Marine carbon dioxide removal and storage company Vycarb has secured $5 million in seed funding. The company will use the funds to expand its team and global reach.
Vycarb’s technology aims to reduce the excess CO2 in the ocean. The ocean absorbs 30% of the CO2 humans create and 90% of the heat. The rising level of CO2 that the ocean must absorb can lead to ocean acidification, which can disrupt biodiversity and threaten both sea and human health and life. Vycarb said it captures and stores CO2 in water using a process that mimics the Earth’s. In the ocean, CO2 dissolved in water can bind to an alkaline, such as crushed rocks, creating stable molecules like bicarbonate. Vycarb replicates this process by dosing alkaline minerals to an enclosed reactor submerged in waters with high CO2 concentration. There, the CO2 binds to the minerals and is stored as a stable molecule. It calls this the Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) method.
The company said its hardware and software systems can detect areas of high concentration in water, so they can be deployed where necessary. And since they rely on the natural flow of water, the company said, they require less energy. The company can also partner with mining companies and heavy industry who have access to the kinds of alkaline minerals the company uses.
The round was led by Twynam, which invested in Vycarb in 2024, with participation from MOL Switch, Hatch Blue, Clocktower Ventures, Idemitsu, and SGInnovate.
A number of companies are working on marine carbon dioxide removal and storage (mCDR), though the technologies are nascent and it is not yet known how such technologies might impact ocean ecosystems. Various groups are conducting research to understand the long-term impact of mCDR.
Currently, Vycarb’s system can be integrated into bioenergy facilities, cement, steel, and power plants, as well as coastal ports, where it can help transform existing water infrastructure into a powerful climate change mitigation asset.
