Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund has become an investor in 14Trees, joining founding investors Holcim and British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor. Amazon’s participation in the exclusive Series A-1 investment alongside existing investor Holcim underscores 14Trees’ ability to become a global leader in construction 3D printing, enhancing the performance and profitability of project developers, owners and asset managers.
The investment is set to revolutionize the construction industry, paving the way for state-of-the-art low-carbon data centers, large-scale buildings and utilities in Europe and the U.S. markets.
14Trees will deploy its proprietary 3D printing technology, including printers, software, and sustainable ink materials, to the U.S. and Europe, contributing to pilot projects with Holcim and Amazon.
Francois Perrot, Managing Director at 14Trees, commented: “We are excited to welcome Amazon as an investor and are delighted by Holcim’s follow-on investment and continued support. This marks a key milestone, conviction of 14 Trees’ concept for delivering 3D-printed homes, schools, and commercial real estate. We aim to work with leaders in innovation, technology, and sustainability, such as Amazon, Holcim and BII, to deliver low-carbon and high-performance buildings with our 3D printing technology.”
Phoebe Wang, Investment Partner at Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, said: “We are delighted to invest in 14Trees, a tech-enabled business scaling an innovative technology from Africa to the world. 14Trees will collaborate with Amazon in advancing our strategic objective to deploy new sustainable materials and methods for low-carbon building.
Alfonso Paradinas Aguilera, Chief Marketing Officer at Holcim, added: “14Trees’ pioneering 3D printing technology has consistently pushed the boundaries of smart design to build better with less. With Holcim as a joint venture partner in 14Trees, we are pleased to be adding to our existing investment alongside Amazon so we can continue to power the world’s AI infrastructure with the most innovative techniques for data center construction.”
14Trees was established in 2016 as a joint venture between Holcim and BII to accelerate the provision of sustainable construction solutions in Africa. The company has pioneered the delivery of the first 3D-printed house in Africa, the world’s first 3D-printed schools, and one of the largest 3D-printed neighborhoods on the planet. In 2023, 14Trees announced the launch of its proprietary 3D printing technology, IROKO, making construction 3D printing more affordable, reliable, and mobile.
14Trees was advised by Impact Africa Invest (Raphaël Viallet) for this investment round.
