Investing in Jeevan—direct air carbon capture

We’re excited to announce our second investment with Blue Action Accelerator—Jeevan.

The problem

Urgent action is needed to achieve global CO2 emissions reduction. The IPCC has set a target of achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, demanding substantial contributions from both emission reduction and CO2 removal strategies.

Direct Air Capture (DAC) offers a method of removing CO2 from the atmosphere by utilising technology to capture the carbon we've already released. The last few years has seen real progress around engaging with DAC. 

• Governments—the US Inflation Reduction Act significantly increased the credit amount associated with DAC; US Congress recently allocated $60m for carbon removal technology research and development

• Business—Microsoft, Stripe, Spotify are among the multinationals pledging to buy DAC credits 

Existing DAC technology, however, is highly inefficient, operating in a range of $300-$1,000+/ton of CO2 removed from the atmosphere.

The solution

Jeevan is revolutionising DAC with a new technology called DeCarbonHIX. This actually began as a water purification technology, which has been deployed at-scale for years in wastewater treatment facilities in the US and around the world allowing millions to drink arsenic free water in Africa and Asia.  

Jeevan projects its technology will operate <$100/ton.  Given the $180/ton carbon removal credit in the Inflation Reduction Act, Jeevan's technology is projected to make DAC feasible operating at a 40%+ margin.

On top of this, Jeevan's captured CO2, when combined with seawater, can be converted into baking soda, providing a safe and ocean-friendly storage solution. The addition of baking soda not only reverses ocean acidification caused by CO2 dissolving but also enhances biological activity and boosts carbon dioxide ocean absorption.

You can read more about the science behind Jeevan’s technology here

Jeevan’s technology has got huge traction already in the scientific world. You can read coverage of the scientific breakthrough in the BBC, CNN, and the Daily Beast.

The team

Dr Arup SenGupta (CEO & Founder)

Arup leads the research, engineering, and mission at Jeevan’s core. He is the P.C.Rossin Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Lehigh University, internationally recognized for advancing ion exchange technology. As well as numerous patents currently in use by global chemical companies, Arup has co-founded several technology companies reversing ecological damage, improving water access, and mitigating climate change.

The Jeevan team also includes Hao Chen, a PhD student at Lehigh University and a leading researcher in the underlying process, as well as a team with extensive experience in investing, deploying, and scaling large energy and infrastructure projects.

Why we’re excited to invest

Olivia Brooks, investor at Blue Action Accelerator, says: “Jeevan is the brainchild of Dr Arup SenGupta and thanks to his years of research into direct air capture technologies, Jeevan is now growing and heading towards carbon removal at mass scale. There’s no doubt that greater carbon removal technologies are needed but the effectiveness of their current process and approach for cost reduction means that Jeevan is positioned to be a central player in the global carbon removal efforts. We’re incredibly excited to work alongside such a talented team solving one of the most pressing issues we face.”

What Jeevan wants to get out of the programme

• We are thrilled to collaborate with Blue Action Accelerator on our shared mission to combat climate change through advanced carbon capture technology. Our focus through the programme includes: 

  • Partnering with BAA to test and deploy our ability to convert CO2 into baking soda in the Bahamas to prove out this method as a realistic option for regions around the world with limited sequestration capabilities 

  • Aligning with BAA’s go-to-market and research teams to navigate and prioritise the massive amount of private sector and public sector opportunity for its core DAC technology and broader suite of capabilities

  • Collaborating with BAA's research and development resources to build next generation capabilities that will further accelerate the world's fight against climate change