Planet Savers wins ¥340M grant to scale carbon-capture technology
What's the deal? Planet SaversDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a University of TokyoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → spinout developing direct air capture (DAC) technology, has been selected for phase 3 of the Ministry of the Environment's SBIR programme. The award funds up to 340,000,000 JPY (roughly $2.1 million) over four years.
What does it do? The Tokyo-based startup builds zeolite-based CO₂ adsorbents and capture devices designed to pull carbon dioxide directly from the air at a commercially viable cost. It calls itself Japan's first DAC startup.
What's the money for? Planet Savers will select high-efficiency zeolite adsorbents that work in real-world conditions and build a data-driven manufacturing and mass-production process. The company also plans to test a practical prototype to prove out a system that balances economics and environmental performance.
Why now? The grant follows earlier progress: Planet Savers has logged a cumulative 300 hours of CO₂ capture on a prototype unit using its first-generation zeolite. The company was founded in July 2023 and led by chief executive officer Kyo Ikegami.
What's the endgame? Planet Savers is targeting the social deployment of DAC to help Japan reach net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. The grant is meant to move the technology from element development toward commercialisation.
The signal: Government money remains a key funding lane for hardware-heavy climate ventures where private capital moves cautiously. For a young DAC startup, a multi-year public grant buys the runway needed to prove that carbon capture can work at cost — the field's central open question.
Image credit: Planet Savers
