The Netherlands needs a proactive and actionable carbon roadmap to lead in the transition toward a net-negative carbon economy. This message resonated Friday the 22nd of November during the overbooked Carbon Conference NL organized by the joint efforts of SeaO2, Brineworks, Paebbl, Carbyon, Skytree, Sinkit, Carbonfix, Darel, Ecolog, and EBN. During the open gathering, policymakers and industry leaders aligned on sustainable carbon management and utilization. It was a day filled with collaboration!
Our collective call to action was clear: With stronger policies and clear objectives, the Netherlands can leverage carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies to build a sustainable future Dutch economy that benefits society and the planet. Direct Air Capture, Direct Ocean Capture and Carbon Dioxide Removal technologies are crucial to meet our climate targets and build a new Green carbon economy. The Ministry of Climate and Green Growth presented its climate plan which includes a specific carbon removal target of 20-25 Mt by 2040. Huge growth opportunities for the Dutch economy lie in front of us and it is key to act now to secure a leading position in the international playing field.
We were happy to bring so many relevant players of the new carbon economy under one roof and discuss the challenges and opportunities during talks, workshops and interactive panel discussions. The Auditorium of the Matrix One building in Amsterdam was fully packed for the introductory talks about the CCUS landscape, DAC and DOC technologies and CCU use cases. During 2 workshop rounds, we explored the topics of CO2 utilization, the European perspective, CO2 transport and collection, nature-based solutions, carbon hubs and carbon innovation. For all these topics relevant input was gathered by the group of which a summary with recommendations will be offered to the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, as the industry input to the National Carbon Roadmap.
To conclude the day, the panel discussion gave clear insights into the various perspectives of policymakers, investors, scientists and industry. We want to extend our sincere gratitude to Michel Heijdra from the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, Olga Liash from Carbonfix, Dorien Bosman representing the Port of Amsterdam, Wouter Peters, part of the Wetenschappelijke Klimaatraad and Wouter Kokx from McKinsey&Company for their invaluable contributions during the panel. The first steps have now been taken as the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth presented its first draft of the National Carbon Roadmap. We will continue collaborating with all stakeholders to help shape a carbon roadmap that paves the way for a thriving, net-negative future and a strong carbon economy in The Netherlands!
Carbyon challenged four young designers to envision what our CO2-capturing machines could look like. From nature-inspired designs that blend into the environment to bold concepts showcasing the technology and capturing process, each offers a unique perspective on a sustainable future. This week, the 4 models are presented at the heart of the Dutch Design Week in the Klokgebouw building.
This technology needs designers
Carbyon is developing Direct Air Capture machines that capture CO2 directly from the sky. It is currently working on its prototypes and exploring how its carbon capture solution could look in various global locations. In collaboration with the Dutch Design Foundation's What If Lab, they invited four young designers to create "future concepts" for the machine's exterior.
The four designers all started from different angles on the challenge. Together, the 4 designs show how the future of carbon capture could look like - a future that is needed sooner rather than later. Join us and visit our exposition from the 19th until the 27th of October at the Dutch Design Week in the Klokgebouw, Hall 3 - more info to be found here.
Lotte Wigman envisioned the machines contributing to local ecosystems, turning a desert-based carbon capture plant into an Oasis by utilizing captured water.
Joshua Holetz focused on blending the machines into their surroundings, using organic forms, modularity, and local materials to harmonize them with the landscape.
EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS (September 3, 2024) â Dutch direct air capture (DAC) startup Carbyon has secured an investment round of âŹ15.3 million. The company has developed an innovative, patented technology to capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere. Their âfast swingâ technology increases CO2 capacity and thereby significantly drives down unit, energy and project costs â all critical criteria to facilitate large-scale deployment. This Series A financing round brings Carbyonâs total investments to more than âŹ25 million. The strong financial backing will allow the company to develop the first engineering-scale demonstrators, start commercial pilot testing and prepare for an ambitious scale-up.
The company welcomes three new investors to the table: Siemens Financial Services,Omnes Capital andGlobal Cleantech Capital who are joining existing investors Invest-NL, Innovation Industries,Lowercarbon Capital and the Brabant Development Agency (BOM). This international consortium of investors, all having a strong track record of supporting cleantech startups, have a shared urgency to combat climate change. This seamlessly aligns with Carbyonâs mission to provide a scalable, affordable and global carbon capture solution.
Carbyon, founded by Hans De Neve in 2019, is developing DAC machines using a patented, ultra-fast capturing technique. This high-speed process drastically reduces the costs of their DAC machines, leading to significantly lower cost-per-ton of CO2 captured.
During the past few years, the company has been perfecting its technology to prepare for scaling up. The recent financial investment will allow the company to develop the first engineering-scale outdoor demonstrators and to prepare to go to market.
The first models will be tested at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven and be shipped to pilot partners for field testing. In parallel, Carbyon will prepare to expand production to 50,000 machines per year by 2031 and continue to gigaton scale in 2050.
âThis new investment brings us much more than the financial resources to continue our growth,â said Hans De Neve. âOur partners have the required manufacturing and scaling knowledge we need to rapidly but responsibly scale our technology. This consortium is a dream scenario and is highly motivating to continue with our mission.â
âWe are very pleased to be able to support Carbyon as it moves forward with the development of innovative and affordable technology to capture CO2 directly from the atmosphereâ Andy Bown, Head of Negative Emissions Technologies Investments from Siemens Financial Services commented. âWe stand ready to offer our financial expertise and access to Siemensâ broad portfolio of solutions to support Carbyon in its journey to deploy DAC systems at scale.â
Carbyon develops equipment to filter CO2 from the air, to be stored underground or converted it into alternatives to fossil fuel-based products. Carbyon, founded by Hans De Neve in 2019, uses a patented, ultra-fast capturing technique to reach an industry leading low cost-per-ton of CO2 captured.
The Dutch company, spin-off from the applied research institute TNO and winner of the $1M Milestone Award of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal, is seen as one of most promising technology providers for large-scale carbon removal. Carbyonâs goal is to create affordable and scalable technology to mitigate climate change. For more information, visit carbyon.com.
About Siemens Financial Services
Siemens Financial Services (SFS)â the B2B financing arm of Siemens â provides financing that makes a difference. At SFS, we empower customers around the globe to access technology with purpose and increase their competitiveness. Based on our unique combination of financial expertise, risk management and industry know-how we provide tailored financing solutions â including flexible leasing and working capital products, project-related and structured financing, corporate lending, equity investments, finance advisory, as well as trade and receivables financing. With highly experienced and passionate teams in 20+ countries, SFS paves the way for industrial productivity, smart infrastructure and sustainable mobility, facilitating the energy transition and enabling high-quality healthcare. www.siemens.com/finance.âŻ
About Omnes Capital
Omnes is a leading private equity firm dedicated to energy transition. With âŹ6 billion in assets under management, our teams support long-term partnerships with entrepreneurs through our four core businesses: renewable energy, sustainable cities, deeptech and co-investment. For over 20 years, Omnes has been applying its expertise to help businesses grow in more than 15 countries, with a particular focus on sustainable development. As part of its approach as a responsible investor, the company has created the Omnes Foundation to support non-profit organisations working for children and young people in the fields of education, health, social and economic integration. www.omnescapital.com
About Invest-NL
Invest-NL is the Dutch National Promotional Institute with a principal focus on providing financial solutions to businesses and projects that have a positive impact on society but face difficulties in securing financing from traditional sources. Our goal is to support the development of pioneering technologies, green initiatives, and social enterprises that contribute to the Netherlands' leadership in sustainability and innovation. These include transitioning to a carbon-neutral and circular economy, ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare, and deep tech. https://www.invest-nl.nl/
About Global Cleantech Capital
Global Cleantech Capital (GCC) is a growth equity firm investing to scale exceptional companies into new market leaders in clean energy, lower carbon fuels, carbon removal and climate fintech to decarbonize the hard to abate sectors. GCC is based in Amsterdam and registered with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). For more information, please visit our website at www.gccfund.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter, or email us at info@gccfund.com.
About Innovation Industries
Innovation Industries is a leading European deep-tech venture capital firm with over âŹ850 million in capital under management. Innovation Industries invests in industrial technology, med-tech, and agri & food technology â focusing on deep-tech companies that can address global challenges. Its portfolio companies make impact through breakthroughs in areas such as energy-efficient photonic chips, climate-resilient seeds, safer & more efficient batteries, sensing technologies for better care, and more. www.innovationindustries.com
About Lowercarbon Capital
Lowercarbon Capital is a multibillion dollar climate fund founded by Chris and Crystal Sacca that backs kickass companies making real money slashing CO2 emissions, sucking carbon out of the sky, and buying us time to unf**k the planet. For more information, visit: https://lowercarboncapital.com.
About Brabant Development Agency (BOM)
Entrepreneurship is the driver of innovation â from sustainable food sources to a healthy future, climate-neutral energy, and developing promising key technologies. The Brabant Development Agency (BOM) ensures that startups playing a role in these fields receive the right support and funding to get off to a flying start and grow into scale-ups and that companies that aspire to go global can actually do so. Every year BOM works with dozens of companies to create this impact. BOM is an executive body of the Province of Brabant and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. For more info, visit www.bom.nl. Â
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âWe're running the most dangerous experiment in history, which is to see how much carbon dioxide the atmosphere can handle.â Elon Musk.
Humans emit 40 billion tons of CO2/year. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is the highest in 2 million years. Rising from 280 ppm before the start of the industrial revolution to 420 ppm in 2022. And it just keeps rising. Global CO2 emissions need to be net zero by 2050. But even if we make it, the earth is warming up and keeps warming up. Itâs not enough to reduce emissions, but we also need to remove emissions. There is no net zero, without the removal of carbon dioxide.
What if we could reverse time? What if we could capture carbon in a cheap, durable way and provide industries such as agriculture, aviation and construction with sustainable materials?
We are Carbyon and we capture the sky.
Carbyon is a Direct Air Capture company using a unique fast-swing thin film technology to capture CO2 from the sky. Our solution is cheap, small and very easy to scale.
Customers are waiting to use the carbon dioxide we capture and use it in their industries to build and produce new sustainable materials in agriculture, aviation or construction or to store it permanently.
We have a strong and motivated team of ~ 43 highly motivated researchers, engineers and managers working at the High Tech Campus is Eindhoven. Our people are coming from 12 different nationalities and an average team age of 36 years old.
Design question
Since carbon removal is the way towards a fully sustainable future, we would love young future designers to think about what Carbyonâs solution could look like when itâs placed in different locations around the world.
For our solution to work at scale, our âtowersâ will have to be placed in many locations. Think about wind and solar parks, industrial sites, but also in spots close to cities and the countryside. The technology inside our âtowerâ is modular, but the outside is still fully customizable.
We would love to get 4 âfuture conceptsâ of what the outside of our âstructuresâ could look like.
We need a rationale and visual mood boards of how your design comes to life. What philosophy is driving your design? Do they need to disappear in the landscape? Or do they need to become art objects in and by themselves?
Beside the 4 concepts, moodboards and rationale, we would love 4x 3D models of the design, which will be shown at the Dutch Design Week at our dedicated Carbyon stand. A nice learning experience for you, your design studio and your career.
You can apply different methods to design the towers. You can use clay, 3D printing or other methods to bring your idea to life. At this stage in the process we would love to see where the designs of the âtowersâ could go, inspire people and get them talking about how our solution fits into the actual landscape. Besides this we want to show that design is a powerful tool to drive the future of technology forward.
The realistic implementation and technical realisation is for phase 2. We have the intention to realise one of the designs as part of our pilot projects together with one of the designers. Our first development machines will be placed in Eindhoven, in Canada and beyond to inspire customers world-wide with our technology.
Who are we looking for?
We would like to select 4 graduate students or graduates with up to 3 years of work experience. As we are designing the future, we would like to do this with the next-generation designers and show them the opportunities of working with the technology industry! Enthusiasm and/or experience around sustainable solutions, modular systems, technology and 3d design is preferred. The Design Call gives you the opportunity to start with an idea and realize it yourself into 3D design, which might turn into a global future product.
Participants should demonstrate a deep understanding of circular design principles and innovative problem-solving. Itâs important that the designers consider the socio-economic implications of their design and how using materials can positively impact communities and economies.
Designers with different skill sets and expertise can bring different insights and approaches. You can be for example an industrial designer, sustainable architect or urban designer.
Ultimately, designers suited for this challenge want to contribute to a sustainable future, and show what design can do for the technological solutions of the future. They want to embrace emerging technology and bring change and beauty to the renewable energy sector.
Program
Deadline open call - deadline: 12 July 2024 Register before 24:00
Kick-off day - 18th of July We will invite the selected designers to a briefing on July 18 for more technical details and creative requirements. After that, the designers will work independently to develop a concept. Interim meetings are scheduled with the Carbyon team to discuss progress and to check criteria, expectations and practical feasibility.
Debrief moment (online) - tbd We will organize a short meeting to recap the call and check if everyone has made a correct interpretation of the briefing. It is also an opportunity to ask questions about your choices.
2D day - 28 August 2024 During the 2D day, we will discuss your concept and your first sketches and ideas. We can provide feedback and together we can co-create the next stage of sketches.
3D day - 18 September 2024 During the 3D day, we will discuss the first version of your 3D model. We will provide feedback and you have the opportunity to try out what works and what not. In advance, we will agree upon the scale of the models together with the group.
Expert meeting(s) If you are in need of more information or a deeper understanding of certain aspects of the product, you are free to schedule an expert meeting with one of our team members during the design process.
Final feedback day - 3 October 2024 During the final feedback day, you will present your latest model and we can provide feedback that enables you to finalize your model before the DDW. During this day the designers also have to deliver their exhibition plan for the DDW so that the wishes can be taken into account.
Exhibition during Dutch Design Week: 19-27 October 2024 The concepts/ scenarios of the designers will be shown during DDW. Your concept & designs will be part of one big Carbyon exhibition and you are able to share your own vision at the stand during the entire Dutch Design Week.
Registration and procedure
Designers can register until 12th of July via this link. In the registration form, we ask for a reference of 3 to 5 relevant, previously completed projects or designs and your motivation for participating in this project in which you describe how the assignment suits you as a designer (design studio), what your motivation is to participate and where you see opportunities within the design question (max. 800 words).
After the application deadline, max. 10 designers/ design studios meeting the criteria will be invited for an introductory interview with Carbyon. After the interviews, a maximum of 4 designers/design studios will be selected to participate. Every designer/ design studio works individually on the design question. The selected designers will be notified on the 16th of July. The 'Terms and conditionsâ of participation apply. This is automatically agreed upon upon registration. The conditions of participation can be found here. The working language of this call is English.
Critical design elements
Different design elements should be addressed in the final concept. Designers should focus on the following key elements:
The concept encourages discussion on positive technology design
The concept takes relevant urban and environmental challenges into account
The concept is innovative and modular
The concept is suited for a large-scale
The concept can be realized with a low carbon footprint
The concept helps to explain the functioning of the technology
The concept is applicable in Dutch regions, and possibly also scalable to other regions in the world
The end results should include
A rationale explaining the philosophy and concept of your project
Concept drawings
Visualisations / renders
A small-scale 3D model (finished in method of your choice)
Whatâs in it for you?
The maximum of four selected participants will each receive an amount of âŹ2.500,- ex. VAT for participating in the Design Call and delivering the end results described above.
As a result of the Design Call, you can participate and exhibit your design at the Dutch Design Week 2024.
Carbyon will take care of the exhibition design and realization of the exhibition, including supporting materials such as screens and presentation furniture. Carbyon will set preconditions for the presentation, such as dimensions, etc. Designers are asked to give a presentation of their design during DDW during various events organized by Carbyon.
During the Design Call, you will get the unique chance to collaborate with a high-tech startup and explore the field of technology development. As Carbyon has the intention to realize one of the designs at full scale, there is the opportunity for a follow-up assignment.
Participation conditions / Intellectual property rights
Of the designs developed within the Design Call, the intellectual and copyright remain fully in the hands of the relevant design studio. Carbyon will receive a free exclusive right of use for commercial and non-commercial purposes for 3 (three) years, starting from Dutch Design Week 2024. This may be used after informing the relevant designer(s)/ design studio(s). Carbyon must also always ensure that your name is mentioned. The design will be shown in an exhibition during Dutch Design Week 2024. An extensive version of the conditions regarding Intellectual Property Rights can be found in the accompanying Terms and Conditions of Participation on the Design Call.
EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS (April 24, 2024) â The XPRIZE Carbon Removal Top 100 teams are revealed and Carbyon is proud to be one of the Top 100 teams! The XPRIZE Carbon Removal is the largest worldwide competition for carbon removal solutions, launched in 2021.
At the start of this year, we applied for the final round of the competition. The application process consisted of, among others, extensive documentation of our technology, a video showcasing our technology, our 1,000 tonnes removal plan, an environmental impact assessment, and responsible deployment training. Based on our submission, the jury selected Carbyon as a Top 100 team. The Top 100 is a collection of leading innovators from 25 countries, representing all CDR pathways: Air, Ocean, Land, and Rocks. These teams have made incredible accomplishments in recent years developing new solutions and representing the future of the carbon removal industry. Check out the Top 100 Teams Book, which highlights teams that represent a new generation of promising solutions across a huge range of carbon removal pathways, through the link below:
About the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Removing gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere will be an essential part of reaching net zero and will require the deployment of a whole new trillion-dollar industry. XPRIZE Carbon Removal was launched in 2021 with this ambitious goal in mind: to catalyze the global supply of high-quality, cost-effective carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions. Since then, over 1,300 Teams from 88 countries have taken on the challenge and joined the competition.
XPRIZE has now announced the Top 100 most promising carbon removal innovators, after three years of the competition and several rounds of judging. XPRIZE will be selecting 20 Finalists from the Top 100 to demonstrate and test their solutions in the final year of the competition to remove 1,000 tonnes of CO2 from the air or oceans. In April 2025, XPRIZE will award $50M to a Grand Prize Winner and the remaining $30M will be distributed among runners-up chosen by the Judges. XPRIZE previously awarded $5M to 23 Student Teams in 2021 and $15M to 15 Milestone Winners in 2022, of which Carbyon was one of them.
MONTRĂAL and EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS (February 14, 2024) â Deep Sky, a Montreal-based gigaton-scale carbon removal project developer, and Carbyon, a Netherlands-based DAC company, have partnered to install carbon removal technology in Canada. As part of its partnership with Deep Sky, Carbyon will deliver and install two Air Processing Units (APUs), each with the capacity to remove 50 tons of CO2 per year.
Building upon decades of semiconductor technology developments, Carbyon uses a rigorously different approach compared to competing technologies: a fast swing process via a modular machine that contains a proprietary sorbent material, modified to rapidly and efficiently capture CO2 out of air. Fast swing simply means ââultra-short CO2 adsorption and desorption cycles. While conventional materials need hours to capture CO2 from air, Carbyonâs process takes only a few minutes. This fast swing process is the key to lowering the energy consumption and enabling massive scaling of low-cost machines. The teamâs ultimate goal is to deliver a cost of below âŹ100 per ton of CO2 â significantly lower than current rates.
Once in operation, the partners will monitor the performance of the APU at Deep Sky Labs. Data will be collected on the performance of the unit in terms of carbon dioxide removal (CDR), energy consumption, and more. Together, the partners aim to validate the technology for commercial deployment in Canada as part of Deep Sky's mission to develop Canada into a world-leading hub for carbon removal.
âOne of the many criteria that makes Carbyon stand out is the affordability and small footprint of its Air Processing Units,â said Damien Steel, Deep Sky CEO. âIts ultra-fast sorbent process increases CO2 capacity, decreases cost and energy consumption, ultimately producing a smaller unit which can be more easily transported and takes up less space to deploy. As a project developer sourcing units from around the world to produce the highest quality carbon credits for our customers, Carbyon was a natural choice.â
âFrom the high-tech region of Eindhoven, weâre thrilled to share our technology on a global stage at Deep Sky Labs,â said Hans De Neve, Carbyon Founder and CEO. âCarbyon exists to have a positive impact on the planet, and this partnership brings us one step closer to achieving our mission.â
Together, Deep Sky and Carbyon are committed to developing and deploying cutting-edge carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. High-quality CDR is essential for achieving net zero emissions goals and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Eindhoven, the Netherlands (November 28, 2023) â Dutch Direct Air Capture (DAC) company Carbyon has successfully proven that their unique fast-swing process is able to capture CO2 using less than 2,500 kWh/ton. Carbyon was the worldâs first to drastically reduce the CAPEX costs of DAC equipment using their fast-swing process. The company has now found the missing piece to also sufficiently lower the energy consumption, making this breakthrough a giant leap towards a cost-effective DAC technology below $100/ton.
In its pursuit for a low-cost DAC solution, Carbyon invented an ultra-fast CO2 capturing material. Where conventional materials need hours to capture CO2 from air, Carbyonâs can do the same in only a few minutes. In this way, each kilogram of their material captures up to 5 ton of CO2 annually. This allows for compact DAC machine design, resulting in a CAPEX cost below $50/ton. Initially the fast-swing process suffered from collateral water adsorption, introducing an energy penalty. The recent breakthrough discovery massively reduces water uptake, resulting in an energy demand below 2,500 kWh/ton, while preserving their CAPEX benefits.
Carbyon is the first Direct Air Capture company to merge low CAPEX with low energy demand, thanks to their unique fast-swing process.
In light of the COP28, starting in Dubai this week, breakthroughs like these show that Direct Air Capture is becoming a mature solution that can help to meet our climate targets. To limit global warming to 2°C, the IPCC scenarios show that besides the necessary emission reductions, also vast amounts of CO2 need to be removed from the atmosphere. Direct Air Capture is marked as one of the important technologies that can enable fast and durable CO2 removal.
âOur relentless stare-down with Mother Natureâs laws of physics finally gave us the insights into how to solve this puzzle. This is a major team achievement, 2.500 kWh/ton is a challenging milestone for any DAC technology. Demonstrating this with an all-electric, low-CAPEX technology puts Carbyon in pole position to reach the $100/ton target that the market is looking for. Nothing can stop us now!â â Hans de Neve, founder and CEO of Carbyon
Carbyonâs breakthrough led to fundamental understanding of working principles empowering them in their mission to even further reduce the technologyâs energy demand. The company is rapidly growing and is currently developing their first engineering-scale machine, that will be validated in the field together with pilot partners. So far, the company has raised $10M and is currently raising a Series A round to finance upcoming activities.
For more information and inquiries, please contact
Eindhoven, The Netherlands (July 28, 2023) - Carbyon has completed the commissioning of two newly-designed prototypes in their testing facilities in Eindhoven, enabling the capture of CO2 directly from outside air. The two machines are the first thatconsolidate all essential functionalities into a complete, cutting-edge direct air capture system. The installations are equipped with many sensors that empower the team with invaluable insights into the CO2-capturing process, which will help Carbyon to further develop their full-scale machine.
In the past months, the Carbyon team has installed and tested the prototypes and we can proudly share that the process runs as expected. The machines have been co-created together with Demcon, an experienced high tech systems developer. It was chosen to have 2 exact duplicates in order to double our test capacity and validate our results. The installations were designed in such a way that different configurations can be applied providing us with research flexibility.
Let us provide a brief overview of the inner workings: The prototype consists of an outdoor unit that draws in ambient air and blows it through the piping into our machine. In the heart of this indoor machine lies the reactor, which is filled with our sorbent that reacts with CO2. When the sorbent reaches its full capacity of CO2, we heat the sorbent in order to release the CO2 and separate it. With advanced measurement instruments the captured CO2 can be analyzed precisely, along with other crucial parameters such as pressure and temperature.
Witnessing the successful capture of CO2 from outdoor air reinforces our commitment to continue with our mission. While it's still early days, we hope to share more detailed updates in the months ahead.đ
