Australia’s own cleantech MCi has won global pitch competition at COP26 in Glasgow

What if you could permanently store billions of tonnes of carbon and create buildings, infrastructure and inputs for manufacturing?

Sophia Hamblin Wang, Chief Operating Officer at Mineral Carbonation International (MCi) explained their solution to the world on stage in Glasgow this week, with a suitcase of concrete and plasterboard in tow.

Over the past few weeks 29 tech start-ups from around the world, each with technology solutions that can help accelerate the transition to a net zero energy industry have been showcased by COP26 in the lead up to The Clean Energy Start-up Pitch Battle.

Sophia, along with 9 other finalists pitched at the final event live in Glasgow yesterday and was crowned the Net Zero Technology Centre’s Clean Energy Start-Up of the Year.

“Winning from a field of 2700 climate solutions, I delivered the winning 5 minute pitch + 5 minute Q&A to a global audience from Glasgow between my hectic schedule of meetings with global leaders, delegates and our stand at the Australia Pavilion,” Sophia said on her LinkedIn.

The Pitch Battle judging panel was made up of Martin Gilbert, Chair of Net Zero Technology Centre; Yewande Akinola, Ambassador for Clean Growth and Infrastructure at Innovate UK; Christian Arno, CEO of Pawprint; Francesca Brady, CEO of AirRated and Gillian King, Senior Director Operations at OGCI Climate Investments.

“MCi’s story is one of a 15 year journey from an idea of our Canberra founders to now scaling into global industry. We are thrilled to receive this important recognition as we scale our technology towards locking away 1 billion tonnes of CO2 per annum into construction and manufactured products for the circular economy.”

You rewatch the livestream here and you can watch MCI’s finalist pitch below.

A big congratulations to Mineral Carbonation International!