Molins Ventures closes first deals: Methanol Reformer and Zacua Ventures

Molins has completed the first two investments through Molins Ventures, its newly created corporate venture capital arm: a direct stake in Barcelona-based clean-energy startup Methanol Reformer and an indirect investment in the global venture fund Zacua Ventures. The Spanish cement and construction materials group announced the deals as the opening moves of a platform that will operate across early-stage and growth-stage companies worldwide, with a focus on Europe and Latin America, regions where Molins already has an established presence.

Molins Ventures will combine three investment approaches:

• Direct investments in start-ups
• Indirect investments through specialised venture capital funds
• Co-investments with other industrial companies

The strategy targets four priority areas: decarbonisation of processes, products and solutions; productivity and efficiency through automation, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and energy optimisation; circularity, traceability and sustainable supply chains; and the development of new materials and products for the construction sector.

What does Molins bring beyond money?

The unit will not act as a passive financial investor. Molins Ventures plans to serve as an industrial partner and early customer for its portfolio companies, giving them access to Molins' technical expertise, engineering capabilities, innovation teams and testing facilities. The stated goal is to test, validate and scale technologies in real-world industrial environments rather than in laboratories.

The platform will also promote partnerships with funds, accelerators, universities, research centres, public institutions and other players in the innovation ecosystem.

Chief Executive Officer Marcos Cela framed the launch as a structural bet rather than a side project.

"The launch of Molins Ventures represents a significant milestone in our commitment to innovation and sustainability and is aligned with our long-term sustainable growth objectives," Cela said. "Technological progress is essential to addressing the structural challenges facing our industry."

He added: "At the same time, start-ups will benefit from our industrial expertise, technical capabilities and global presence across 18 countries and four continents."

Who runs the unit?

Molins Ventures is led by Abhishek Bhattacharya, currently Head of Strategy at Molins, who takes on additional responsibility for the new corporate venture capital unit. The initiative is designed to give Molins' existing businesses access to emerging technologies and to reinforce the company's strategy in industrial innovation, operational efficiency and sustainability, in line with its stated goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

What is Methanol Reformer building?

The first direct deal targets a concrete industrial problem: clean power on demand. Methanol Reformer, based in Barcelona, develops modular, plug-and-play systems that convert methanol into high-purity hydrogen and on-demand electricity.

Molins Ventures' investment will focus on exploring the integration of these clean energy solutions into Molins' operations, in line with its decarbonisation roadmap. The relationship goes beyond capital. Molins and Methanol Reformer will work together to test and deploy the technology in industrial applications. Planned areas of collaboration include:

• Improving energy efficiency
• Reducing emissions
• Developing flexible and scalable energy solutions
• Supporting the decarbonisation of industrial transport and logistics

For a cement producer, on-demand hydrogen and electricity matter because cement plants run energy-intensive kilns and logistics fleets that are hard to electrify directly.

Why invest in Zacua Ventures?

The second transaction is an indirect one. Zacua Ventures is a global venture capital fund specialising in identifying and scaling early-stage companies that transform industries underpinning modern life, including construction, energy and manufacturing.

The investment gives Molins access to Zacua's portfolio and early visibility of emerging technologies in decarbonisation of materials and processes, alternative energy, the circular economy, digitalisation, applied artificial intelligence and robotics.

The partnership works in both directions. Zacua Ventures' portfolio companies can draw on Molins' technical expertise, testing facilities and capacity to pilot and scale solutions at industrial level, and gain access to new customers and markets for deploying their technologies and products.

The two initial deals, one direct and one indirect, mirror the three-pronged operating model Molins set out for the unit. With Bhattacharya at the helm and a 2050 carbon-neutrality deadline anchoring the mandate, the next test will be whether the first pilot projects with Methanol Reformer can move from testing facilities into live plant operations.