Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)-backed deep-tech startup Carbelim has secured a ₹10 crore investment from the IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, along with IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti, handed over the cheque to Carbelim representatives at a function in Bengaluru.
Carbelim was founded by Dr Karthika Gopi along with Rahul Babu. It develops microalgae-based bio-integrated carbon capture and air-purification systems that draw down atmospheric carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen.
The company has so far filed 13 patents (7 US and 6 Indian) for its technology.
Carbelim CEO Dr Karthika Gopi said the company currently has 42 key employees, including many scientists and engineers.
She said the new investment is expected to create over 50 additional jobs at the startup and lift the company’s turnover to ₹100 crore through international markets.
Dr Karthika Gopi, Founder and CEO of Carbelim, said, “Our technology delivers efficient carbon capture, clean air, sustainable resource production, and advanced Micro Algae Tree (Liquid Tree) solutions for climate-positive cities and industries.”
“This investment will support our efforts to develop and scale our technology, while also drawing attention to Kerala’s growing deep-tech startup ecosystem,” said Dr Karthika Gopi. She credited the support, guidance and interventions of Kerala Startup Mission for the achievement.
KSUM CEO Anoop P. Ambika called the funding for Carbelim a major recognition for Kerala’s deep-tech startup sector.
He said such funding would help growth-stage deep-tech startups of the state gain international recognition.
Ambika added that the funding would serve as a strong stimulus for startups in the deep climate-tech space to realise new ideas and to develop and scale their technology.
Carbelim is among the first four deep-tech companies selected for initial funding from the Unicorn Frontier Fund and is the first startup from Kerala to receive investment from it.
The Unicorn Frontier Fund was raised as patient capital by IIT Madras, IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP) and Unicorn India Ventures. It is deployed to back India’s deep-tech startups.
Announced in February with a target corpus of ₹1,000 crore, the fund raised ₹450 crore in its first phase.
It has so far deployed nearly ₹55 crore across the first four startups, including Carbelim.
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