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Contact us
Contact Us
Low Carbon Materials (LCM) develops new solutions for the built environment - with no compromise to our planet. We work with ambitious partners who are open to new science-led product innovations.
We make net-zero construction a reality.
Our vision is to be the world leader in low carbon and environmentally friendly building materials. We pride ourselves on our ability to innovate with purpose, our open-mindedness to new ideas and ways of thinking, our collaborative nature, and our ongoing positive impact on the environment.
Sphera develops new materials for the built environment - with no compromise to our planet. We work with ambitious partners who are open to new science-led product innovations.
We make net-zero construction a reality.
Our vision is to be the world leader in low carbon and environmentally friendly building materials. We pride ourselves on our ability to innovate with purpose, our open-mindedness to new ideas and ways of thinking, our collaborative nature, and our ongoing positive impact on the environment.
Factory fit-out begins mid-year, alongside ongoing production testing, with the company expected to move late Autumn.
"Natasha and her team really impressed our specialist Green Angel Syndicate members, right from the very first meeting. The Low Carbon Materials approach to decarbonising such a mainstream component of global building materials is very compelling, hence our substantial investment."
Cam Ross, CEO
Plans are underway to move to larger premises to enable production to scale following secured investment.
Additional support is received from Blueprint Start-up Challenge, Durham City Incubator and Northern Accelerator.
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The company, initially founded as Plastech Innovation, wins the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) ‘Bright Idea Challenge’, collects the North East Startup Awards 'Ones to Watch’ award and is a finalist for ‘Just Imagine If...’ award.
This builds on their previous experience in innovation, including synthetic polymer chemistry, functional surface chemistry and nanotechnology.
Natasha Boulding
CEO
Natasha has a chemistry PhD and spent many years as a scientist in the UK and internationally.
She co-founded Low Carbon Materials (LCM) to champion green tech and cross-disciplinary working to tackle our biggest challenges.
She won Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Award 2021.
Phil Buckley
COO/CFO
Phil brings exceptional analytical skills to Low Carbon Materials (LCM) .
He oversees financial operations and projections, day-to-day runnings, and executes plans for company growth.
Phil has a decade of experience as a mathematician and materials chemist with a PhD to his name.
Scott Bush
CTO & Sustainability Lead
Scott uses his vast experience in practical sciences to oversee new product development and dissemination.
He brings his passion for the natural world into his work and ensures that all aspects of the business have a positive impact on the environment.
Antonella Pagliarulo
Technical Manager
Antonella develops product-based solutions to the environmental and technical challenges the building materials sector is facing.
She has a materials chemistry PhD and over a decade of scientific experience in concrete, nanotechnology and polymers.
Richard Corner
Production Manager
Richard holds a BSc in Chemistry and has experience working with fine chemicals and analysis. As production manager, he is responsible for optimising the efficiency of aggregate production processes, quality control and hitting production targets.
Natalie Arnott
Finance & Office Administrator
With a wealth of knowledge and experience in bookkeeping and administration, Natalie joins our team to ensure the smooth running of our day-to-day operations.
She has spent over 15 years in retail and has an excellent customer service focus. There's nothing she can't handle.
Jenny Ashton-Smith
Head of Marketing
Jenny has a long-established career in marketing, branding, communications and PR, which includes over a decade in the construction industry.
A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, practitioner and tutor, her rounded experience and skill-set mean she’s well placed to drive and develop the LCM brand, reputation and market presence.
Marc Kelly
Production Operative
Marc is involved in the whole process of creating the carbon negative aggregates.
He brings many years of working with machines to his role as well as ensuring the quality of the product remains consistent.
Matthew Anderson
Production Operative
Matthew uses his previous experience of working with machinery to make sure everything runs smoothly with the production of OSTO®. He enjoys working at Low Carbon Materials (LCM) as the company’s values resonate with him, and he thrives on working in a fast-paced environment.
His favourite part of the OSTO® creation process is being able to see the finished product, and he is looking forward to seeing the positive environmental impact it brings.
Steve Ward
R&D Scientist
Steve works with the R&D team to develop novel materials, designed to deliver product-based solutions that can help reduce the carbon footprint of the building sector. He has a materials chemistry PhD from Newcastle University and brings with him over ten years of experience in construction materials, battery technology, and green chemistry materials development.
LCM is an Earthshot Prize Finalist in the 'Fix Our Climate' category! Earthshot Prize is the world’s most prestigious environmental prize, established in 2020 by HRH Prince William and The Royal Foundation.
