Overview
Founded in 2021 by Gill Scheltjens, Georgi Trenchev, and David Ziegler as a spin-off from the University of Antwerp, D-CRBN develops plasma-based point-source CO2-to-CO conversion reactors. The process uses patented plasma chemistry to break captured CO2 into carbon monoxide, a versatile industrial chemical used in steel production, methanol synthesis, polymer manufacturing, and e-fuel production.
In January 2024, D-CRBN launched the world's first commercially viable pilot plasma reactor. In March 2024, it received a EUR 2.5M grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, one of only 4% of full applications selected in that funding round, and the only Belgian company chosen in that cohort.
The company is based at BlueChem, Antwerp's major industrial chemicals cluster, giving it proximity to the industrial clients it targets. D-CRBN was named Most Disruptive Innovator in the Deloitte Fast 50 Belgium 2024 ranking.
Funding history
- March 2024: EUR 2.5M EIC Accelerator grant from the European Innovation Council
Key people
In the news
- Last month, Catalisti members D-CRBN and Worley announced their plans to build a renewable syngas demonstration plant together. Using D-CRBN’s proprietary plasma technology, the facility will convert CO₂ and biomethane into renewable syngas. Want to learn more about this collaboration and the technology behind it? Join us on 24 November in Ghent for the Catalisti & Moonshot Day 2026, where Marjon Willekens (D-CRBN) and Geert Reyniers (Worley) will take the stage to present their plans. 📅 Tuesday 24 November · The Plectrum,
- Yesterday, partners from across the chemical innovation ecosystem in Flanders, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia gathered in Aachen for the annual Trilateral Innovation Summit. This year’s edition put start-ups and scale-ups firmly in the spotlight. The event kicked off with a panel discussion on "How can the Trilateral Region become Europe’s leading scale-up hub?", featuring Ingrid Goumans (Avantium), Paolo Bavaj (Stahl) and Johan Keppens (PMV), and moderated by Martin Bellof (chemstars). The discussion was followed
- 130+ applications. 10 finalists. 5 winners. We're honored to be finalists for the Pioneer Awards by Solar Impulse Foundation in the Building & Construction category, together with Ville de Bruxelles - Stad Brussel ! These awards celebrate organizations driving sustainability through the implementation of clean and profitable Solutions, and we're excited to be part of #ThePioneersForum2026 at IMD Business School in Lausanne. Congratulations to our fellow finalists: 🌽 Agrifood & Natural Environment Meier Gemüse in
- Join us for Catalisti & Moonshot Day 2026: The Next Decade On 24 November 2026, Catalisti and Moonshot Flanders will bring together Flanders' chemical and plastics innovation ecosystem at The Plectrum (Ghent) to look a decade ahead. This year's edition is titled 'The Next Decade', as it marks the launch of Catalisti's renewed Innovation Roadmap, which will shape the innovation programmes and priorities of our organisation for the years ahead. Programme & registration: https://lnkd.in/ebSeX5-C Programme overview 🔵 10:00 -
- 20.1 million into Antwerp startups in Q2 2026. €17.5 million of that went to one company. New Dealroom.co figures shared by Business in Stad Antwerpen put the city at €5.6 billion in enterprise value across 1,200+ startups and scaleups. The Series A went to D-CRBN, which uses plasma reactors to split captured CO2 back into carbon monoxide: feedstock for chemicals, polymers and e-fuels, and a direct answer to the emissions profile of the Antwerp cluster. Webclew and Maurice & Nora took the two seed rounds. The concentration tells
Related profiles
Something wrong or missing? Send an update. Fixed within 24 hours.