Plantaer, a Brooklyn Navy Yard–based materials design company, has won the 2025 J.M.K. Innovation Prize for its breakthrough in cement-free, biocompatible building materials.
The prize, awarded by the J.M. Kaplan Fund, recognizes ten early-stage innovators nationwide working on transformative solutions in social justice, the environment, and heritage conservation. Each awardee receives $175,000 and joins a cohort designed to support growth and impact.
Plantaer is tackling one of the construction industry’s most entrenched problems: the heavy environmental toll of traditional concrete. Cement production is responsible for nearly 8% of global carbon emissions and in cities like New York, concrete surfaces trap heat, increase stormwater runoff, strain aging infrastructure and raise maintenance and safety concerns.
Drawing inspiration from volcanic biocrusts, Plantaer has developed high-performance, cement-free materials that mimic natural stone and support permanent plant growth directly on their surfaces, without soil, irrigation or synthetic fertilizers. The company’s tiles, roof pavers and ready-mix formulation integrate with photosynthetic organisms, making buildings capable of cooling themselves, filtering air and reducing environmental impact.
Their living materials are estimated to lower surface temperatures by up to 20°C, reduce building energy use by as much as 7.5% to 25% and eliminate at least half of stormwater runoff, while remaining fully recyclable and competitively priced.
“We’re facing a climate crisis that demands we rethink every aspect of how we build our cities,” said Manuel Benitez Ruiz, founder of Plantaer.
With the prize funding, Plantaer plans to accelerate product development, scale manufacturing and move toward broad market adoption.
“Plantaer is challenging the ubiquity of construction’s most entrenched material – concrete – with an approach that is both technically sophisticated and ecologically regenerative,” said Julia Bator, executive director of the J.M. Kaplan Fund.
Celebrating its tenth year, the J.M.K. Innovation Prize drew a record 3,790 applications in 2025, reflecting the growing demand for bold solutions to urgent challenges.
