Teknos and UP Catalyst will collaborate to Advance Sustainable Carbon Materials for Paint and Coating Applications
Image: On the left Rait Maasikas, CFO at UP Catalyst, in the middle Pasi Virtanen, Head of Innovation at Teknos Group Oy and on the right Karl-Gustav Tamberg, Head of Sales at UP Catalyst.
Teknos Group Oy and UP Catalyst, an Estonian deep-tech company converting CO₂ emissions into valuable carbon materials, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Advance Sustainable Carbon Materials for Paint and Coating Applications. The collaboration marks a strategic step towards developing and commercialising sustainable alternatives to fossil-based carbon black for use in powder coatings and wet paints.
Under the agreement, Teknos and UP Catalyst will cooperate in the key areas of material testing and development, production and supply.
This partnership exemplifies a circular economy approach by transforming industrial CO₂ emissions into high-value raw materials that contribute to the sustainability of end products, by reducing dependence on fossil resources. The result is a more sustainable supply chain that aligns with both companies' climate targets.
“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 sets the foundation for long-term collaboration, with the potential to scale the use of CO₂-derived black tinting carbon across Teknos’ product lines in Europe and beyond.
“Our collaboration with UP Catalyst, will accelerate the development and scale-up processes to commercial volumes of sustainable raw material alternatives”, says 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”, Pasi concludes.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Teknos
James Turner
Chief Marketing and Communication Officer
james.turner(at)teknos.com; tel: +41 799 471 710
UP Catalyst
Teele Niidas
COO
teele(at)upcatalyst.com; tel: +372 53 433 773
www.upcatalyst.com
About Teknos
Teknos is a global paint and coatings industry expert with a long-standing vision to be a sustainable coatings solution provider close to its customers. We have operations across 20+ countries in Europe and Asia with a global reach through an extensive dealer network. Established in 1948, we are one of Finland’s largest family-owned businesses. We transform surfaces with our high-quality solutions and services, brought to you by over 1400 passionate experts. Together, we are driven by our purpose ‘We make the world last longer’ and understand it’s importance in everything we do.
About UP Catalyst
UP Catalyst transforms industrial CO₂ emissions into cost competitive, high-quality and energy-efficient graphite, carbon black, and carbon nanotubes for electric vehicle batteries and a range of other applications, including paints and coatings, polymers and concrete. In 2024, the company opened a new production facility for carbon materials in Estonia. The company has achieved the lowest carbon footprint for carbon nanotubes and one of the lowest for battery-grade graphite, as verified by its cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The company has raised €6.4M in equity, obtained €8M in grant funding, and €18M venture debt loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).