One single goal : to act immediately for construction with an impact

The optimism of action

Materrup is above all a family adventure, that of twin brothers, Mathieu and Charles Neuville, whose paths were not originally destined to converge in work together. 

Nothing but a lot of time spent in nature, observing pied oystercatchers on the Banc d'Arguin in their youth or building dams in the Pyrenean streams. And a few years later, a shared concern— that of the climate crisis.

"If we want to change the game, it is up to us to be actors, to take responsibility as citizens, to live our dreams, to show that other paths are possible. We wanted to take action".

Mathieu and Charles chose not to live in anxiety but to embrace the optimism of action.

Meaning, values, and differences

For 12 years, Mathieu worked as an Engineer-Doctor in the R&D centers of Lafarge and Total. Then, starting in 2014, he became interested in raw clay as a massive response to decarbonizing the construction industry. From his unique journey spanning cement, concrete, and clay, the CCC technology, Crosslinked Clay Cement, was born: non-calcined clay cement became a reality.

His twin brother, Charles, a banker, worked in investment banking for over 14 years. He advocates for sustainable finance that reconciles economic and environmental performance, a finance that respects the living.

Mathieu and Charles decided to recreate and reinvent their lives with a project that carries meaning, values, and differences. They wanted to make themselves useful by dedicating their efforts to a noble cause.

Industry is a part of the response to the climate emergency. For the twin brothers, taking action meant limiting its impact by guiding the construction industry towards a new, non-destructive model—a model that is resource-frugal and energy-efficient.

A conviction and a technology

Extended discussions lead Mathieu and Charles to a conviction : uncalcined clay cement has the potential to be a technology that can truly make a difference for the cement industry, and more broadly, for the entire construction sector.

This technology is environmentally efficient, draws strength from the circular economy, and, above all, relies on an inherently low-carbon and abundant material, allowing it to be economically viable.

Behind the groundbreaking technology emerges an industrial project with low energy intensity and capex, carrying strong social values.

Mathieu and Charles then decide to join forces and establish Materrup in 2018

From duo to trio

In 2019, Mathieu and Charles are joined by Manuel Mercé, a former colleague of Mathieu at the R&D center of Total. He, too, has always been close to nature, the ocean, and wanted to bring different values into his professional life, contributing his skills and motivation to this industrial project.

Mathieu, Charles, and Manuel wholeheartedly commit to taking action to contribute their part to the reconstruction of a planet that is livable for humans.

They tirelessly fight to ensure that their ideas not only stay strong but also come to fruition. The first certification is achieved in 12 months. A factory emerges in 10 months.

A shared DNA, that of impact

In 2021, Julie Neuville, who has been supporting Materrup from a distance since its inception, decides to pause her career in the public sector to fully dedicate herself to the project and contribute to its deployment, striving to meet the challenge of impact.

" We will always need to produce, build, and develop. Industry is a significant part of the response to the climate emergency. We do not identify with an environmentalism that insists on preserving nature as sacred and untouched. Humans are part of the world; we inevitably have an impact. It needs to be limited. Reinventing industry is a necessity."

Today: the four musketeers of green cement

they form a complementary and determined quartet, with a team of experts who share the same values of commitment and boldness: the climate crisis is everyone's concern!