engineers translating breakthrough research into startups, originally founded at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Comparable to ICM as a university/lab-affiliated deep tech accelerator focused on hard-to-commercialize climate and energy technologies.
• ARPA-E TERRA: ARPA-E funds and accelerates early-stage energy technologies from lab to market, including through incubator programs. Comparable to ICM as a U.S. federally backed accelerator/funder translating bench-scale climate energy research toward commercialization.
• Third Derivative: Third Derivative is a climate tech startup accelerator and fund backed by RMI and New Energy Nexus. Comparable to ICM as a climate-focused accelerator that pairs startup founders with corporate partners and technical resources to scale decarbonization ventures.
• Prime Movers Lab: Prime Movers Lab is a venture fund and accelerator partnering with scientists and inventors to commercialize breakthrough deep tech including energy, climate, and CDR. Comparable to ICM as a science-originator platform with both venture funding and technical acceleration capabilities in climate hard tech.
• Greentown Labs: Greentown Labs is the largest climate tech startup incubator in North America, providing lab space, prototyping facilities, and corporate partner access to early-stage climate hardware startups. It is comparable to ICM as a climate-tech-specific incubator/accelerator with strong corporate venture partnerships and a focus on hardware-intensive decarbonization.

Emerging players

• CarbonCapture Inc. CarbonCapture Inc. is developing direct air capture technology for gigaton-scale CO2 removal. Comparable to ICM's x/44 spinout as a peer in the electrochemical/mechanical DAC category targeting scalable atmospheric carbon removal.
• CarbonCure Technologies: CarbonCure is a commercial-stage carbon utilization company injecting captured CO2 into fresh concrete to reduce its carbon footprint. Comparable to ICM's CarbonBuilt spinout as a direct competitor in the low-carbon concrete technology category serving ready-mix concrete producers.
• Prometheus Materials: Prometheus Materials produces bio-cement and bio-concrete alternatives using photosynthetic microorganisms, targeting lower-embodied-carbon construction materials. Comparable to ICM's concrete and cement decarbonization portfolio (CarbonBuilt, Concrete.AI, Nextli) as a peer in low-carbon building materials.
• Lilac Solutions: Lilac Solutions is a commercial-stage direct lithium extraction company using ion-exchange technology to extract lithium from brine resources. Comparable to ICM's SpecifX Lithium spinout as a peer in the direct lithium extraction category serving battery materials and energy transition supply chains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-carbon-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Carbon Management