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A coalition of cities and counties in the western U.S. has awarded $389,000 to four projects aimed at fighting climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the production of concrete.

The startup spun out of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Living Materials Laboratory, has received seed investment from SOSV and has already supplied samples of its “biogenic” limestone to partners in the cement industry, such as Microsoft.

“We don’t have to change anything about Portland cement production,” he says. No new equipment is required, and the product already meets existing standards. This could cut emissions by 60%, or, if combined with other changes, exceed 100%.”

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a way of using algae to create carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative concrete. The researchers use biogenic lime limestone grown by algae instead of quarried limestone to make Portland cement, concrete’s key, and most carbon-intensive ingredient.