What is the market like for our proposed product? Where should we begin and what growth potential do we have?
Building on our customer needs, we position meduCA as a low-carbon, on-site bio-cementation platform that stabilizes waste (e.g., mine tailings) while sequestering CO₂. We begin on Earth to prove value and generate revenue, with extraterrestrial expansion as a long-term aim where in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) compounds our advantage.
Beachhead Discovery
A focused entry point will allow successful commercialization, allowing us to concentrate resources into developing a suitable product. Identifying a suitable beachhead market will allow meduCA to showcase value, prove traction, and build the foundation for broader adoption on Earth and beyond. We have identified unique beachheads for both the terrestrial (Earth) and extraterrestrial (Space) markets.
Earth
This entry point enables us to validate the product’s waste stabilization and CO₂ utilization capabilities in real-world mine remediation contexts. It allows us to generate early revenue and credibility while directly addressing an urgent environmental need.
Market Rationale
Mine tailings pose long-term environmental liabilities and remediation costs.
Existing remediation approaches are expensive, temporary, or incomplete.
Positioning as a biological remediation material that stabilizes tailings while sequestering CO₂ provides clear differentiation.
Bio-cementation is an emerging field with limited existing solutions, making it easier to attract early adopters among mining firms and regulators.
Aligns with ESG mandates and community pressure on mining companies.
Value Proposition
Provides permanent stabilization of hazardous waste.
Inherently consumes CO₂ as part of the hardening process.
Novel, sustainable alternative to chemical or mechanical remediation methods.
Appeals to mining companies, regulators, and local communities seeking safer, lower-cost remediation.
Space
Cyanobacteria-based biobricks produced by meduCA consume CO₂ and convert regolith into hardened CaCO₃, offering resilience to extreme conditions where conventional building materials would fail.
Market Rationale
Current demand for extraterrestrial construction is limited but emerging.
Shipping modular microbial brick-production systems is cheaper than transporting bulk raw materials.
Sustainability aligns with space agencies’ planetary protection and contamination-minimization goals.
Value Proposition
A hands-off, automatable solution for extraterrestrial construction.
Early entry into the in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) market.
Environmentally conscious option that preserves planetary environments while enabling long-term settlement.
Final Beachhead Market
After considering both market, we decided on local, Earth-based settings biocementation as our initial beachhead market. This entry point enables us to validate our product’s carbon capture and waste stabilization capabilities, while generating revenue and building credibility before expanding to space-focused markets. Establishing where to start is only part of the equation. To succeed, we must also articulate what makes meduCA distinctly valuable to customers and stakeholders compared to existing solutions.
Market Differentiator
Across industries, stakeholders are demanding solutions that are low-carbon, sustainable, and effective in managing waste streams. At the same time, mining companies face mounting pressure to remediate toxic tailings, regulators are tightening oversight, and space agencies are planning for sustainable ISRU.
meduCA meets this need by using engineered microbes to convert CO₂ and local waste substrates---such as mine tailings on Earth or regolith on Mars---into strong, durable biocement. This process not only cuts emissions but also stabilizes hazardous waste and reduces long-term liabilities. Unlike conventional methods, it both locks away carbon and neutralizes environmental hazards, providing measurable ESG benefits. And unlike other bio-based or recycled approaches, meduCA builds directly from what is already on-site.
Competitor Analysis
To sharpen our positioning, we set out to understand who else is operating in this space, what solutions they’re offering, and how meduCA’s capabilities compare. A review of the competitive landscape shows how other players approach similar problems and highlights the specific advantages meduCA brings to both Earth-based and space applications.
Primary Competitors
These companies are also other biocementation manufacturers. Most of these organizations also use cyanobacteria to add self-healing properties into their materials. Other organizations grouped here also utilize cyanobacteria in crucial steps of their production process.
Products from these organizations are not widely available for use/purchase.
Basilisk - A self-healing bio-based concrete made from limestone producing cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria will readily turn oxygen and water into calcium carbonate. ([1])
FRONT - Waste based bricks, bio-based tiles, sustainable glazing solutions, and innovative recycling techniques. ([3])
Secondary Competitors
These companies focus on the environmental remediation and carbon capture space which do not directly compete with our proposed initial product, but provide similar benefits.
CyanoCapture - A company that uses cyanobacteria to assist with carbon capture technology. They have also turned cyanobacteria into graphite, which have been later used in lithium ion batteries. ([4])
CarbonCure - Injects captured CO2 into fresh concrete for immediate mineralization, permanent embedding, and cement reduction. ([5])
BioZeroc - Climate-tech startup using BioTech and scalable process technology to create the carbon-negative construction materials of the future. Our patent pending BioConcrete solution removes the need for cement in the concrete manufacturing process. ([6])
Tertiary Competitors
These are mostly construction companies or other environmental-focused startups. Since we are trying to launch our project as a solution to be used in space, some space-related companies are also listed here.
Blue Origin - Developing rocket engines and reduce costs of access/transportation to space & harness resources available in space. ([7])
AI Space Factory - Develops advanced manufacturing systems for sustainable construction on Earth and in outer space. ([8])
Steeper Energy - Converts biomass waste into biocrude oil and uses it for energy generation. ([9])
Market Sizing
After analyzing the competition that currently exists, we set out to evaluate the market for this solution. The following market sizing breakdown outlines the full scope of our opportunity, from global space infrastructure to Earth-based applications, helping us prioritize where to launch and how to scale. While the Mars construction market does not exist today. Our beachhead is Earth-based mine tailings remediation, while space is our long term vision.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Our total addressable market encompasses the global space technology sector, valued at $513 billion USD in 2025, and projected to grow to $732 billion USD by 2030 ([10]). This includes all technologies and infrastructure supporting space exploration, satellites, and habitation systems, which meduCA aligns with through its biomaterial construction capabilities.
Serviceable Available Market (SAM)
Within the broader space sector, we target the Mars exploration and space habitat market, valued at $1.3 billion USD in 2025 and projected to reach $5.5 billion USD by 2030. This segment includes construction technologies designed for off-Earth environments, particularly in preparation for long-term human missions to Mars.
Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM)
Our serviceable obtainable market includes the North American biocementation sector, which bridges terrestrial and extraterrestrial infrastructure applications. This market is projected to reach $467 million USD by 2030, covering both Earth-based environmental remediation (e.g., mine tailing stabilization) and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies for space.
Market Sizing. Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM), Serviceable Available Market (SAM), Total Addressable Market (TAM), Potential Available Market (PAM).
Beyond competition, market adoption also depends on meeting regulatory standards. The use of biological materials in construction, remediation, and space applications presents transformative opportunities. To ensure safety, sustainability, and compliance, we align our work with established national and international regulations. Below are the key frameworks guiding our responsible approach.
On Earth, regulation begins with biosafety and the management of genetically modified organisms. Internationally, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety establishes principles for the handling and release of living modified organisms, while in Canada oversight falls under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Within CEPA, the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms) apply directly to microbial products intended for remediation or construction, requiring pre-market notifications, risk assessments, and detailed safety data before approval.
Construction and environmental regulations also play a role in shaping meduCA’s pathway to adoption. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) set global benchmarks for sustainable and low-carbon materials, providing a framework for early market validation. At the same time, site-specific laws, such as British Columbia’s Environmental Management Act governing mine tailings remediation, may require additional permits, hazard assessments, and community consultations. A challenge that remains across jurisdictions is the absence of clear standards for “living” or self-healing building materials, which emphasizes the importance of engaging early with regulators and building code authorities to shape classification pathways.
In space, regulatory oversight is shaped by international treaties and planetary protection policies. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, administered by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), prohibits harmful contamination of celestial bodies and makes nation-states legally responsible for both public and private missions. Complementing this, Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Planetary Protection Policy sets requirements for handling biological materials in space, particularly for sensitive missions to Mars, where containment, risk assessments, and sterilization protocols are often mandatory.
National space agencies then apply these international principles through their own regulatory systems. In the United States, oversight is shared across NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Commerce (DOC). Certain technologies may also fall under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which control the export and use of sensitive technologies. In Canada, oversight lies with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Remote Sensing Space Systems Act (RSSSA), while Global Affairs Canada (GAC) may review projects involving international collaboration to ensure alignment with treaty obligations.
Together, these frameworks define both the challenges and opportunities ahead. By proactively engaging with regulators on Earth and in space, meduCA can not only ensure compliance but also help shape emerging standards for sustainable, bio-based construction technologies.
