UP Catalyst and Teknos Forge Partnership to Drive Sustainable Carbon Materials in Paints and Coatings

UP Catalyst, an Estonian deep-tech company that transforms CO₂ emissions into high-value carbon materials, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Teknos, a global leader in paints and coatings serving manufacturing, construction professionals, and consumers. This partnership represents a strategic move toward developing and commercialising sustainable alternatives to fossil-based carbon black for use in both powder coatings and liquid paints.

Under the agreement, UP Catalyst and Teknos will collaborate in the following areas:

• Material testing and development

• Production and supply

The partnership embodies a circular economy model by converting industrial CO₂ emissions into high-value raw materials that enhance the sustainability of end products. By adopting CO₂-based carbon inputs, UP Catalyst and Teknos promote local production, decrease reliance on fossil resources, and create new revenue opportunities—such as CO₂ valorisation in biogas plants. This collaboration strengthens supply chain resilience while advancing both companies’ climate goals.

“We are excited to join forces with Teknos to bring sustainable carbon materials into mainstream industrial use,” said Rait Maasikas, CFO of UP Catalyst. “This cooperation not only advances our shared environmental goals but also showcases the scalability and versatility of CO₂-based carbon materials.”

The MoU lays the groundwork for a long-term partnership, with the potential to expand the use of CO₂-derived black tinting carbon across Teknos’ product portfolio in Europe and globally.

“Our collaboration with UP Catalyst will accelerate the development and scale-up processes to commercial volumes of sustainable raw material alternatives,” said Pasi Virtanen, head of Innovation at Teknos Group Oy. “We constantly search for, and test, new sustainable raw material alternatives. By using sustainable materials, we help both Teknos and our customers reduce emissions.”

Source: UP Catalyst