MeduSoil develops and sells innovative, sustainable binder products for private and public-sector construction projects. They are produced by microorganisms that naturally occur in large quantities in the soil.
Context
Construction, whether for private or public projects, is one of the world’s most environmentally harmful sectors. That’s due in large part to the chemical binder products that are used to agglomerate materials and stabilise soil or building foundations. In response to this ecological challenge, MeduSoil has developed innovative binder products based on biomineralisation. Their main intended function is to secure infrastructure and buildings against geological (earthquakes) and climate-related (erosion, landslides, etc.) challenges. They have the same properties as standardly used minerals and are also very competitive, as they are produced by microorganisms cultivated in bioreactors.
Technology
Organic synthesis is a well-known process used in the pharmaceutical and food industries. MeduSoil drew inspiration from its applications in those sectors to develop a binder product for the construction industry. It is produced using microorganisms that occur in the soil and groundwater and naturally produce calcium carbonate, a kind of biocement. The Lausanne-based company, a spin-off of Professor Lyesse Laloui’s EPFL lab, isolated around 20 strains of microorganisms at a site in Ticino, of which three were ultimately selected. They are cultivated in bioreactors that currently have a capacity of 200,000 litres per year. This is done at room temperature, rather than at the 1000 °C required for cement. The chalk-based materials produced following this ‘recipe’ can be used for a wide range of applications, including construction, stabilising foundations and mitigating erosion.
Maturity
The biocement’s efficacy has been demonstrated in around 20 pilot projects across multiple countries, including Switzerland, France, Austria and Romania. Two products have already been launched on the market: the first a substitute for sand and gravel, the second an alternative for silt. The main target market is Europe (primarily via the company’s Belgian subsidiary), followed by North America and geographic regions where there is high demand for stabilisation of underground structures. For instance, a project is currently underway in France with ORSS, an agency that monitors roads damaged by soil desiccation. MeduSoil is also focusing on certain countries that are regularly hit by earthquakes. A funding round completed in late 2023 made it possible to triple the size of the team and build a production plant in Yverdon-les-Bains.
‘We have developed a highly robust binder material produced by organic synthesis that reduces the environmental impact of private and public-sector construction projects – at minimal cost.’
Dimitrios Terzis, CEO and co-founder of MeduSoil
- This portrait is taken from the 2nd Overview of cleantech start-ups published in 2024. Read the full publication here.
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