Madhav Rathour, 45, who holds a diploma from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, started his career at Indian Oil. However, a few years later, after completing his MBA at emlyon, he realized that oil is not eternal and needs to decarbonize. After discussing with Bruno Chaudret, 72, a research director at CNRS and an expert in nanoparticles, he founded Catmag in Toulouse at the end of 2025. The goal is to produce biomethane, green methanol, and synthetic fuels with higher yields than existing solutions.
To achieve this, the startup uses heterogeneous catalysis technology activated by magnetic induction. It intensifies chemical reactions and converts CO2, CO, and hydrogen into important molecules such as methane, methanol, or SAF.
By October, the young company plans to launch a pilot site in Toulouse or Lyon, where they will develop containers of around 5 meters that will contain five modules of 25 kilowatts each. Madhav Rathour states, “We will offer this technology to industrial companies like Air Liquide, TotalEnergies, Technip, Engie, etc.” Catmag, currently employing seven people, also aims to target markets abroad, such as Spain, where energy is cheaper.
The startup combines the direct sale of standard modules with the development of strategic partnerships and technology licensing agreements. This year, Catmag aims for a turnover of 150,000 euros, with the goal of exceeding 4 million euros by the end of the decade.
Last December, they received 120,000 euros as an honor loan (at zero interest) from the accelerator Wilco. They have also applied for the i-Lab innovation competition, hoping to receive 600,000 euros. At the end of the year, they plan to raise 1.2 million euros from business angels and greentech and deeptech funds.
Capital sought: 1.2 million euros
Contact: madhav.rathour@catmag.fr
