Sucking up CO2DAC that sucks carbon, not cash.
Big Picture
At scale, most direct air capture approaches will be behemoth engineering feats requiring heaps of cash to build and run. Much of the costs come from specs that assume air inputs of 0.04% CO₂ and gas outputs of >99% CO₂. Capturing and concentrating the molecules requires a lot of energy and pricey equipment. Yet, such high levels of CO₂ purity aren’t necessary for industrial gas uses or for long-term storage.
How it Works
Clairity is building a DAC system from first principles to cut energy and equipment costs. They use a monolith sorbent that can regenerate a CO₂ stream at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures, slashing energy needs. Targeting a 15% purity CO₂ output eliminates the need for costly and scarce equipment like vacuum chambers.
Unfair Advantage
By side-stepping the need for a 99% pure CO₂ stream, Clairity avoids the significant capex and opex that keep many DAC approaches from penciling out. The team’s first principles approach was refined at SpaceX and in the country’s top labs, enabling them to hone in on a system design in months rather than years. Their home base in LA is a deep pool of stellar science and engineering talent they can tap as they scale.
15
Percent purity
output gas streams
GLEN MEYEROWITZ CEO & FOUNDER
Glen was previously the Director of Engineering at UCLA Biodesign. Prior to UCLA, he spent nearly 5 years as a fluid mechanics engineer with SpaceX.
KERSH THEVASUNDARAM DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Kersh earned a PhD and did postdoc work in Molecular and Cell Biology focused on non-photosynthetic CO₂ fixation.
Assessment of reasonable opportunities for direct air capture
Environmental Research
Carbon capture startup takes ‘good enough’ approach to slash costs
TechCrunch
A review of direct air capture: scaling up commercial technologies
Progress in Energy