Octavia Carbon, a Kenyan cleantech startup, has secured $5 million in seed funding to build a Direct Air Capture (DAC) and storage facility. This technology extracts carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air, filtering and then storing it securely underground. With rising CO2 levels linked to ozone depletion, the company’s approach addresses climate change by preventing harmful UV radiation that can lead to health risks and environmental damage.
Founded in 2022 by Martin Freimüller and Duncan Kariuki, Octavia Carbon designs and operates machines that capture CO2 from the atmosphere and store it underground. In Kenya, this captured CO2 is converted into a liquid state and injected into the porous basalt rock of the Rift Valley, where it eventually mineralizes and becomes solid.
Freimüller and Kariuki originally developed their first carbon capture prototype on a kitchen table. Now, with the new funding, they plan to launch the first phase of their DAC facility this year. The seed funding round was led by Lateral Frontier and E4E Africa, with contributions from Catalyst Fund, Launch Africa, Fondation Botnar, and Renew Capital.
“This investment puts us on track to soon become the world’s second DAC company to achieve the full cycle of capturing and storing CO2 in the field,” said CEO Martin Freimüller. Octavia Carbon is one of just 18 companies globally—including major players like Climeworks and Carbon Engineering—working with DAC technology to remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere, a crucial step toward meeting the UN’s climate goals for carbon reduction.
A key differentiator for Octavia Carbon is its use of Kenya’s rich geothermal energy, particularly waste heat, to reduce the high costs of DAC operations. According to Freimüller, geothermal energy provides 80% of the electricity needed for their processes.
Octavia Carbon generates revenue by selling carbon credits, which allow companies and individuals to offset their emissions. To date, the company has pre-sold 2,000 tons of CO2, potentially generating over $1 million. Currently, the cost to extract a ton of CO2 is between $680 and $820, but the company aims to reduce that to $100 per ton, making the process more affordable and scalable. With improved efficiency, Octavia hopes to capture up to 1,000 tons of CO2 annually.
Freimüller also hinted at plans to expand far beyond the initial target of 1,000 tons, as part of “Project Hummingbird.” Additionally, Octavia Carbon aims to evolve into an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for DAC technology, selling its machines to project developers worldwide.
Sourced From: TechCabal
