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4 min ago 2 min read
UK-based carbon utilisation company Viridi has raised £2.2m ($2.9m) to scale up technology that converts captured carbon dioxide (CO2) into chemical feedstocks, as it looks to reduce the industry’s reliance on fossil-based raw materials.
The Southampton-based company secured the funding from a group of investors led by Odyssey Ventures, with participation from Alphatron Impact Ventures, existing angel investors and TOP Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Thai energy and petrochemicals group Thaioil.
As reported by news outlet Daily Echo, the investment will support the development of Viridi’s catalyst technology, strengthen its team and help fund commercial expansion into Asia and the US.
Viridi has developed a catalyst platform that enables captured CO2 to be used as a building block for chemicals traditionally manufactured using fossil or palm-based carbon.
The technology is designed to integrate with existing manufacturing infrastructure, potentially allowing chemical producers to introduce CO2-derived feedstocks without replacing entire production facilities.
Its first major application is in surfactants, which are used in household cleaning products, detergents and personal care products. The company also sees potential to extend the technology into other areas of chemical manufacturing.
Dr Daniel Stewart, CEO of Viridi, said the involvement of TOP Ventures represented strong validation of the company’s technology.
“We’ll be working closely with them to deliver our technology to market, starting in Asia,” he said.
The investment follows a joint development agreement signed between Viridi and German speciality chemicals supplier Zschimmer & Schwarz in February 2026 to accelerate the scale-up and commercial adoption of CO2-based surfactants.
Viridi launched its first CO2-derived anionic surfactant, Vireya, in September 2025. The product is intended as an alternative to conventional surfactants that rely on fossil-derived or palm-based feedstocks.
Thaioil’s involvement could also provide access to industrial expertise and potential customers across the Asian chemicals market, with the group operating across refining, petrochemicals and speciality chemicals.
Vivat Wongnirund, Vice-President of new S-curve business development at Thaioil, said the technology had been tested in real manufacturing environments and showed potential for integration into existing industrial operations.
