Carbyon

Carbyon is a Dutch deep-tech company developing a scalable and cost-effective solution for direct air capture (DAC) of atmospheric CO2. The company was founded in 2019 by Hans De Neve as a spin-off from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). The founding concept originated from a serendipitous discovery in 2010 by De Neve, a physicist who, while researching materials for solar panels at TNO, accidentally created a highly porous material he later realized was ideal for CO2 capture. This led to experiments at TNO in 2018, which showed promising results and paved the way for Carbyon's establishment with support from the deep-tech venture builder HighTechXL in the Eindhoven high-tech ecosystem.

Carbyon's core technology centers on a patented 'fast-swing' process that significantly reduces the time and energy required for carbon capture compared to conventional methods. The system uses a unique sorbent material applied as an ultra-thin film onto a substrate using atomic layer deposition, a technique borrowed from the semiconductor industry. This method creates an exceptionally high surface area—3,000 square meters per gram—enabling the material to become 90% saturated with CO2 in just 100 seconds. The captured CO2 is then released by heating the material for a few minutes. This rapid adsorption and desorption cycle allows for a compact, modular, and all-electric machine design. A single small unit can capture significant amounts of CO2 annually, with one prototype capturing 3 tons of CO2 per year with only 1kg of sorbent material, equivalent to the work of 150 trees. The company's goal is to lower the cost of DAC to below €100 per ton of CO2.

The company operates on a technology provider business model, positioning itself as a supplier of DAC equipment rather than a vertically integrated project operator. Its target clients include carbon removal project developers, such as Montreal-based Deep Sky, and corporations in sectors that require a source of captured carbon for products like sustainable aviation fuels or need to offset their emissions. The captured CO2 can be permanently stored underground or utilized as a raw material. A significant milestone for Carbyon was winning the $1M XPRIZE Carbon Removal Milestone Award in 2022, an incentive funded by the Musk Foundation, which provided crucial recognition and capital. The company has secured over €25 million in total funding, including a €15.3 million Series A round in 2024 from investors such as Siemens Financial Services, Omnes Capital, Global Cleantech Capital, and Lowercarbon Capital.

Keywords: Direct Air Capture, DAC, carbon removal, CO2 capture technology, fast-swing process, sorbent material, climate tech, atomic layer deposition, Hans De Neve, TNO spin-off, XPRIZE Carbon Removal, carbon credits, sustainable aviation fuel, CO2 utilization, modular carbon capture, Eindhoven high-tech, cleantech, decarbonization, atmospheric carbon removal, negative emissions technology