Amsterdam-based ClimateTech startup Brineworks has secured €6.8 million in new funding to speed up commercialisation of its ultra-low-cost Direct Air Seize (DAC) expertise.
The spherical was led by SeaX Ventures, with participation from Pale Blue Dot, First Momentum, AiiM Companions, Energie360°, and Katapult. Brineworks was additionally awarded a €1.8 million grant in February from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, to additional advance R&D and pilot deployment.
“It’s clear the place the world is heading,” mentioned Gudfinnur Sveinsson, CEO of Brineworks. “Renewable vitality is changing into cheaper quicker than anybody predicted. The bottleneck now could be expertise that may use this energy flexibly and affordably. That’s precisely what we’ve constructed – an electrolyzer that runs when the solar shines or the wind blows, and pauses when it doesn’t. We’re unlocking a dream that’s been out of attain for many years.”
Brineworks is a ClimateTech firm creating breakthrough Direct Air Seize and hydrogen co-production applied sciences to unlock reasonably priced e-Gasoline manufacturing.
The corporate was based in 2023 by Gudfinnur Sveinsson, a Columbia College graduate with a background in local weather coverage and innovation, and Dr Joseph Perryman, an electrochemist who accomplished his postdoctoral analysis at Stanford College. By combining experience in expertise and coverage, Brineworks seems to construct scalable options to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and maritime.
Brineworks’ patented electrolyzer is reportedly the primary to run flexibly on renewables – turning on when the solar shines or wind blows, and pausing when it doesn’t – with out degrading efficiency.
“We envisioned the electrolyzer of the longer term – and now it’s right here,” mentioned Dr Joseph Perryman, Co-founder and CTO of Brineworks. “With many lengthy nights of labor, we’ve confirmed a transparent path to capturing CO₂ straight from air at beneath $100 per ton. That’s the brink the world has been ready for, and now the scale-up begins.”
On the coronary heart of Brineworks’ breakthrough is a patented electrolyzer that drives extremely low-cost DAC whereas co-producing vital quantities of hydrogen. Collectively, these two outputs present the important constructing blocks for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and e-methanol for transport – industries urgently in want of scalable, carbon-neutral alternate options.
In accordance with information offered by Brinework, aviation alone accounts for two.5% of world CO₂ emissions – and demand remains to be rising – whereas transport contributes over 3%. With out breakthroughs like Brineworks’, these sectors haven’t any clear path to decarbonisation.
In contrast to standard methods, Brineworks’ electrolyzer is designed for intermittent operation, enabling it to observe renewable energy availability with out degrading efficiency. This functionality solves a long-standing technical problem: learn how to make DAC work reliably with low-cost supplies in a renewable-powered grid.
“At SeaX, we’re at all times searching for visionary Founders fixing large issues with science-backed options, and Brineworks is precisely that,” mentioned Dr Child Parchariyanon, Founder and Managing Companion at SeaX Ventures.
He added: “Their group is rethinking how we sort out carbon elimination and clear gasoline from the bottom up, with an strategy that’s as bold as it’s essential. This funding marks an inflection level for Brineworks, and we consider they’ve the potential to meaningfully cut back world emissions. Supporting them aligns straight with our aim of serving to to chop 1% of the world’s carbon footprint – we’re proud to be a part of their journey.”
By coupling Brineworks’ DAC system with e-fuel synthesis applied sciences, any nation can now allegedly produce its personal fuels, offered it scales renewable capability. This opens the door to vitality independence, emissions discount, and localised gasoline manufacturing – a decentralised mannequin for the worldwide vitality transition.
The brand new funding will probably be used to scale the system to pilot degree, focusing on industrial readiness by the top of 2026. If Brineworks hits its targets, the corporate says airways could possibly be flying on carbon-neutral fuels earlier than the last decade is out.