Sirona Technologies, founded by a former Tesla engineer, has raised €6 million in a seed funding round aimed at advancing their ambitious mission to combat climate change through Direct Air Capture (DAC). This innovative technology extracts CO2 from the atmosphere on a large scale, marking a significant step forward in global climate mitigation efforts. LocalGlobe and XAnge co-led the investment, with participation from Look Up Ventures, Satgana, VOYAGERS, Syndicate One, and Renaud Visage.
DAC, once seen as a fringe idea, has now become pivotal in offsetting CO2 emissions that are challenging to eliminate through other means. Sirona's approach involves using machines to filter atmospheric air, capturing CO2 which is then stored permanently underground, where it mineralizes into rock over two years. This method is celebrated for its scalability, permanence, and verifiability, distinguishing it as a leading solution in the quest to reduce atmospheric carbon.
"The amount of CO2 we need to remove from the atmosphere is so big, it’s hard to comprehend,” remarked Thoralf Gutierrez, CEO and co-founder of Sirona Technologies. “If we were to plant trees, we would have to cover an area the size of Asia. With Direct Air Capture, we need to run our machines on a 150km x 150km array of solar panels, which is about 10% of the clean energy that will be built by 2050. Both will play a role, but it’s clear that forests won’t be enough.”
Drawing from lessons at Tesla, Sirona Technologies has rapidly developed and iterated their DAC prototypes, achieving substantial efficiency gains. Their latest iteration aims to capture twenty times more CO2 annually than previous models, slated for completion by July. The company's collaboration with Kenyan partners underscores their commitment to deploying DAC technology at scale. The pilot plant, scheduled for completion by year-end, paves the way for a full-scale facility by early 2026, targeting an annual capture capacity of 1 million tons of CO2 by 2030.
Kenya's proactive embrace of DAC aligns with its renewable energy goals, boasting a 93% reliance on clean energy. The introduction of DAC facilities not only supports sustainable development but also enhances energy demand dynamics, potentially lowering electricity costs for Kenyan consumers.
Gauthier Limpens, co-founder and CTO of Sirona Technologies, emphasized, “Our progress so far has been phenomenal, and with the new funding, we are poised to take our technology to the next level. The pilot plant in Kenya will be a crucial step towards our goal of capturing 1 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030.”
