Climate tech startup Paebbl appoints ex-Tesla exec to lead commercial plant build out

Paebbl, a Nordic-Dutch startup developing CO2-storing building materials, has appointed Fernando Sosa as chief executive to lead the build-out of its first demonstration plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Sosa's most recent role was at Novo Energy, the Northvolt-Volvo battery joint venture that paused operations and laid off all 75 employees at its Gothenburg factory in January after Northvolt's bankruptcy left it without a technology partner. Before the shutdown, Sosa oversaw construction of Novo's first-of-a-find (FOAK) facility.

Prior to Novo Energy, Sosa spent six years at Tesla scaling first-of-a-kind manufacturing including at the Reno gigafactory.

"Fernando's track record of delivering FOAK plants faster and at lower cost than industry norms makes him one of the very few people in the world with the right mix of experience to lead our most important programme yet," said Marta Sjögren, who leads Paebbl alongside co-CEO Andreas Saari.

Paebbl develops technology that permanently stores carbon in construction materials, targeting one of the hardest emissions problems in the built environment. Sosa has already been advising the company on site selection and programme structure ahead of his formal appointment.

Sosa said the company's combination of proven science and execution speed drew him to the role.

"The opportunity to build infrastructure that permanently stores carbon at scale is rare – I'm committed to making this FOAK plant a benchmark for what industrial deployment should look like," Sosa said.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Rotterdam, Paebbl has raised around $43m to date, including a €25 million Series A in October 2024 backed by Holcim, Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, Capnamic Ventures, and Pale Blue Dot.

The company employs around 70 people at its offices in Rotterdam and Stockholm, Sweden, according to Dealroom data.