Capture6 Raises $27.5 Million to Advance Water Recovery and Carbon Removal Tech
Decarbonization and water technology startup Capture6 announced that it has raised $27.5 million in a Series A funding round, with proceeds aimed at advancing its projects converting water treatment brine into a carbon removal solution, while also recovering fresh water.
Established in 2021, California and New Zealand-based Capture 6 offers a solution that simultaneously provides carbon removal and water treatment, and connects directly with existing water infrastructure. The company has developed a system that transforms waste brine, a byproduct of many water treatment and desalination methods that is expensive to dispose of, into a solvent that mineralizes CO2. This material can then be used to trap the carbon produced in the water treatment process. The company’s system also recovers fresh water from the brine, reducing waste. The system uses less energy than traditional direct air carbon capture methods, and simultaneously addresses the growing needs for both carbon capture and fresh water, Capture6 said. The World Economic Forum projects freshwater demand to exceed supply by 40% by 2030, and Capture6 said that its system can help increase that supply.
Capture6 CEO Ethan Cohen-Cole said:
“Climate change is creating water insecurity for much of the world’s population, driving up demand for freshwater worldwide, and exacerbating the root problem as current methods of water treatment are carbon intensive. Our approach reduces waste streams from desalination and wastewater treatment while generating new water sources, lowering waste disposal costs, improving the efficiency of water production facilities, and decarbonizing projects simultaneously.”
The company said that it recently partnered with the Palmdale, California Water District to eliminate the need for up to 100 acres of brine ponds and save up to 40% in lifetime costs through the use of the technology at a new facility, helping the state meet its goal for carbon neutrality by 2045. In 2024, Capture6 announced that the Frontier Coalition, which advances carbon removal, facilitated a pre-purchase of 1,000 tons of carbon removal for Shopify and Stripe.
Financial advisor Rothschild & Co. advised Capture6 on the funding round, which was led by private equity firm Tetrad Corporation, with participation by Hyundai Motor Group’s ZER01NE Ventures, Energy Capital Ventures, Elemental Impact, Bridge Investment, Sopoong Ventures, Third Derivative, Stan and Jane Rodbell, and the Jacob S Shapiro Foundation.
Tetrad spokesperson and board member Aaron Hilkemann said:
“Numerous businesses and industries face wastewater disposal and freshwater acquisition challenges to their growth and long-term success. In Capture6, we see a company committed to addressing these challenges head-on. Their solution decreases the financial burden for businesses and builds momentum around environmentally beneficial methods of water production and waste treatment.”