Material Evolution

A UK start-up that makes a low-carbon alternative to cement from industrial waste, with its first commercial plant in Wrexham, Wales.

About Material Evolution

Material Evolution, often shortened to Mevo, makes a cement that gives off far less carbon dioxide than ordinary Portland cement. Cement is the glue in concrete, and making it normally means heating raw materials in a kiln at very high temperatures, which creates a lot of carbon. Material Evolution instead uses industrial waste as its raw material and a patented process called alkali fusion, which needs no kiln. The company says the result, called MevoCem, cuts carbon emissions by up to 85% compared with ordinary Portland cement and is also stronger, longer lasting and more fire resistant. It says the process uses far less energy per tonne. These are the company's claims, reported in the press.

The company was founded in 2020. Dr Liz Gilligan, its chief executive, began the work as a side project during her PhD in sustainable cements at Queen's University Belfast, and later started the company, working at first from her parents' garage. Sam Clark is named as a co-founder. Dr Gilligan has said the company wants to be "the world's largest supplier of carbon-efficient cement", and an earlier profile gave its goal as to "decarbonise the foundation industries through advanced materials". Its stated values are innovation, teamwork, radical ownership and openness about its sustainability work, and Dr Gilligan has said she wants diversity at all levels of the company.

In the UK, the company is described as based in Middlesbrough, England, in a 2021 profile, and its first full-scale plant, called the Mevo A1 production facility, opened in December 2024 at Llay near Wrexham in North Wales, on the same site as a concrete block maker, CCP Building Projects. The plant can make up to 120,000 tonnes of cement a year. It was built in about eight months, and its design draws on lean manufacturing ideas to cut waste and transport emissions on site. Mr Clark called building a first-of-a-kind facility in that time "a massive undertaking". In November 2025, Dr Gilligan was calling for more solutions to support the UK cement industry.

From job listings seen in search results, the company hires lab technicians, process and project engineers and plant operators, which shows that it is both a research company and a factory. We did not find staff numbers and have little first-hand material on daily culture beyond the stated values. It took part in the Techstars programme in 2020, and Dr Gilligan credits that community for introductions.

A materials company like this needs chemists and materials scientists, process engineers, plant operators and technicians, quality and testing staff, health and safety specialists, sales staff who talk to concrete and construction firms, and finance and business staff. Chemistry, chemical and civil engineering, materials science and environmental science are natural starting points. The Wrexham plant shows how a university project can grow into a working factory in just a few years.

What they do

• {'desc': 'A cement made from industrial waste using a kiln-free alkali-fusion process.', 'title': 'MevoCem low-carbon cement'}
• {'desc': 'A plant at Llay, Wrexham, able to make up to 120,000 tonnes a year.', 'title': 'Mevo A1 production facility'}
• {'desc': 'Developing geopolymer materials to cut the carbon in foundation industries.', 'title': 'Materials research'}

Key facts

• Founded 2020 by Dr Liz Gilligan (chief executive) with co-founder Sam Clark
• Mevo A1 plant opened at Llay, Wrexham, in December 2024 with capacity up to 120,000 tonnes a year
• Process uses no kiln; company says emissions are cut by up to 85% against ordinary Portland cement
• Stated values: innovation, teamwork, radical ownership and transparency

Website: www.materialevolution.com