Viridi raises £2.2 million for chemicals made with captured CO2

The ingredients in a bottle of detergent can start with fossil fuels. Viridi, a British company born from chemistry research at the University of Southampton, is developing another route: using captured carbon dioxide to make useful chemicals. It has raised £2.2 million to expand its team, scale the technology, and support expansion into Asia and the United States.

The company is starting with surfactants, ingredients used in cleaning and personal care products. Its technology uses a catalyst, a substance that helps a chemical reaction happen, and is designed to fit existing factory equipment. That could spare manufacturers a costly rebuild. An investor says the approach has been tested in manufacturing settings, but the next challenge is turning those trials into wider commercial production.