Hyperion Robotics partners with Norwegian SINTEF manufacturing to develop next generation low-carbon concrete

Hyperion has joined the SCENE-B project, coordinated by Norwegian SINTEF Manufacturing, to develop a novel 3D-printed concrete material reinforced with aluminum fibers. The project has secured over €3.5 million in funding from the European Commission’s EIC Pathfinder programme, which supports the early-phase development of breakthrough technologies addressing global challenges.

Concrete, the most widely used construction material in the world, offers numerous untapped benefits, such as free-forming capabilities, excellent acoustic and structural properties, and high durability. However, it is also a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions. SCENE-B aims to create a new concrete mix with reduced cement content, compatible with aluminum fiber reinforcement and optimized for 3D printing. The project also explores the use of unwashed sea sand as a sustainable alternative to increasingly scarce river sand. Additionally, the production process will be optimized by leveraging material and design data to fine-tune production parameters. This approach facilitates the rapid deployment of highly customized prefabricated designs, ensuring both high quality and advanced customization capabilities.

To demonstrate the feasibility of this innovation, the project will produce a functional demonstrator showcasing the new concrete construction elements. The SCENE-B project will also address key aspects such as standardization and scalability, laying the groundwork for the commercialization of this innovative concrete solution.

Background information

Spanning the course of three years 2024-2027, the project, ‘Sustainable Concrete Freeforming for the New European Bauhaus’ (SCENE-B), aims to develop sustainable material and design tools with focus on additive manufacturing and automation. SCENE-B consortium consists of SINTEF Manufacturing AS (NO), SINTEF AS (NO), Mechatronics Innovation Lab (NO), Warsaw University of Technology (PL), and Hyperion robotics Oy (FI). Read more about SCENE-B project: SCENE-B

Hyperion Robotics secures over €2.3 million in funding from the EIC Accelerator programme to advance carbon negative construction

In July 2024, Hyperion Robotics, a Finnish technology company, was selected as one of 68 deep-tech startups to join the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) Accelerator programme. The funding includes a €2.37 million grant, along with equity investment from the European Union, to support the development of carbon-negative materials for the construction industry.

Founded by experts in engineering, construction, 3D printing, and robotics, Hyperion Robotics has pioneered low-carbon structural elements for the infrastructure sector. Over the past few years, the company has successfully delivered projects in water, energy, and transportation infrastructure.

To further reduce the carbon footprint of concrete structures, Hyperion is advancing carbon-negative materials designed to achieve a net-negative carbon impact. The EIC recognized the transformative potential of this innovation, awarding funding to accelerate the company’s efforts in this domain.

Concrete production accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions, and the construction industry faces increasing pressure to meet net-zero CO2 emission targets by 2050. To address this challenge, many industry players are adopting innovative solutions like prefabricated elements, which can be efficiently produced using automation and carbon-negative materials.

Hyperion Robotics offers a groundbreaking technology poised to revolutionize the construction industry. By manufacturing green, carbon-negative structural elements that meet building codes and standards, automating production to reduce costs, and introducing a new design methodology that optimizes material usage and shortens design timelines, the company addresses critical bottlenecks in the industry.

Background information

The EIC Accelerator offers start-ups and SMEs grants of up to €2.5 million combined with equity investments through the EIC Fund ranging from €0.5 to €15 million or more. In addition to financial support, all projects benefit from a wide range of Business Acceleration Services that provide access to leading expertise, corporates, investors and ecosystem actors.

Read more about the program here

Hyperion Robotics secures €3M to decarbonize and automate the construction industry

Hyperion Robotics, a Finnish technology company that specializes in advanced automation and sustainable technologies for concrete and the construction industry, has raised a € 3 million funding round.

Lifeline Ventures, one of the leading VCs in the Nordics and in Europe led the round alongside co-investors from the climate and construction sectors which include Impact VC Ubermorgen from Switzerland, PC Rettig & CO Impact, a Finnish/Swedish family office with industrial background, Goldacre, a Goldacre, a London-based VC focused on the sustainable built environment and its first investor, climate focused VC and accelerator Katapult from Norway. Katapult was Hyperion’s first investor and they are confirming their commitment through a new investment in this round.

This investment will allow Hyperion to scale-up its R&D capabilities, ramp up its software and materials technology and deploy the first Micro-factories to large-scale projects around the world. Kai Backman, partner at Lifeline, will join the board. “We are excited to invest in Hyperion, a company that has found a very unique way to implement additive manufacturing and software in concrete production,” Kai said.

‍The combination of highly optimized structures, robotically manufactured and made with sustainable concrete provides a unique edge for Hyperion to scale up its Micro-factories and make a massive impact in this very conservative industry.

Cement is the source of about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. To solve the climate crisis, we have to find solutions to reduce the carbon-intensity in the construction sector. Hyperion Robotics developed a key technology that reduces carbon dioxide emission in two ways: It allows for more complex structures that reduce the amount of material used by up to 75% vs. conventional structures and it recycles industrial waste to produce low-carbon cement mixtures. Moreover, Hyperion decreases construction costs significantly for multiple use-cases and increases labor safety. Alexander Langguth, General Partner at Übermorgen Ventures said.

‍We believe that Hyperion can become a game changer in construction and are excited to join them on their growth journey.

Hyperion provides an end-to-end solution in the form of mobile 3D printing Micro-factories, which can work either in a stationary location or travel from site to site and combine the high precision of industrial robots with the intelligence and control of Hyperion’s proprietary hardware and software, which allows customers to automatically produce reinforced concrete structures for different kinds of industrial and infrastructure projects.

“In the past few decades, construction has been facing numerous challenges, namely logistics complexities to project delays, high costs and health and safety risks. At the same time, its environmental and social impacts are significant. Construction businesses can unlock higher growth and productivity by adopting 3D printing technologies to automate building processes and improve sustainability across the lifecycle of their projects,” Fernando De los Rios – CEO of Hyperion Robotics shared.

“One of the most unique products that we have developed is our optimized foundation which uses 75% less materials compared to traditional concrete foundations while reaching similar structural properties and high quality standards. However, the best is yet to come. We are keen to collaborate to improve our solution and move the industry forward to a better and cleaner future.”

 

Hyperion Robotics secures €3M to decarbonize and automate the construction industry
Hyperion Robotics secures €3M to decarbonize and automate the construction industry