18 promising carbon capture and storage startups to watch in 2025

What are carbon capture and storage startups?

Think of them as businesses that create giant vacuum cleaners for greenhouse gases. Some capture CO2 that’s already floating in our atmosphere, while others catch it before it escapes from power plants or industrial facilities. Once captured, they lock away this carbon so it can’t contribute to global warming.

These carbon capture and storage startups matter because we’re already pumping too much CO2 into the air, and even if we stopped all emissions tomorrow, we’d still need to remove what’s already there to avoid the worst climate impacts. They’re basically creating a cleanup service for our atmosphere.

Top carbon capture and storage startups

Complete list of the most carbon capture and storage startups that are worth knowing:

CREW Carbon

Founded in 2022, CREW Carbon is a company working on new technology to remove carbon dioxide from the air. They use natural minerals like limestone and carbonate rocks to capture and convert atmospheric CO2 into harmless bicarbonate.

Over time, weathering causes these rocks to react with carbon dioxide, locking it into solid mineral form. CREW Carbon accelerates this natural process to safely extract CO2. Their method grinds the rocks into fine particles with more surface area to absorb more airborne CO2.

Airbuild

Founded in 2023, Airbuild is a startup that makes Plant Panels to remove carbon dioxide from the air. The panels contain algae that filter and capture CO2. They can be installed on buildings to lower emissions.

The Plant Panels also generate solar power like regular panels. But they convert more sunlight to electricity thanks to the algae. The algae go through photosynthesis which boosts energy conversion.

Meloon

Founded in 2022, Meloon is a startup that has created a new kind of filter for carbon dioxide (CO2) separation called Magic Filter. Their technology uses graphene, which is a very thin sheet of carbon that is only one atom thick.

Because graphene is so incredibly thin, it allows CO2 molecules to pass through very quickly compared to other materials. This high permeability makes Meloon’s Magic Filter extremely efficient at capturing CO2 from gas mixtures.

Arbon Earth

Founded in 2022, Arbon Earth is a startup working on technology to remove carbon dioxide from the air to fight climate change. They created a system called Oceanpod that grows algae which absorbs carbon dioxide.

Oceanpod floats in the ocean and uses solar energy to pump nutrient-rich deep water into containers where fast-growing algae cultures live. The algae breathe in carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. When mature, a portion of the algae sinks to the seabed, storing the carbon away from the atmosphere.

Sustaera

Founded in 2021, Sustaera is a company working on new direct air capture (DAC) technology to remove carbon dioxide emissions from the air. Their system called DAC 2.0 uses renewable electricity to extract CO2 so it can be safely stored without being released.

Most existing DAC methods rely on heat and chemical processing which requires a lot of energy. Sustaera uses a more efficient approach that reduces costs. Their modular units are built to plug into solar and wind farms so facilities can be set up quickly.

NeoCarbon

Founded in 2022, NeoCarbon is a startup working on technology for direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide. They are developing systems that can be installed on existing industrial cooling towers to capture CO2.

Most DAC designs require building expensive standalone structures. NeoCarbon takes a retrofit approach so companies can integrate CO2 removal into current infrastructure to save on costs.

CarbonWorks

Founded in 2021, CarbonWorks is a startup working on technology to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions using algae. Their system is designed to remove CO2 from the smokestacks of factories and power plants before it reaches the atmosphere.

CarbonWorks has developed photobioreactors – containers of water filled with microalgae that feed on CO2 through photosynthesis. The photobioreactors are connected to industrial exhaust systems to divert emissions into the algae solution.

Qaptis

Founded in 2021, Qaptis is a startup focused on reducing carbon emissions from heavy-duty trucks. They make a plug-in device that captures CO2 directly from truck exhaust pipes. It liquefies the captured gas and then stores it securely onboard vehicles.

The Qaptis retrofit system attaches right at a truck’s tailpipe to isolate CO2 emissions before they spread. Specialized materials filter out the carbon which is compressed into liquid form within the portable unit. This allows efficient storage as well as easier transportation for sequestration or reuse.

RedoxNRG

Founded in 2021, RedoxNRG is a startup working on technology to remove carbon dioxide from the air using renewable electricity. Their device uses electrochemistry to capture CO2 and convert it into useful chemicals.

It works by activating and deactivating chemical reactions to bond the CO2 molecules extracted from the surroundings. This concentration process continually isolates the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.

Mantel

Founded in 2022, Mantel is a startup working on carbon capture technology for industrial plants. They use a method based on molten salt chemistry to absorb and release carbon dioxide emissions repeatedly.

Mantel aims to commercialize a solid technical solution to cut industrial emissions. Without affordable carbon capture, heavy industry could account for half of all CO2 output by 2050 as other sectors electrify. By challenging status quo approaches, Mantel works to ensure heavy industry has a sustainable future.

Alt Carbon

Founded in 2023, Alt Carbon is a startup focused on carbon removal technology. They have developed a proprietary enhanced rock weathering product called FELUDA designed to sequester carbon dioxide from the air.

It works by using finely ground mineral rock dust spread onto agricultural land. This triggers chemical reactions in the soil that absorb and mineralize CO2 over months. Alt Carbon claims the process can permanently store gigatons of captured carbon when applied globally. 

Terradote

Founded in 2022, Terradote makes renewable materials using plant sources and waste gases to reduce carbon emissions from industry. They aim to create more sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics and chemicals.

Terradote uses biomass like corn stalks along with captured carbon dioxide and methane gas from landfills. They have the technology to convert these into industrial materials through special reactions. This both disposes of greenhouse gases and sequesters carbon into useful products instead of releasing it.

Palgae

Founded in 2024, Palgae is a company that cultivates microalgae to help reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. They have developed technology to convert the algae they grow into bioplastics that can replace conventional plastic materials that are made from fossil fuels.

Microalgae naturally absorb carbon dioxide as it grows. Palgae has engineered strains of algae that capture CO2 more efficiently. They cultivate these supercharged strains in modular farms. After harvesting the algae, Palgae processes the biomass into biodegradable thermoplastic resins using proprietary methods.

Stathmos

Founded in 2023, Stathmos is a company that builds a product called Statbox. This machine captures carbon from the air while also producing clean water. It uses materials that absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), pulling it directly out of the atmosphere using green energy.

Each Statbox unit can extract around 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. This is equivalent to CO2 produced by over 200 cars. The system takes in air and moisture, filters out the CO2 and generates reusable H2O. It runs using renewable electricity such as solar and waste heat energy.

Oxylus Energy

Founded in 2023, Oxylus Energy is developing technology to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into clean fuel using renewable electricity. Their system uses a specialized electrolyzer that transforms captured CO2 into products like e-methanol through a membrane and catalyst reaction.

Most CO2 conversion processes are expensive and energy-intensive. Oxylus uses an innovative approach that makes the process more efficient. This allows economical production of carbon-neutral liquid fuel and feedstocks out of waste emissions.

Calix Limited

Founded in 2005, Calix Limited is a company working on solutions for global challenges across industries like energy storage, agriculture, water treatment, and climate change. Founded in 2005, Calix develops sustainable technologies to address pressing real-world problems.

For renewable power grids, they make advanced lithium battery components with materials that increase efficiency and lifespans. In crop science, Calix improves how essential minerals are delivered to plants through enhanced rock minerals. Their solutions extract phosphorus for fertilizers as well.

Carbon Clean

Founded in 2009, Carbon Clean is a company that provides carbon capture technology to industrial facilities looking to reduce their emissions. Their systems filter out CO2 from smokestacks and other exhaust sources so it doesn’t enter the atmosphere.

The Carbon Clean process involves running flue gas from furnaces, boilers and generators through a specialized filter unit. Their compact system integrates without major retrofits to capture significant percentages of site emissions. This filtered carbon is then compressed into liquid form for storage and utilization.

Chart Industries

Founded in 1992, Chart Industries manufactures engineered equipment for industrial gas and energy companies. They make products used in every part of the supply chain for transporting and processing liquid gases like oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, natural gas, and biogas.

Chart builds cryogenic tanks, heat exchangers, and other machinery to liquefy, store, and vaporize gases for transport. Their equipment handles cooling, pumping, and gas purification processes needed across the value chain. Chart also makes storage dispensing equipment and refueling stations for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen.

Conclusion

Whether through direct air capture, point-source solutions, or novel biological approaches, these carbon capture and storage startups are building tangible carbon-sucking machines that could help rewrite our climate future while creating an entirely new industry along the way.