Strategic Ventures Impact Insights: July 2025 (Volume 3, Number 6)

Rethinking Cement with Carbon Capture at the Core: ZS2 Technologies 

Traditional cement manufacturing is one of the most carbon-intensive industrial processes on the planet. It relies on heating limestone to over 1,400 °C, a step that not only consumes massive amounts of energy but also releases CO₂ directly from the rock itself. The result? For every ton of conventional cement produced, nearly a ton of CO₂ is emitted, making the industry responsible for around 8% of global emissions.

ZS2 Technologies, based in Calgary, Canada, is taking a radically different approach. Instead of limestone, ZS2 uses magnesium-rich materials sourced from mining and lithium-extraction byproducts. This eliminates the CO₂ that comes from calcining limestone. But ZS2 goes a step further: they actively capture CO₂ from the air using direct air capture (DAC) units, and then permanently lock that CO₂ into the cement itself, creating a carbon-negative material. In effect, every panel or product ZS2 produces removes CO₂ from the atmosphere, making their materials carbon-negative, not just low-carbon.

Notable ZS2 Partnerships & Funding:

• Nearly CA$2 million from Emissions Reduction Alberta to develop their first carbon-neutral cement facility in 2023

• CA$2.6 million from Sustainable Development & Technology Canada for DAC development, Feb 2023

• MoU with LithiumBank to implement DAC at the Boardwalk Lithium Brine project and source feedstock

  
  

ZS2’s innovation isn't just about reducing emissions—it’s about reversing them. With strong public support and industry collaboration, they're scaling a model that could transform the future of sustainable construction. As the world seeks more resilient, climate-positive materials, ZS2 proves the next generation of cement isn't just about avoidance—it’s about cleaning up the mess the last one made.

Scott Jenkins of ZS2: Scaling Carbon-Negative Cement

Before entering the climate-tech space, Scott Jenkins built a career helping businesses scale smart and fast. As a key executive at DIRTT Environmental Solutions, he helped grow the company’s revenue from $6 million to over $300 million, ultimately leading it through a successful IPO. That experience—at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and execution—laid the groundwork for his next mission: turning one of the world’s dirtiest materials into a climate solution.

Now, as CEO of ZS2 Technologies, Scott isn’t just building better materials—he’s helping reshape the narrative around construction and climate. His leadership is guiding ZS2 to the forefront of Canada’s climate-tech movement, where carbon-negative building systems are no longer theoretical—they’re in production.

A Voice in the Industry

Scott was recently a featured speaker at the Innovating Building Materials and Supply Chain forum, where he presented ZS2’s carbon-negative approach to cement manufacturing. By using magnesium-rich waste materials and embedding direct air capture (DAC) into the production process, ZS2 is showing that it’s possible to create building materials that remove carbon from the atmosphere instead of emitting it.

And on June 23, Scott and Shil Patel, ZS2’s VP of U.S. Development, joined Dave Cooper LIVE—a leading online talk show covering innovation in the construction industry. During the broadcast, they were joined by the former Chair of the Board of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), who jumped in with a timely question: Where does the name ZS2 come from?

Watch the full Dave Cooper Live episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fETlfaK8u-I

View the LinkedIn recap post:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:7342984633279533057/

Looking ahead, Scott and the ZS2 team plan to reunite with Dave this fall at Greenbuild, where the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has tapped him to host and curate the main education stage.

Scott Jenkins continues to be a powerful advocate for climate-positive innovation—on stage, on screen, and on job sites. With deep industry experience and a clear vision for sustainable construction, he's not just building new materials: he’s building momentum for a better-built world.

Please contact Mitchell Hauser or Tony Coretto for further information or to arrange a meeting with Scott Jenkins, ZS2's CEO.

New Portfolio Company

We are pleased to announce that we have recently joined Copperstone Technologies as equity partners and advisors, to support their financing and fundraising efforts in the United States. Copperstone Technologies is a robotics company developing autonomous solutions for hazardous site investigation, delivering mission-critical data to industrial clients operating in extreme environments. Its flagship product line, HELIX, consists of robots designed to navigate mine tailings, wastewater lagoons, and other dangerous or inaccessible sites—offering a safer, more accurate, and cost-effective alternative to traditional methods.

Please contact Mitchell Hauser or Tony Coretto for more information or to arrange a meeting with Jamie Yuen, Copperstone' CEO. 

AKOS Launches New Joint Venture

AKOS provides operating companies in the energy sector with improved sustainability, impressive GHG reduction, and more attractive economics by supplying proprietary technology-based oil, gas, and geothermal well intervention and drilling services.

AKOS has reached a major milestone launching a joint venture, Cybercoil Inc, backed by CEOs from top oil & gas players (Impulse Downhole Tools, Mahikan Oil). The JV enables exclusive delivery of AKOS’s services in Canada and includes a $1M capital contribution. 

Additionally, AKOS demonstrated a successful first commercial Cybercoil™ intervention job with Spur Petroleum, resulting in a 130% increase in production—leading to 9 additional operators to schedule work for Q2 and Q3 2025.

Please contact Mitchell Hauser for more information or to arrange a meeting with Kent Kalar, AKOS' CEO. 

$4.1M Credit Facility to Support Network Expansion

Splash, the leader in sustainable automated carwashes in China (the world’s largest market), continues to break records, with strong topline growth, major cost reductions, early profitability, new development financing, resumed site openings, and Hydrocycle’s substantial sales pipeline:

• Splash's exclusive $4.1M credit facility from its top equipment manufacturing partner will fuel network expansion

• Splash's most recently opened site has ramped up faster than almost any in the company's history

• Hydrocycle's European pipeline for wastewater treatment systems continues to grow rapidly

  
  

For further information or to set up time to speak with Splash's CEO, Rob Shesol, please contact Tony Coretto.

Defender has created the first patient platform designed to provide continuous care as a subscription service for diabetics suffering from Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs). Unlike traditional approaches that treat individual wounds, Defender's comprehensive, lifecycle-based approach integrates smart technology and remote patient monitoring to improve outcomes and reduce costs. 

The team has engaged Shri Parikh (past CEO of OVIK health) as an advisor for strategic acquisitions.

Please contact Tony Coretto for more information or to arrange a meeting with Dr. Hanft.

We are excited to welcome our new Venture Partner, Schaffer Ochstein. Schaffer is an investor at Climate Capital, where he leads investments in start-ups ranging from pre-seed to Series B. Over the past five years, he has built a portfolio of companies working to decarbonize the global economy. His previous work at Capital One and Deloitte focused on understanding where the world is heading in fintech and mobility. He has a BS in biomedical engineering and an MS in engineering management from Johns Hopkins University.