If Europe is serious about cutting building emissions, insulation has to become both cleaner and safer. Today’s mainstream choices, plastic foams and mineral wools, come with hard trade-offs: recyclability challenges and heavy embodied carbon on the one side; flammability and toxic fire loads on the other. Recent façade fires have only sharpened the regulatory push toward non-combustible materials, while sustainability and recyclability of materials are essential to decarbonize the sector. The solution that will win this won’t ask the market to accept compromises: it will deliver Euroclass A1 fire performance, compelling economics across installation and lifetime, and a measurably lower carbon footprint, all while fitting the realities of today’s construction workflows.
FenX’ answer
FenX, an ETH Zürich spin-off, transforms mineral into ultra-light mineral foams. These foams become rigid, A1-rated insulation panels that match day-to-day jobsite realities: they can be cut, handled, and installed with familiar methods across façades and interiors. Because the feedstock is local and both the manufacturing ánd recycling process is low-energy, the product is designed for low embodied carbon and circularity from the start.
What gave us conviction
- Deep technical roots. ETH Zurich spin-off with patent-protected know-how.
- Cross-disciplinary pioneers. The team blends ETH-rooted materials science with process engineering, operational excellence and executive experience at incumbents in the construction industry. What impressed us most is their conviction to build, certify, and deliver with partners, translating lab breakthroughs into job-site-ready products.
- Product that matches the moment. A1 fire, low embodied carbon, circular inputs, and installer-friendly formats, without hidden trade-offs.
- Real industrial pathway. A practical route to market with experienced equipment partners and a clear playbook for commissioning and certification.
- First production in motion. An industrial implementation with Çimsa (Sabancı Group) in Valencia, Spain, signals the move from invention to production.
How FenX fits our thesis
At Move Energy we back scalable software-and-hardware ventures that decarbonise power, transport, and the built environment. FenX sits at the heart of the built-environment transition: it reduces operational energy demand, slashes embodied carbon versus incumbents, and improves fire safety, without asking the industry to change current way of working. That alignment between climate impact, cost-effectiveness and end-user practicality is what we love about FenX. We’re excited to be along for the ride, supporting the team where we can, so that cleaner insulation becomes the obvious choice.