Copernic Catalysts, a company specializing in innovative catalysts for sustainable chemicals and e-fuels, announced it has raised an oversubscribed $8 million in a Series Seed Prime funding round. Led by Breakout Ventures, this round included both returning investors, such as Future Ventures and Engine Ventures, and new supporters like Innospark Ventures, New Climate Ventures, and Impact Science Ventures. The funding will support the scaling of Copernic’s ammonia synthesis catalyst to kilogram levels, as well as collaborative development with Schrödinger to create a new catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, converting syngas to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and thus reducing carbon emissions in the aviation industry.
The demand for sustainable ammonia production is high, given ammonia’s essential role in fertilizer and chemical manufacturing—an $80 billion market—and its potential as a zero-carbon shipping fuel. However, traditional ammonia production is energy-intensive and accounts for 1% of global carbon emissions due to its reliance on fossil fuels. Copernic’s novel catalyst, which is currently being tested by a leading ammonia producer, is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing manufacturing setups, significantly lowering the required temperatures and pressures. This enables more cost-effective and environmentally friendly ammonia production.
Dr. Jacob Grose, Copernic’s CEO, emphasized the company’s commitment to using advanced computational materials design to create low-carbon solutions for commodity chemicals and e-fuels. The company aims to leverage its catalyst technology to drive carbon-efficient processes across the energy and chemical sectors.
With a strong leadership team, including co-founder Dr. Aruna Ramkrishnan, who has held positions at ExxonMobil and Linde, Copernic is positioned as a transformative player in sustainable chemical production. The company, founded in 2021, combines computational design with high-throughput experimentation to pioneer catalysts that address economic and environmental priorities in ammonia synthesis and future e-fuel projects.
