BusinessWire India
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 5: Carbelim, a climate-tech startup incubated at IIT Madras, is developing algae-powered systems that convert carbon emissions into oxygen and sustainable plant-based products - like biomass, Vegan Omega-3,. The company has raised its pre-seed round of from Campus Fund, with participation from prominent angel investors. The investment will accelerate the company's mission to create cleaner, greener urban spaces through innovative building panels, street furniture, and structural products that actively purify air while generating revenue through valuable by-products.
Founded by Dr. Karthika Gopi (Phd, Environmental Sciences, UAE University), Rahul Babu, and Gopakumar G, Carbelim is addressing the growing urban air pollution crisis with its breakthrough Carbelim BioMimetic Facade™ and OmegaPod™ technologies. These modular, algae-powered photo-bioreactors are integrated into building exteriors and containerized micro-farms to capture CO₂ and pollutants at scale, release fresh oxygen, and generate commercially valuable biomass including vegan Omega-3 oil and spirulina-based protein.
"Carbelim is tackling one of our most pressing global challenges 'urban air pollution' with an ingenious biological solution that creates value rather than just consuming resources," said Richa Bajpai, Founder & CEO of Campus Fund. "We're backing a world-class founding team with deep domain expertise who are building technology that can literally clean the air we breathe while generating sustainable revenue streams."
Each square meter of the company's BioMimetic Facade captures up to 52 kg of CO₂ annually and produces 28 kg of algal biomass. These systems are powered by Carbelim's proprietary AI dashboard, which monitors air quality, CO₂ sequestration efficiency, oxygen output, and biomass yield in real time.
Carbelim has filed seven US patents for its algae-based systems and is actively expanding its R&D and production facility in Coimbatore, in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences.
Carbelim is already demonstrating strong early momentum, with a signed Letter of Intent worth $5.1 million from a leading German sustainable developer for an airport decarbonization project, and advanced discussions with South American governments for the phased deployment of algae-integrated bus shelters. The company has also received interest from major players in the petroleum industry, sustainable city developers, and infrastructure sectors.
Dr. Karthika Gopi, who holds a PhD in Environmental Science from UAE University with a specialization in nature-based carbon sequestration, emphasized that Carbelim's model disrupts the current paradigm of air purification. "Current systems consume energy and provide no return on investment. We are flipping that equation entirely. Our algae-powered panels not only clean the air but generate valuable biomass that pays for itself. Campus Fund's backing gives us the resources to scale this technology globally and make clean air accessible everywhere."
With the funding, Carbelim plans to advance the development of the OmegaPod™ and AI-enhanced indoor modules, establish an expanded R&D and production facility in South India, file additional patents, integrate AI-based climate models for optimization, and prepare for global expansion. The company also aims to extract high-value pigments such as phycocyanin and astaxanthin for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications creating multiple revenue streams from its core technology.
Carbelim now joins Campus Fund's growing portfolio of ventures reimagining India's role in solving global challenges led by exceptional founders building breakthrough technologies for a more sustainable future.
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