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Octavia Carbon

Octavia Carbon is the Global South’s pioneering Direct Air Capture (DAC) company, leveraging patented technology and Kenya’s geothermal energy and basalt rock for cost-effective CO₂ removal and permanent storage. Our innovative solution captures CO₂ using chemical filters, then desorbs it with low-energy geothermal heat, and stores it underground in Kenya’s Rift Valley, where it naturally mineralizes into rock. Project Hummingbird, our pilot plant, demonstrates proven effectiveness with over 4,000 hours of runtime on 100% clean energy, offering a measurable, carbon-negative solution.
2022
51-200
Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya

https://octaviacarbon.com/

Innovation
Investment Funding
People
Products
Awards and Recognitions
M&A and Collabs
News

Innovation

Industry Problem

Octavia Carbon aims to tackle the urgent problem of rising atmospheric CO₂ levels, a major driver of climate change, by capturing and permanently storing carbon to help achieve global net-zero emissions.

R&D Focus

Octavia Carbon is pioneering research and development in cost-effective, scalable Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology tailored for the Global South. Operating in the niche segment of DAC + geological storage, they focus on modular system design, vertical integration, and the use of Kenya’s abundant geothermal energy and basalt rock formations to enable low-cost, carbon-negative operations uniquely suited for the region.

Innovative Solution

Octavia Carbon is addressing the climate crisis by developing and deploying Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology that removes carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. Their solution involves a three-phase process: capturing CO₂ using chemical filters, releasing it through low-energy desorption powered by geothermal heat, and permanently storing it underground in Kenya’s basalt-rich Rift Valley, where the CO₂ mineralizes into stable rock. By integrating with Kenya’s 93% renewable energy grid, particularly tapping into waste heat from geothermal plants, Octavia significantly reduces operational costs, making carbon removal more accessible and sustainable for the Global South.

Solution Effectiveness

Octavia Carbon’s solution has proven its effectiveness through Project Hummingbird, their pilot DAC and geological storage plant, which has already achieved 4,000+ hours of runtime and operates on 100% clean energy. Their initial prototype, “Thursday,” demonstrated the ability to remove one ton of CO₂ per year, and their modular, scalable systems are designed to significantly increase this capacity as they scale. By combining renewable geothermal energy and permanent CO₂ storage in basalt rock, their approach offers a durable, measurable, and carbon-negative solution to climate change.

Investment Funding

Last Funding Stage

Seed

Total Funding Amount

$4.7M

Last Funding Amount

$3.9M

Last Funding Date

October, 2024

Startup Stage

Seed

Lead Investors

Launch Africa, Renew Capital, Catalyst Fund, Moody's, Village Capital

People

Founders

  • Martin Freimüller
  • Duncan Kariuki

CEO

  • Martin Freimüller

Products

Product

– Mechanical Trees (Direct Air Capture Technology) – Used to capture CO₂ directly from the atmosphere using a chemical process. – Project Hummingbird (DAC+Storage Pilot Plant) – Captures CO₂ and stores it underground where it mineralizes into solid rock. – Carbon Credits – Sold to businesses for offsetting their carbon emissions through verified carbon removal. – Customer Reviews – NA

Star Product

Project Hummingbird, is the world’s first Direct Air Capture and Storage (DAC+Storage) pilot project in the Southern Hemisphere that captures CO₂ from the air and securely stores it underground as solid rock. This groundbreaking technology not only accelerates carbon removal but also positions Octavia Carbon as a global leader by being the second company worldwide to complete the full cycle of CO₂ capture and storage, making it crucial for scaling climate solutions.

Demo Product or Complete Product?

Octavia Carbon’s first product was the “Thursday” prototype, launched in June 2022. This one-ton-per-year Direct Air Capture (DAC) unit was unveiled at the Nairobi Climate Network, marking the company’s entry into the carbon removal sector. The “Thursday” prototype served as a foundational model for subsequent iterations and laid the groundwork for their flagship project, Project Hummingbird.

Awards and Recognitions

Awards

– 2023 Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Innovation Award – Climate Vault – Finalist – XPRIZE Carbon Removal Competition 2024 Continental Winner – Best GreenTech 2024 at the Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa Finale – 2025 Silverbird Man of the Year Awards -Finalist – 2024 Wilkes Climate Launch Prize

Media Apperance

– The Economist – The Washinton Post – Rueters – Tech Crunch – Bloomberg – CNBC – LeMonde

Certifications

– BeZero Carbon Ratings – Puro.earth Certification – Process Safety Certification

M&A and Collabs

Collab

In March 2024, Octavia Carbon partnered with Carbonfuture to implement the world’s first independent digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) system for DAC. This system ensures real-time data tracking across the entire carbon removal process, from capture to storage, enhancing transparency and trust in carbon credit markets.

Collab

Octavia has partnered with Cloverly and Puro.earth to bring their DAC carbon credits to the Cloverly Marketplace. Project Hummingbird is expected to generate commercial carbon credits, certified under the Puro Standard, starting in October 2024.