About Us
We are more than just carbon
Vision
The quest for faster, smaller, stronger, and more powerful technologies has led to incredible progress. But somewhere along the way, the use of our planet’s resources took a very wrong turn.
We believe in a better, more sustainable world.
One in which we use and re-use our planet’s resources more efficiently, generate less waste, and rely less on raw materials from rare or virgin sources. A world in which progress no longer comes at the cost of the environment.
To make this vision a reality, we must re-think the very materials we use.
Mission
Manufacturers looking to enhance material properties in their products are often forced to choose between the performance they want and the sustainability we need. But with CarbonX® they don’t have to.
CarbonX® is more than just carbon.
CarbonX® is a revolutionary new carbon material that can unlock new design possibilities to improve performance without compromising sustainability.
It can be used to make stronger, more lightweight, and longer-lasting products with the capacity to actively reduce CO2 and particle emissions, generate less waste, improve recyclability, and embrace circularity.
Our Story
CarbonX is an advanced materials company co-founded by Rutger van Raalten and Daniela Sordi in 2014. The company is the sole producer and supplier of CarbonX® worldwide.
Rutger van Raalten was part of the team that invented CarbonX® in 2007 at the Department of Chemical Engineering at TU Delft, for which a patent granted in 2009. As an expert in functionalised carbon nanomaterials for smart and sustainable applications, Daniela Sordi was the first to validate the potential of this new material.
Both saw huge potential for CarbonX® but they also knew that conventional development cycles for bringing a scientific breakthrough to market could take decades. And when it comes to sustainability, we don’t have the luxury of time.
Defying convention to achieve success
Rutger and Daniela knew their material could make a real difference now, not just in 20 or 30 years. Determined to accelerate time-to-market for this new material, they set out to break the rules and forge a different path for CarbonX®.
With the support of TU Delft and Sequoia, a private equity firm focused on impact investing, CarbonX achieved commercialization in record time.
In less than two years, the company was able to scale up production and supply high volumes of high-quality carbon on a global scale. CarbonX also expanded its R&D capabilities to generate precise, unbiased data and develop innovative solutions for delivering high performance and sustainability. These core capabilities provide an excellent basis to support clients and accelerate the development of new applications.
The Founders
Rutger van Raalten
Co-founder | CEO
Technology-driven entrepreneur
Focused on scaling up and getting things done.
Daniela Sordi
Co-founder | CTO
Problem solver. Structure builder.
15+ years of materials expertise.