Belgian DeepTech startup D-CRBN just closed a €17.5 million Series A round to scale its plasma technology that converts CO₂ into usable industrial feedstock. The round was led by Astaia, with follow-on participation from the Belgian Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPIM) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. For industrial operators who depend on fossil-based carbon inputs, this is a development worth paying attention to.
The company’s core idea is practical. Industries like steel and chemicals constantly produce CO₂ rich off-gases. Instead of venting or storing them, D-CRBN’s plasma systems take those gases and convert them into carbon monoxide (CO) and syngas. Those outputs then become feedstocks for fuels, chemicals, and materials, without pulling from fossil sources. It closes a loop that most industrial operations haven’t had a cost-effective way to close until now.
The Technology that Delivers:
D-CRBN uses electrified plasma technology, a process where renewable electricity powers a plasma reactor that splits CO₂ molecules and hydrocarbons into their base components. The result is electrified CO or syngas, produced on-site in modular units that integrate with existing industrial infrastructure.
The company offers two products. Electrified CO, which converts CO₂ into carbon monoxide for base chemistry without fossil inputs. And Electrified Syngas, which converts CO₂ and methane into syngas for synthetic fuels and chemicals. Both systems are designed to plug into existing assets, meaning companies don’t need to write off current infrastructure to adopt them.
Validated at Industrial Scale:
The technology isn’t at the whiteboard stage. D-CRBN has already validated it at industrial pilot scale alongside partners in the steel and chemicals sectors. ArcelorMittal and BASF are among the industrial names publicly associated with the company’s work. Several demonstration projects are actively moving toward commercial deployment as of May 2026.
David Ziegler, CCO of D-CRBN, put it directly: “The confidence of our investors reflects both the maturity of our technology and the growing demand for scalable circular carbon solutions.”
In 2023, D-CRBN also received a €2.5 million EIC Accelerator grant, which provided early validation of both the technology and its strategic fit with Europe’s climate and industrial priorities. That grant, combined with the now-closed Series A, puts total disclosed funding well above the €20 million mark.
What the Funding Unlocks:
The Series A proceeds go toward three specific areas. Scaling D-CRBN’s first industrial demonstration units, building out its engineering and operations teams, and accelerating the commercial rollout of its CO₂-to-CO and syngas platform.
Alongside the main round, D-CRBN is running a limited secondary closing of up to €5 million under the same terms. This tranche is reserved for a select group of strategic industrial partners who intend to actively support deployment. It’s a structured way to bring in partners who have operational skin in the game, not just capital.
Why Industrial Operators are Paying Attention:
The appeal for operators is specific. Fossil feedstock prices are volatile. Supply chains for carbon inputs are geographically concentrated. Regulatory pressure on industrial emissions in Europe is increasing. D-CRBN’s modular, on-site systems address all three at once. You produce your own feedstock from emissions you’re already generating, at a predictable electricity cost, integrated into what you already have running.
For founders and operators building in the industrial decarbonization space, D-CRBN represents a useful reference point on how to structure a DeepTech go-to-market. It combined public grant funding, industrial pilot partnerships with named companies, and institutional investors before moving to a Series A. That sequencing gave investors something concrete to back.
D-CRBN is based in Antwerp, Belgium, and positions itself as a strategic technology provider for industrial decarbonization across the steel, chemicals, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
