Houston-based venture studio 8 Clockwise teams up with Calgary’s CarboMat to commercialise innovative carbon materials derived from industrial waste, aiming to reduce emissions and strengthen North America’s supply chains in clean energy technology.
8 Clockwise, a Houston-based venture studio specialising in industrial decarbonisation and clean-technology ventures, has announced a strategic partnership with Calgary-based CarboMat Inc., a company developing sustainable carbon fibres and battery-grade anode materials from carbon-rich industrial by-products. The collaboration aims to scale and commercialise low-cost carbon fibres and battery anode materials, positioning both companies to expand their impact within advanced materials and energy storage sectors.
According to the announcement, CarboMat employs technology that converts industrial residues such as asphaltenes, a low-value by-product of petroleum refining, into high-performance carbon materials. The firm claims this process yields carbon fibres for automotive, aerospace, and industrial composites at up to 60% lower cost and 50% reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based fibres. Their battery-anode materials, including hard carbon for sodium-ion and synthetic graphite for lithium-ion batteries, are also reportedly produced with lower carbon intensity and cost.
This development aligns with North America’s strategic goals to strengthen critical-minerals supply chains. The production of synthetic graphite and hard-carbon anodes from local industrial by-products could reduce reliance on overseas suppliers of materials identified as critical by the U.S. Department of Energy and Natural Resources Canada. By advancing these domestic capabilities, the partnership aims to bolster supply-chain resilience while supporting the global clean-energy transition.
Vineet Shah, Founder and Managing Partner of 8 Clockwise, has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer of CarboMat to lead commercialisation, strategic partnerships, and market execution efforts worldwide. Shah, in remarks cited by the press release, characterised CarboMat’s work as emblematic of the industrial decarbonisation 8 Clockwise seeks to foster, highlighting the circular economy benefits of transforming industrial waste into clean-energy materials.
External sources provide further insight into CarboMat’s technology. The company utilises a modified melt spinning process that heats and pressurises pre-processed oil sands asphaltenes, extruding the molten mixture into fine filaments subsequently processed into carbon fibres. This method aims to reduce both production costs and associated greenhouse gas emissions relative to traditional carbon-fibre manufacturing.
CarboMat is also active in developing battery anode materials from asphaltenes, targeting applications in emerging sodium-ion batteries alongside established lithium-ion technologies. Preliminary life-cycle analyses suggest asphaltene-derived anodes could cut emissions by 35–45% compared to petroleum or coal-tar alternatives, offering a more sustainable option for battery manufacturers.
The company’s progress in this domain has attracted external funding, including over one million dollars from Emissions Reduction Alberta to accelerate pilot-scale production and commercial readiness of its battery anode materials. This funding supports initiatives such as cell testing collaborations and the groundwork for commercial-scale manufacturing facilities.
Despite these advances, it remains to be seen how CarboMat’s technology will perform at scale, particularly in a competitive market landscape dominated by incumbent carbon-fibre producers and established battery-material suppliers. The efficacy of scaling production and actual emissions reductions in commercial applications will be critical to validating the environmental claims and cost benefits touted.
In summary, the strategic partnership between 8 Clockwise and CarboMat represents a concerted effort to commercialise innovative carbon-material technologies that reuse industrial by-products to reduce emissions and reliance on critical imported minerals. This collaboration fits within broader industry efforts to decarbonise industrial processes and develop sustainable materials for the energy transition, though practical deployment challenges and market competition will test the resilience of this venture.
- https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251112148022/en/8-Clockwise-Announces-Strategic-Partnership-with-CarboMat-to-Scale-Sustainable-Carbon-Fibers-and-Battery-Materials?feedref=JjAwJuNHiystnCoBq_hl-bV7DTIYheT0D-1vT4_bKFzt_EW40VMdK6eG-WLfRGUE1fJraLPL1g6AeUGJlCTYs7Oafol48Kkc8KJgZoTHgMu0w8LYSbRdYOj2VdwnuKwa – Original press release. View link for all data
- https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251112148022/en/8-Clockwise-Announces-Strategic-Partnership-with-CarboMat-to-Scale-Sustainable-Carbon-Fibers-and-Battery-Materials – 8 Clockwise, a venture studio focused on industrial decarbonisation and clean-technology ventures, has announced a strategic partnership with CarboMat Inc., an innovator developing sustainable carbon fibres and battery-grade anode materials from carbon-rich industrial by-products. This collaboration aims to commercialise low-cost carbon fibres and battery-grade anode materials, with Vineet Shah, Founder & Managing Partner of 8 Clockwise, appointed as Chief Commercial Officer of CarboMat to lead global commercialisation, strategic alliances, and market execution. CarboMat’s platform converts asphaltenes and other industrial by-products into high-performance carbon materials, enabling low-cost, low-emission alternatives to conventional manufacturing. Their products include carbon fibres for automotive, aerospace, and industrial composites—up to 60% lower cost and 50% lower greenhouse-gas emissions than PAN-based fibres—and battery-anode materials, including hard carbon for sodium-ion and synthetic graphite for lithium-ion cells, produced at lower carbon intensity and cost. CarboMat’s production of synthetic graphite and hard-carbon anodes supports North America’s critical-minerals strategy by reducing dependence on overseas supply chains for materials designated as critical by the U.S. Department of Energy and Natural Resources Canada. Through this partnership, 8 Clockwise and CarboMat are advancing a North American critical-minerals supply chain that strengthens domestic resilience and accelerates the global clean-energy transition.
- https://carbomatinc.com/ – CarboMat Inc. is a Calgary-based cleantech company developing sustainable carbon materials—low-cost carbon fibres and battery-grade anodes—derived from industrial by-products. Its technology converts carbon-rich waste into high-value materials for composite and energy-storage applications, advancing circularity in the energy transition. CarboMat’s platform converts asphaltenes and other industrial by-products into high-performance carbon materials, enabling low-cost, low-emission alternatives to conventional manufacturing. Their products include carbon fibres for automotive, aerospace, and industrial composites—up to 60% lower cost and 50% lower greenhouse-gas emissions than PAN-based fibres—and battery-anode materials, including hard carbon for sodium-ion and synthetic graphite for lithium-ion cells, produced at lower carbon intensity and cost. CarboMat’s production of synthetic graphite and hard-carbon anodes supports North America’s critical-minerals strategy by reducing dependence on overseas supply chains for materials designated as critical by the U.S. Department of Energy and Natural Resources Canada. Through this partnership, 8 Clockwise and CarboMat are advancing a North American critical-minerals supply chain that strengthens domestic resilience and accelerates the global clean-energy transition.
- https://carbomatinc.com/technology/ – CarboMat Inc. specialises in developing an end-to-end less greenhouse gas (GHG) intensive process for producing low-cost and high-value carbon fibres for multifunctional applications in the composite industries. Their technology involves a modified melt spinning technique where pre-processed oil sands asphaltenes are heated and pressurised to melt the precursor. The melt mixture is then extruded through a spinneret to form thin filaments, which are wound into spools to collect the green fibres. These fibres undergo a series of post-processing steps before being transformed into carbon fibres. This process aims to reduce production costs and GHG emissions compared to conventional methods.
- https://www.eralberta.ca/projects/details/development-of-isotropic-and-anisotropic-asphaltene-derived-carbon-anodes-for-next-generation-battery-applications/ – CarboMat Inc. aims to commercialise a technology that transforms a low-value by-product—petroleum asphaltenes (which make up about 18% of Alberta oil sands bitumen)—into affordable, sustainable, and high-performance carbon-based battery anode materials (BAM). These include synthetic graphite for lithium-ion batteries and hard carbon for sodium-ion batteries. CarboMat’s proprietary technology provides a non-combustible, high-value use of asphaltenes to produce high-quality BAM for the growing battery materials market. It reduces GHG emissions by avoiding combustion, replacing high-GHG carbon anodes, and lowering downstream emissions in battery-powered electric vehicles. CarboMat’s preliminary life-cycle analysis (LCA) suggests that asphaltene-derived BAM production could cut GHG emissions by 35–45% compared to conventional and commercial petroleum/coal-tar-derived BAM technologies.
- https://www.composights.com/composites-industry-news/CarboMat-Secures-%241.05M-ERA-Funding-to-Advance-Sustainable-Battery-Anode-Material-Technology – CarboMat Inc. has been named one of the winners of the 2025 Advanced Materials Challenge by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), securing $1.05 million in funding to accelerate the scale-up of its bitumen-derived, low-cost, sustainable battery anode material technology. The funding will enable CarboMat to expand production of sustainable hard carbon and synthetic graphite, catering to both sodium-ion and lithium-ion battery markets. Key initiatives include demonstrating pilot-scale production capacity, conducting comprehensive cell testing in partnership with industry experts, and laying the foundation for its first commercial-scale facility. This milestone aligns with growing efforts to strengthen North America’s battery materials supply chain as global energy demand approaches terawatt-hour scale.
- https://www.f6s.com/company/carbomat-inc – CarboMat Inc. manufactures low-cost sustainable carbon fibres from a low-value waste by-product (i.e., asphaltenes) of the petroleum industry, for lightweight energy-efficient composite materials with applications in automotive, energy storage, sports, and marine. Compared to incumbent commercial carbon fibres, their low-cost sustainable carbon fibres exhibit a 60% reduced production cost and a 50% reduced carbon footprint. Unlike PAN-based carbon fibre technology, their technology does not require the use of toxic chemicals, making it more environmentally friendly. CarboMat Inc. was founded in 2022 and is based in Calgary, Canada.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is recent, published on November 12, 2025, with no evidence of prior similar content. The press release format indicates high freshness.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
No direct quotes are present in the provided text, suggesting original content.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from Business Wire, a reputable press release distribution service, indicating a reliable source.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims about CarboMat’s technology and the partnership with 8 Clockwise are plausible and align with known industry trends. No inconsistencies or unverifiable entities are identified.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent, originates from a reliable source, and presents plausible claims without inconsistencies or unverifiable entities.
