Climate Tech Startup CEL LAB Secures Investment to Scale Up Carbon Capture Membrane Production

South Korean climate tech company CEL LAB, which specializes in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and energy separation membranes, has raised funding from accelerator Krypton through its regional startup ecosystem RICON Fund. The company will use the capital to build out a mass production system for its membrane technology.

With the fresh capital, CEL LAB plans to establish a pilot manufacturing line with an annual production capacity of 120,000 square meters by the end of this year. From there, the company intends to move directly into full-scale commercial production, accelerating its push into both domestic and international CCUS markets, including onboard carbon capture for ships (OCCS).

CEL LAB’s core technology, gas separation membranes, extends beyond carbon capture into a broader set of green energy applications, including biogas upgrading to boost methane purity and byproduct hydrogen recovery. The company validated its technical credibility in overseas markets late last year when it exported 80 research-grade membrane modules to Purdue University in the United States.

CEL LAB has also been expanding its research scope toward commercializing bipolar membranes for battery recycling, an area viewed as a key next-generation growth driver. The company is pursuing joint technology development with the research teams of Professor Chulsung Bae at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Professor Sangil Kim at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), both leading scholars in high-performance polymer materials.

CEL LAB’s technology and growth potential have earned it recognition on multiple fronts. The company was recently named the first honoree of the “Outstanding Venture of the Month” program run by the Korea Venture Business Association (KOVA), and it has also been selected for the Net Zero Challenge X program run by the National Climate Crisis Response Committee, alongside certification as a specialized materials, parts and equipment company.

Dongeun Choi, a director at Krypton, said CEL LAB holds membrane technology applicable across a range of carbon-neutral industries, including carbon capture, biogas, hydrogen recovery and battery recycling. Choi added that the investment decision reflected confidence in the commercial potential of CEL LAB’s core technology, its scalability in global markets, and its social impact within the climate tech sector.

Jongpyo Kim, CEO of CEL LAB, said the company was pleased that its recent selection as an outstanding venture and its investment from Krypton confirmed that its innovation journey is heading in the right direction. Kim added that CEL LAB will work with top-tier U.S. research groups, including the teams led by Professor Bae at RPI and Professor Kim at UIC, to raise the bar on global technology, with the goal of completing a global smart mega factory by 2033 and growing into a world-class climate tech unicorn.