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The carbon capture technique has long been seen as a powerful way to fight climate change. This idea is simple: Before trap carbon dioxide (CO₂) it enters the atmosphere and stores it safely or uses it on useful methods. Despite the promise, most early carbon catching efforts fought. The technology was often very expensive, very complex or not reliable enough for the scale.
But things change. Today, a new wave of carbon capture is into the stage and brings fresh ideas and smart solutions. With the large investments from both governments and large companies, these start-ups develop cheap and green technologies to capture carbon. Their goal is not only to catch carbon, but also to be practical and favourable.
When the world is pushing to reach grid-zero emissions, it is more important than ever to reduce and remove greenhouse gases. These start-ups really offer hope by converting carbon capture into a viable part of the climate solution. From capturing factories to pulling CO₂ directly from the air, they show what is possible when innovation is possible.
The future of carbon capture looks bright, and it can be important for a cleaner, more durable planet.
How Many Startups Use Carbon Capture Technology
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Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) is an advanced technology aimed at combating global warming by capturing carbon dioxide to reuse or store it underground and therefore prevent it from entering the atmosphere. This line of thought is still maturing, and several entities are pursuing routes toward making it operable and affordable.
After 2020, there are 21 giant CCUS projects in operation worldwide, with the greatest concentrations in the United States, Canada, the Middle East, and Norway. These areas are active company pioneers in advancing the technology.
A new force of carbon capture start-ups is now stepping into the limelight. These innovators are fast-tracking smarter and cheaper means of capturing carbon and thus offer real hope in this global endeavour to cut emissions and hit net-zero targets.
Best Carbon Capture Startups 2024-25
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The climate emergency has, however, birthed CCUS into a fast-changing, enormously attractive industry. Its promising nature has brought about an influx of innovative startups vying to change carbon management. The young companies envisage CCUS as not just a solution for climate change, but also as a large-scale commercial opportunity.
Traditional companies in the energy sector, like Shell and ExxonMobil, seem to be energising the movement, looking to invest or partner with startups to fast-track carbon capture innovation. Exxon is said to have said that its targets are looking towards supporting technologies that can capture 100 million tons of CO₂ at a maximum per year by 2040.
As the world rushes toward net-zero targets, carbon capture startups are putting forth cutting-edge solutions. From direct air capture to the transformation of CO₂ into useful products, they are leading the way in a landscape fraught with challenges and opportunities.
Here are the top 10 carbon capture startups in contention for 2025.
Greenlyte Carbon Technologies
Greenlite Carbon Technologies (GCT) was created in 2022 and is located in Essen, Germany, and is a climate-technical start-up that focuses on low-temperature direct air capture (DAC) and green hydrogen production. GCT has developed an innovative low-energy DAC system that captures carbon dioxide directly from the surrounding air and transforms it into green hydrocarbons.
This process works by absorbing CO₂ in a specially designed liquid sorbent solution, where it is converted into hydrogen carbonate. This is followed by desorption when using alkaline water electrolysis-which produces green hydrogen as a valuable byproduct or waste heat with lower grain, making the system very energy-efficient.
By combining carbon removal with green hydrogen production, GCT not only helps reduce atmospheric CO₂, but also contributes to the production of a circular and durable economy. The double technology holds it as a promising start-up in a global effort to cope with climate change.
CREW Carbon
Crew Carbon was created in 2022 and Hemden, Connecticut, the US headquarters, and is a state starting start with a focus on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) sensors. The company benefits from a natural, mineral-based approach to carbon removal and accelerates processes that usually take thousands of years.
The crew uses carbonate rocks, which react with water and atmospheric CO2 through a weathering process that converts CO2 to bicarbonate, a stable and long-lasting form of carbon that has been in the aquatic environment for centuries. By adjusting the ratio carefully on three natural supplies – water, carbon dioxide and rock cure, the carbon capture process accelerates dramatically, reducing it to a few hours from the millennium.
Crew -carboned paves the way to remove more durable and average carbon, with its scalable, low-implementation solution inherent in the earth’s natural systems. Integration of MRV technology also ensures accurate tracking and verification, making it a promising player in the developed carbon-capturing system.
Airhive
Established in 2022, AirHive is located in London, the United Kingdom, and is a climate technical start -up that specializes in hybrid geochemical direct air catch (DAC). The company has developed an innovative CO₂ capture system called JD002, which uses a liquid process to increase the natural carbon-absorbed capacity of minerals.
The approach to airhive involves improving small particles naturally with extremely high carbonate minerals surface areas. This increases their ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere sharply. By combining natural geo -racial properties with advanced engineering, air Hive achieves effective and scalable carbon removal.
Increasing the geology of hybrid nature-refined systems for their technique-this is a promising solution for DAC on a large scale. With the low costs, high effects of carbon capture, AirHive quickly draws attention as a forward -thinking thinking in global efforts to handle climate change.
Airbuild
Located in 2021 and is located in San Diego, California, the United States, Airbuild is an innovative start-up focused on carbonic sequence for green buildings. Their most important products, plant panels, use live algae to filter the air and catch coarse emissions from commercial buildings.
The plant panel that makes the panel unique is its double function: While algae absorb carbon dioxide, panels also act as solar panels, which generate pure power. To increase efficiency, Airbuild Internet of Things (IoT) technology integrates, so that the building owners can monitor real-time data on carbon capture and displacement.
The air building provides flexible installation options, including mounting and side panels on the roof, making it easier to integrate permanent carbon capture into existing structures. By combining nature with smart techniques, Airbuild makes buildings into active players in the fight against climate change.
Everest Carbon
Located in 2022 and is located in San Francisco, California, the United States, focuses on permanent CO₂ storage through Everest Carbon Advanced Natural Processes. Start-up uses Rock Weathing (ERW) technique improved to accelerate the earth’s natural carbon cycle and apply finely painted rock powder to capture the atmospheric CO₂ effectively.
This process not only removes carbon dioxide, but also contributes to a good environment by improving soil health and increasing crops. When carbon and essential minerals flow into the sea from the earth, they help restore the natural pH balance in the ocean. Caught co and eventually becomes a stable carbonate resident of the seabed, which ensures long-lasting, permanent storage.
By using and accelerating natural geological processes, Everest provides a scalable, environmentally friendly carbon removal solution, creating a promising player in global efforts to cope with climate change.
Arbon Earth
Urban Meaning, established in 2021 and located in Gothenburg, Sweden, is a start-up that focuses on innovative carbon capture through the product, Oceanpod. This unique system captures CO from the atmosphere by rapidly growing offshore agriculture and storing carbon deep in the seabed.
Oceanpods consists of two main parts: a temporary structure that gradually loses a boom, and biodegradable ropes on which algae are growing. Due to algae maturing, they finally drop below the surface, effectively binding the carbon trapped in the sediments for a long time.
Beyond the carbonia, Oceanpod also supports marine life by behaving like a fishing device, providing both housing on ropes under development and on the seabed after drowning. With this double environmental benefit, Arbon Earth offers a nature-based, permanent approach to fighting climate change by supporting sea ecosystems.
CyanoCapture
Cyanocapture was established in 2021 and is located in Oxford, the United Kingdom, and is a leading start-up that specialises in cyanobacteria-based CO₂ capture. His innovative plug-and-play photobioreactor uses a type of photosynthetic bacteria, Cyanocapture, to absorb carbon dioxide from the air in an energy-efficient way.
Unlike traditional carbon capture methods, which depend on expensive catalysts or chemical syrups, the system of cyanocapur uses natural biological processes, making it a simple and more durable solution. By utilising the power of these bacteria, the start-up provides a promising route against a scalable and cheap carbon removal technique.
Sustaera
Sustaera was created in 2021 in Carrie, North Carolina, in the United States. It is a start-up that focuses on direct air capture (DAC) and reduces CO₂ emissions. Their modular carbon removal system, called DAC 2.0, uses pure force to capture carbon dioxide directly from the air, effectively eliminating new emissions.
Sustaera’s technique is designed to function well in different types of environments – from open grassland to tropical savanna, there is no difference, taking into account continuous performance. The modular design enables continuous operation by optimising agriculture, making the system very scalable.
By taking advantage of the existing supply chains, Sustaera can quickly distribute its technology, maximise resource efficiency and accelerate carbon capture solutions worldwide.
Capture6
Capture6 was created in 2021 and is located in Berkeley, California, USA, and is a start-up that focuses on permanent, mineral carbon storage via direct air capture (DAC). Their technology directly retrieves the atmosphere and converts it into stable mineral carbonate, such as calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate.
After the distance frame, Capture6 ensures that the stored carbon is permanently and irreversibly closed. Unlike traditional geological storage methods, which pose risks such as water or soil pollution, mineral storage of catch 6 has a minimum environmental risk and avoids potential leakage.
By converting trapped carbon to fixed minerals, Capture6 provides a safe, long-term solution for carbon removal- it creates a promising player in the fight against climate change.
NeoCarbon
NeoCarbon was established in 2021 and is located in Berlin, Germany, and is a start-up focusing on direct air capture (DAC) using a unique approach by reducing industrial cooling towers. Instead of creating new features, NeoCarbon installs DAC sets on existing cooling towers, converting them to carbon capture systems.
This method is already utilising large volumes of air flowing through the cooling towers, which can remove effective CO₂ over minimum extra costs or time. It is important that retrofitting cooling does not interfere with the original function of the tower, making it a spontaneous and scalable solution.
By resuming the existing climate action infrastructure, NeoCarbon provides a smart, cost-effective way of capturing carbon and reducing emissions in industrial areas.
Conclusion: Carbon Capture Startups
Carbon capture boot is redefined for innovative emissions of clean zero with cost-effective technologies. From algae panels to mineral storage and DAC layout, these solutions make carbon removal more practical and scalable. As investment and innovation grow, these start-ups prove that climate actions can be both effective and achievable – a cleaner way to meet the real hope of a durable future.
