Strategic venture capital, circularity, and scaling innovation in the construction industry

What does it take to invest in circularity in construction - an industry defined by waste, emissions, and long scaling cycles?

In this episode, Bengt Steinbrecher of Holcim MAQER Ventures shares how one of the largest building materials companies works with startups to decarbonise the sector. From reusing 10 million tons of demolition material to testing carbon-storing concrete across Europe, Holcim blends strategic relevance with clear circular KPIs.

The episode explores how corporate venture capital enables circular startups to scale in the construction industry - through market access, operational integration, and long-term collaboration.

This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

People Bengt Steinbrecher, Head of Digital Partnerships and Startup Partner at Holcim Maqer Ventures https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengt-steinbrecher-maqer

Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:02 Bengt's career background 02:50 Circularity levers in the construction industry 03:55 Holcim MAQER’s investment focus: sustainability, productivity, and construction tech 08:07 Investments criteria and partnership success 12:09 Holcim MAQER approach investing in start-ups 15:57 Circularity evaluation framework 17:58 Example of a circular start-up within Holcim's portfolio - Neustark 19:50 Business models possibilites 21:43 Choosing which business models to invest in 23:26 Investing in asset-heavy businesses 25:17 VC investment patterns in the circular construction field 27:06 Circular Assessment - Where Strategic VC and Impact VC are alike 29:49 Advice for circular founders and future trends 32:07 Founders are invited to reach out to Holcim MAQER

About Holcim MAQER Ventures is Holcim’s corporate venture capital and open innovation unit, designed to accelerate sustainable transformation in the construction industry. It invests in early-stage startups developing breakthrough technologies, provides a venture clienting program that enables startups to validate and scale their solutions within Holcim’s global operations, and runs a six-month accelerator program to foster innovation and collaboration across the construction value chain.

Through these approaches, Holcim MAQER Ventures connects startups with market access, technical expertise, and resources to drive decarbonization and reinvent how the world builds

Further Links https://holcimmaqerventures.com/ https://www.neustark.com/

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