Cemvita reaches breakthrough in sustainable fuel feedstock production

clean fuels

Cemvita has reached a breakthrough in the production of its FermOil SAF feedstock. Photo via cemvita.com

Houston-based biotech company Cemvita announced that it recently reached a critical milestone in the development of its FermOil product, which can be used to create Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and other renewable fuels at industrial scale.

The company shared in a news release that it completed a 75,000-liter industrial fermentation run at Belgium's Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant.

The campaign achieved target technical metrics for the production of FermOil, Cemvita’s renewable natural oil (RNO). FermOil is produced from industrial crude glycerin, an industrial byproduct, as opposed to traditional sugar-based feedstocks used in many bio-oil fermentation processes. It's designed to be a drop-in feedstock for creating SAFs.

Cemvita had previously advanced its FermOil production process through multiple scale-up stages before successfully reaching the 75,000-liter demonstration campaign, according to the company.

“This is not just a fermentation milestone,” Moji Karimi, CEO at Cemvita, said in the release. “It is a blueprint for how existing industrial infrastructure can evolve into circular bioeconomy infrastructure. Every biodiesel plant generating crude glycerin is a potential platform for renewable natural oil production.”

The milestone also supports the deployment of Cemvita’s industrial biomanufacturing platform, FermWorks, which integrates with existing energy and industrial infrastructure to turn waste carbon streams into SAFs and other materials. According to the release, Cemvita plans to move forward with commercial deployment discussions with partners in Brazil, Europe and in the UK. Cemvita already has a partnership with the Brazilian sustainable research institution REMA.

“We are proud to support innovative companies like Cemvita in scaling breakthrough industrial biotechnology solutions,” Hendrik Waegeman, head of business operations at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, added in the release. “Successfully operating at the 75,000-liter scale using a feedstock such as crude glycerin highlights both the maturity of the technology and the quality of the scale-up execution achieved by the Cemvita team.”

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3 must-know fall application deadlines for Houston energy innovators

Editor's note: As fall reaches full swing, Houston's innovation and cleantech scene is calling on the latest batch of founders and startups looking to make a difference. A number of accelerators have opened applications. Read below to see which might be a good fit for you or your venture. And take careful note of the deadlines. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional information and programs.

Did we miss an accelerator or competition accepting applications? Email innoeditor@innovationmap.com for editorial consideration.

Greentown Lab's Go Make 2027: Advanced Carbon Materials with ExxonMobil

Deadline: Oct. 9

Details: Greentown Labs is seeking applications from startups developing novel carbon-based technologies for its latest Go Make cohort in conjunction with ExxonMobil. The structured accelerator is designed to facilitate validation activities and explore potential long-term collaborations with Exxon, according to Greentown. Founders will have the opportunity to engage directly with industry leaders to test, validate and scale their carbon technologies in real commercial contexts. The program tentatively starts on Jan. 20, 2027 and concludes June 16, 2027. Find more information here.

Activate's U.S. Fellowship Cohort 2027

Deadline: Oct. 30

Details: Activate supports scientists at "the outset of their entrepreneurial journey." It partners with U.S.-based funders and research institutions to support its fellows in developing high-impact technology. Its fellows receive a living stipend, research and development funding, connections from Activate's robust network of mentors and access to a curriculum specific to the program for two years. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and 4-plus years of post-baccalaureate scientific research, engineering or technology development experience. Their work must be based in the physical or biological sciences or related engineering disciplines. Find more information here.

Rice Innovation Fellows

Deadline: Oct. 30

Details: The Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie)'s Rice Innovation Fellows program supports Rice Ph.D. students and postdocs in turning their research into real-world ventures. Participants receive $10,000 in translational research funding, co-working space and personalized mentorship. Candidates from all Rice engineering and science-related disciplines are encouraged to apply. Find more information here.

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A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.

Houston carbon removal company secures $35M in financing

national scale

Houston-based Vaulted Deep, a waste management and carbon removal company, has announced a major $35 million debt facility from Italian investment bank Mediobanca to support its national expansion.

U.K.-based market energy solutions CFP Energy arranged the deal, which is “the largest publicly disclosed U.S. commercial debt deal in durable carbon removal to be secured by long-term purchase contracts,” according to a news release from the companies.

The financing will support new waste disposal sites for Vaulted Deep and advancements of the company’s AI-enabled site development platform. The platform helps identify locations, navigate permitting and optimize injection operations. When candidates are looking for sites, the platform will pull from regulatory, geology and waste-supply data to assist, which Vaulted Deep says will help streamline the permitting process. After the site is operating, the platform helps control algorithms to maximize safe disposal capacity and monitor the process along the way.

"Waste operators across the country need new options as traditional disposal options become limited,” Julia Reichelstein, CEO and co-founder of Vaulted Deep, said in the release. “This financing lets us take on more projects and invest in the tools that help us evaluate and develop new sites faster. This is a meaningful milestone for Vaulted as we move into the next phase of building infrastructure at a much larger scale."

The deal is supported by Vaulted Deep's long-term waste service and carbon removal purchase contracts. The company says it delivered more than 20,000 tons of carbon removal to buyers in the first half of 2026, which is more than it delivered in all of 2025.

"By facilitating these types of transactions, we connect institutional capital with innovative climate technologies, helping accelerate the deployment of high-integrity carbon removal solutions,” Tyler Manchester, head of voluntary carbon for CFP Energy, added in the release. “It reflects growing investor confidence in these solutions, driven by rising demand from corporate buyers seeking permanent pathways to support net-zero commitments and long-term climate strategies."

Beyond the facility, Vaulted Deep has secured $48 million in equity financing in addition to its $8 million from the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, backed by Elon Musk’s charitable organization, The Musk Foundation.

The company's well injection technology is used to store organic waste deep underground in stable geologic formations. In 2025, it inked a 12-year deal with Microsoft to remove up to 4.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the environment.

Houston's power future report and more top energy transition headlines

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Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston energy transition news in recent weeks, from a report that examines Houston's power future, to exciting funding raises for a local startup and a member of a local incubator. Here are the five most-read EnergyCapitalHTX stories from September 16-30, 2026:

Houston’s power future: The role of energy efficiency and demand response

A new report from the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, “Role of Efficiency & Demand Response to Meet Near-Term Regional Power Demand,” examines how Houston can get more from the grid it has today. Its central finding: energy efficiency (EE) and demand response (DE) can create measurable grid “headroom” while new major infrastructure projects are being planned, financed, permitted and built. Explore the key takeaways from the report. Continue reading.

ExxonMobil secures approval for $5B East Texas carbon capture project

Spring-based ExxonMobil has won approval from the Texas Railroad Commission for a $5 billion carbon capture and storage project in East Texas. The project will enable the company to inject about 53 metric tons of industrial customers’ carbon emissions into three underground wells it drilled in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. Over a 13-year period, ExxonMobil plans to inject about 4 million metric tons per year into the Fleming and Upper Frio rock formations, according to Carbon Herald. Continue reading.

Houston-based ‘grid in a box’ provider Branch Energy raises $33M

Houston-based startup Branch Energy, which offers a self-contained “grid in a box,” has collected $33 million in a Series B round. Piva Capital and Clean Energy Ventures led the round. Active Impact Investments, Whitecap Venture Partners, Prelude Ventures, Zero Infinity Partners and Inovia Capital also contributed to the round. In 2024, Branch raised $10.8 million in an oversubscribed Series A round. Continue reading.

Kanin Energy raises up to $100M for waste-heat-to-power projects

Kanin Energy, a member of the Greentown Labs climatech and energy incubator in Houston, recently raised as much as $100 million in capital to grow its energy-as-a-service platform. S2G Investments led a round of up to $50 million, and the Canada Growth Fund chipped in an additional $50 million. The money will primarily support Kanin’s development and operation of waste-heat-to-power projects. Continue reading.

Houston-based ENGIE wins national award for clean energy leadership

Houston-based ENGIE has been recognized for its work in the clean energy space. The battery storage and energy infrastructure company recently won the 2026 Green Power Leadership Award in the Market Innovation category for its work advancing 24/7 renewable energy solutions. The awards honor individuals and companies advancing sustainability and renewables in the energy industry through innovation and leadership. Continue reading.

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