UCT spin-off company selected as Breakthrough Energy Fellow
Recognised in 2024, C-STAR, a University of Cape Town spin-off company, is making significant strides in sustainable fuel technology. Born out of the Catalysis Institute, C-STAR enables decentralised production of sustainable hydrocarbon fuels. Using an innovative catalyst system, the company simplifies the conversion of CO₂ to fuel, achieving a highly efficient single-pass process.
C-STAR has been selected as part of the 2025 cohort of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows, a programme that includes 45 fellows from 20 pioneering companies across the globe. The selected innovators span sectors such as electricity, transportation, buildings, manufacturing, and agriculture. Half of this year’s Fellows are based outside the United States, underscoring the program’s global scope and its commitment to supporting an international community of climate entrepreneurs. C-STAR is the first Fellows team based in Africa.
Dr Andrew Bailey, Director of Research Contracts and Innovation at UCT, said: “In under a year, the C-STAR team has demonstrated remarkable dedication and impact. Being selected for the prestigious Breakthrough Energy Fellows programme is a powerful recognition of that. I am immensely proud of what the team has achieved in such a short time. Congratulations on this well-deserved milestone.”
Breakthrough Energy Discovery is the pre-venture innovation arm of Breakthrough Energy, focused on advancing emerging climate technologies at the earliest stages. Through its three key programmes: workshops, ecosystem grants, and the global Fellows program, Discovery provides philanthropic funding, tailored support, and global connections to help innovators transform bold ideas into scalable solutions.
“The opportunity to join the 2025 class of Breakthrough Energy Fellows is invaluable in our quest to commercialise our technology for the decentralised production of sustainable liquid fuels from carbon dioxide,” said Dr Wijnand Marquart, Chief Operating Officer of C-STAR. “With this support and the associated global network, we can focus on de-risking our technology and preparing it for real-world deployment.”
In the past five years, the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program has supported over 160 innovators across nearly 20 countries. Alumni have collectively secured more than $475 million in follow-on funding, filed 175 patents, and completed over 80 pilots and demonstrations.
“With the support of Breakthrough Energy Discovery, C-STAR’s vision of transforming CO₂ into a valuable resource is closer than ever,” said Prof Nico Fischer, co-founder and Director of C-STAR.
Co-founder and Director Prof Michael Claeys added: “C-STAR was founded to bring three decades of university research to market. Being part of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program will be the catalyst that helps us turn this science into real-world impact.”