€6.75M Boost for Ucaneo's Biomimetic CO2 Capture Tech

Berlin-based startup Ucaneo has secured €6.75 million in seed funding to accelerate the development of its innovative direct air capture (DAC) technology for CO2 removal. According to a company press release, the funding round was led by Smart Energy Innovationsfonds (SEIF) and IBB Ventures, with participation from several other investors.

The newly secured capital will enable Ucaneo to build one of the largest DAC testing and development facilities in Germany. The company's groundbreaking technology mimics the human lung, utilizing electricity and a specialized biomimetic solvent to remove atmospheric CO2 at room temperature. This process concentrates CO2 into a pure gas ready for industrial use.

Florian Tiller, Ucaneo's Co-founder and CEO, stated: "This funding round testifies our progress and potential, enabling us to quickly build one of the most cost-efficient, scalable and mass-producible Direct Air Capture systems, delivering a sustainable solution for CO2 removal or utilisation processes at any location and scale."

Ucaneo's technology is designed for rapid iterations and cost-effectiveness, leveraging proven components and established supply chains. The company aims to achieve removal costs of just below €300 per ton of CO2 in the coming years, with a long-term target of below €100 per ton.

By 2026, Ucaneo plans to have their first industrial-sized product operational at one of the largest DAC testing and development facilities in Germany, demonstrating performance and scalability. This ambitious goal aligns with the company's mission to remove 0.5 gigatons of CO2 from the air by 2035 – equivalent to about 1% of global annual CO2 emissions.

As the demand for carbon removal technologies grows, Ucaneo is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformative sector, offering a promising solution to combat climate change.