Companies to receive expert support in optimizing marine carbon dioxide removal methods that have the potential to help address the climate crisis
ATLANTA, Georgia, January 31, 2024 — Ocean Visions today announced eight companies selected for the second cohort of its Launchpad program, which provides expert advice to selected innovators who are developing, or improving the understanding of, marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) pathways.
Through Launchpad, Ocean Visions connects innovators with advisors drawn from its Network who have deep experience in areas ranging from oceanography and engineering to environmental evaluation. Advisory teams offer tailored support to help innovators optimize their technologies and fully understand and address environmental impacts. Support is provided at no cost to selected companies while advisors receive honoraria from Ocean Visions.
The 2024-2025 cohort includes companies working on a range of mCDR pathways, as well as enabling technologies such as sensors, models, and environmental impact measurement tools:
- Banyu Carbon – using sunlight to drive a chemical reaction that removes carbon dioxide from seawater
- Brilliant Planet – growing carbon-absorbing microalgae in coastal deserts
- Capture6 – linking direct air capture of carbon dioxide with ocean alkalinity enhancement
- CarbonBlue – using calcium chemical looping to remove dissolved carbon dioxide from water
- Carboniferous – pairing the carbon-absorbing power of plants with preservation in oxygen-free ocean basins
- SeaO₂ – using electrochemical direct ocean capture to remove carbon dioxide from seawater
- Subtidal – developing a three-dimensional sensing grid platform to monitor carbon dioxide drawdown
- Vycarb – developing a system to optimize deployment of alkalinity by integrating it with measurement of carbon dioxide drawdown
“We are excited to welcome these remarkable innovators to Launchpad,” said Ocean Visions Senior Program Officer Nikhil Neelakantan. “Their approaches have the potential to help safely and effectively remove the carbon dioxide pollution that’s driving climate change and impacting ocean health.”
The ocean has buffered society from the worst effects of climate disruption by absorbing about 30 percent of all carbon dioxide pollution and 90 percent of related excess heat—together resulting in harmful heating, acidification, and deoxygenation.
Limiting further damage requires not only slashing global emissions, but also actively removing carbon pollution. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in a special report that sizable carbon dioxide removal efforts this century will be imperative to have a realistic shot at meeting the global target of holding temperature rise to 1.5°C.
A range of carbon removal solutions is necessary to provide the highest probability of avoiding the worst climate change scenarios. Marine carbon dioxide removal is an important part of this climate action portfolio.
“Emerging carbon dioxide removal technologies that leverage the ocean’s vast size and natural chemical processes hold promise as tools to draw down carbon at scale,” said Neelakantan. “We look forward to helping these ambitious innovators improve the possibility that their approaches can make a safe and meaningful contribution to climate change mitigation.”
Support for Launchpad comes from Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, and Builders Initiative
ABOUT OCEAN VISIONS
Ocean Visions is a non-profit organization that catalyzes innovation at the intersection of the ocean and climate crises. We facilitate multisector collaborations from within our Network and beyond, working with leading research institutions, the private sector, and public-interest organizations to fully explore and advance responsible and effective ocean-based climate solutions. In short, we work to stabilize the climate and restore ocean health. To learn more, visit www.oceanvisions.org or follow @Ocean_Visions on X.
