Kiln: Low-carbon cement for precast makers

Kiln supplies a low-carbon binder that precast concrete manufacturers can use in place of ordinary cement. It is made largely from calcined clay and industrial by-products, cures at the speed precast plants need, and cuts the embodied carbon of a finished panel or beam by around 45 per cent with no changes to existing moulds or equipment.

Tanya ran a precast plant in Michigan for nine years, and Victor is a materials scientist who spent his early career on cement chemistry. Clara led the seed round in 2025, after Kiln’s first production trial at a plant outside Detroit ran for three months without a single rejected batch.

Kiln now supplies four precast manufacturers in the Midwest and is building its first dedicated production line, due to open in 2027.