Funding Secured: Equatic Collects $11.6 Million to Extract Carbon, Generate Green Hydrogen from Ocean Water
Equatic, a climate tech startup based in California, has announced that it has raised $11.6 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Temasek Trust's climate and health-focused catalytic vehicle Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health (C3H), and co-led by climate tech-focused private investment office Kibo Invest.
Equatic's groundbreaking technology focuses on seawater electrolysis, a process that effectively removes atmospheric carbon dioxide while producing green hydrogen at scale. The technology accelerates the ocean's natural carbon absorption by using renewable energy to split seawater into four streams: hydrogen, oxygen, acid, and base.
The base stream is then used to capture CO2 from the atmosphere, which is permanently stored in the ocean as inorganic carbon, while the acid is neutralized with crushed rock to prevent ocean acidification. The hydrogen produced is carbon-negative and can either supplement the energy required for carbon removal (up to 40%) or be sold to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries.
The funding will support the engineering of Equatic's new commercial facility, commercialization, manufacturing, and technological development. The startup plans to expand its operations with a demonstration plant in Singapore and a commercial-scale plant in Canada.
"Equatic's goal to advance promising climate mitigation solutions offers permanent, durable carbon removal with green hydrogen production," said Ryan Tan, Head of C3H. "The process integrates carbon dioxide removal (CDR) with green hydrogen production, generating dual revenue streams from hydrogen sales and carbon removal credits, attracting buyers like Boeing."
The technology uses proprietary oxygen-selective anodes enabling scalable, direct seawater electrolysis, eliminating freshwater use and reducing energy penalties compared to traditional electrolyzers. Equatic's CDR approach conforms to ISO-14064 standards for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV), ensuring high-quality, transparent carbon credits.
Pilot plants have successfully operated in Los Angeles and Singapore, with ongoing demonstrations in Singapore (Equatic-1) and a forthcoming commercial facility in Canada targeting 100-kilotonne annual carbon removal capacity.
"We are excited about Equatic's potential to scale deep-tech innovation addressing decarbonization and clean energy," said James Marshall, CEO of Kibo Invest. "Both C3H and Kibo Invest view Equatic's technology as offering scalable, tangible impact and commercial benefit."
Equatic has garnered support from notable investors, including Temasek Trust, Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health (C3H), and climate tech-focused private investment office Kibo Invest. The startup has also achieved significant recognition, including advancement as a U.S. Department of Energy CDR Purchase Prize semifinalist and finalist status for The Earthshot Prize, signaling growing industry validation and support for its solutions.
In summary, Equatic’s technology is an innovative, effective solution for scalable carbon removal coupled with carbon-negative green hydrogen production, with clear, funded plans for commercialization and strong market and institutional backing.
- Equatic's technology, focusing on seawater electrolysis, serves as a promising climate solution by offering permanent carbon removal and producing green hydrogen at scale, integrating carbon dioxide removal (CDR) with green hydrogen production for dual revenue streams.
- The funding raised by Equatic, led by Temasek Trust's Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health (C3H), will support the commercialization, manufacturing, and technological development of its new facility, as well as the expansion of its operations with plants in Singapore and Canada.
- The Science behind Equatic's technology is backed by environmental-science principles, using proprietary technology and adhering to ISO-14064 standards for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV), signaling growing industry validation and support from investing institutions like Temasek Trust, C3H, and Kibo Invest.
