A University of Cape Town (UCT) spin-off company, C Star, has been chosen to participate in the Breakthrough Energy (BE) Fellows programme to advance the production of synthetic fuels from CO₂ to help meet the global need for sustainable transportation fuels.

The mission of C Star – a spin-off company out of the Catalysis Institute at UCT’s Department of Chemical Engineering – is to enable the production of sustainable hydrocarbon fuels from CO₂. 

The BE Fellows programme supports early-stage innovators who are developing technologies with the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions at scale.

BE fellows receive funding, tailored technical guidance and access to BE’s global network of mentors, experts and partners. The programme helps founders bridge the gap from laboratory to market and advance their solutions toward commercial readiness.

C Star was chosen as part of the 2025 class of fellows, which includes 45 fellows from 20 pioneering companies. This group includes innovators working across electricity, transportation, buildings, manufacturing and agriculture. Half of the teams selected are based outside the US, reflecting the programme’s global reach and commitment to building an international community of climate entrepreneurs. C Star is the first fellows team based in Africa.

“The opportunity to join the 2025 class of BE fellows is invaluable in our quest to commercialise our technology for decentralised production of sustainable liquid fuels from CO₂. With this support and associated global network, we can focus on de-risking our technology and preparing it for real-world deployment,” C Star COO Dr Wijnand Marquart said on September 18.

“Supported by BE discovery, C Star’s vision of transforming CO₂ into a valuable resource is closer than ever,” added C Star co-founder and director Professor Nico Fischer.

“C Star was founded in 2022 to bring three decades of university research to market. Being part of the BE Fellows programme will be the catalyst that helps us turn this science into real-world impact,” C Star co-founder and director Professor Michael Claeys added.

Since its launch in 2020, BE Fellows has supported more than 160 innovators across nearly 20 countries. Alumni have secured more than $475-million in follow-on funding, filed 175 patents and completed more than 80 pilots and demonstrations.