Cement-free, low-carbon binders - Green Business Award

Cement-free, low-carbon binders

Medusoil SA

Medusoil develops cement-free and low-carbon alternatives to conventional binders. These binders are used to stabilize soils in construction and infrastructure. They make the soil more stable, more resistant and less susceptible to erosion. Thanks to natural processes such as biomineralization and biopolymerization, material consumption is reduced, construction time is shortened and CO₂ emissions are lowered.

To what extent is your company a pioneer in combining entrepreneurship and sustainability?

At Medusoil, we believe entrepreneurship means more than just launching a business — it’s about creating value by developing solutions that address real pain points in the market. It means being agile, market-driven, and unafraid to challenge legacy systems. In this spirit, we’ve built a company that doesn’t just talk about sustainability — we embed it into the DNA of everything we do.

We are proud to be a pioneer in developing and commercializing bio-based mineral additives that replace carbon-intensive materials like cement and lime in soil stabilization and construction. Our flagship technology, that of biocementation, enables a drastic reduction in CO₂ emissions and environmental impact. Very few companies globally have managed to bring this approach from lab scale to real-world deployment, and Medusoil is among the first to do so at an industrial level with a fully circular system of production and revalorization of ressources.

This achievement is possible thanks to the unique makeup of our team. Our co-founders, Dr. Dimitrios Terzis and Prof. Lyesse Laloui, bring world-class scientific expertise rooted in deep-tech research from EPFL. This is complemented by the biotechnology and manufacturing leadership of our COO, Vincent Laurençon, the strong technical expertise in the cement industry brought by Nicolas Hermant, and the commercial acumen of our Head of Sales & Partnerships, Karim Hassed, MBA.

We are not a one-product startup. We are a mission-driven manufacturer that brings science-based, low-carbon solutions to market across multiple verticals — from infrastructure protection and roadworks to foundation stabilization and heritage site conservation. Our technologies are already helping clients align with European climate goals, while we actively participate in defining future best practices in low-carbon geotechnics.

Our operations are aligned with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, notably:

SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure)
SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities)
SDG 13 (Climate Action)

But to us, sustainability only matters if it is measurable and profitable. If it’s green, it must also make business sense.If it can be quantified — in terms of CO₂-equivalent emissions or other impacts like ecotoxicity — then it can be improved. And we have improved: in the last two years, we have significantly expanded our international market presence, scaled up production capacity, and are now growing across multiple regions.

Did you know that…

Nature shows the way. We just follow it — and scale it.

At Medusoil, we can turn soil and waste materials into stone — without using a single drop of traditional binders or petroleum-based products.

We take inspiration from nature: the way seashells, coral reefs, or cave formations grow over time. By working with natural bacteria already present in the ground, we trigger a mineral reaction that binds everything together — forming solid, durable ground. What’s remarkable is that this process captures CO₂ instead of releasing it. Unlike traditional cement, one of the planet’s biggest CO₂ polluters, our approach turns construction into part of the climate solution.

It’s nature’s method — just accelerated, scaled, and applied to the real world.

How do you manage to survive in the market?

We don’t just survive — we grow by proving that sustainability must equal profitability. That’s not a slogan — it’s our business model.

At Medusoil, we’ve scaled a proprietary industrial plant that acts as a profit center, not a cost center. It’s modular, easy to replicate anywhere in the world, and forms the backbone of our expansion. We’re actively building a global partner network to accelerate local market access — fast, lean, and targeted.

We don’t just adapt to sustainability trends — we capitalize on them. In Switzerland, it’s about construction waste management. In the Netherlands, it’s nitrogen emissions. In the Middle East, it’s water conservation and erosion control. In the US is about defence, and we defend critical infrastructure against the impacts of extreme phenomena such as earthquakes, landslides or sea level surge. Each region has its own drivers — and we have the knowledge, skills, and relationships to deliver local value with global impact.

This is how we stay ahead — by turning environmental urgency into scalable business.