Swiss materials tech startup novoMOF has secured CHF 4.4 million (USD $5.4 million) in funding to scale up its innovative carbon capture materials, offering a promising low-cost solution for decarbonizing heavy industry, energy, and transport.

Founded in 2017 as a spinoff from the Paul Scherrer Institute, novoMOF specializes in Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs)—an advanced class of materials designed to selectively capture and separate gases like CO₂. These highly porous materials offer a massive surface area in a small volume, enabling efficient gas separation even in space-constrained environments.

Backed by a consortium of investors including GTT Strategic Ventures, Shift4Good, and Regenerative Ltd, novoMOF is positioning itself at the center of industrial decarbonization by offering MOF-based CO₂ capture at costs below €100 per ton—a game-changing price point for emission-intensive sectors.

Engineering “Molecular Cages” for Carbon Capture

MOFs are not new in the academic world—they were first discovered by Professor Omar M. Yaghi, a chemistry professor at UC Berkeley and a current scientific partner to novoMOF. But what makes novoMOF’s technology different is the scalable commercialization of MOFs for real-world CO₂ capture applications.

“MOFs can be precisely engineered to trap target molecules like CO₂ or methane,” explained Daniel Steitz, CEO and Founder of novoMOF. “Our MOFs are like molecular cages that can capture emissions directly at the source—whether from a factory, power plant, or even a cargo ship.”

The company has set an ambitious goal: to capture 6 million tons of CO₂ annually by 2030 using its MOF-based solutions.

READ MORE: Persefoni Secures $23 Million to Expand AI-Driven Carbon Accounting Solutions.

Scalable Design for Hard-to-Abate Sectors

One of the key advantages of novoMOF’s materials is their space efficiency. Traditional carbon capture systems can be bulky and expensive to operate. In contrast, MOFs offer a compact, high-performance alternative that can be deployed in challenging settings—such as maritime transport or heavy-duty logistics.

This makes MOFs particularly attractive for sectors where point-source carbon capture is the only viable path to near-term emissions reduction.

“We are accelerating the deployment of our advanced MOF materials where it matters most—at the heart of industrial, energy and transport emissions,” said Steitz. “Our goal is clear: to deliver meaningful impact on global emissions through cutting-edge materials and strong partnerships.”

Strategic Support from Climate-Focused Investors

GTT Strategic Ventures, the investment arm of the GTT group (a global player in membrane containment systems), led the round with enthusiasm.

“GTT Strategic Ventures is proud to support the development of novoMOF, whose high-performance materials will help address the challenge of decarbonising maritime transport,” said Hélène Loncin, Head of Venture Capital at GTT. “Together with our co-investors, we are backing a team that has the potential to make a real difference in CO₂ reduction.”

Other participating investors, such as Shift4Good and Regenerative, bring expertise in climate tech and deep decarbonization—aligning well with novoMOF’s mission.

Looking Ahead: From Labs to Large-Scale Deployment

As novoMOF prepares to expand manufacturing and pilot projects, the company is focused on bridging the gap between laboratory-grade MOFs and scalable industrial deployment.

That transition—from discovery to real-world impact—is where many climate tech startups stumble. But with technical credibility, financial backing, and clear market applications, novoMOF could be among the few to successfully cross the “valley of death.”

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