He cleaned a lagoon… with bubbles

How Direct Air Capture Companies Make Money - 2/3

Hello everyone! This is the second episode of series about Direct Air Capture describing Technology & Timing, Business Model & Scability (2nd post here) and finally the players (coming soon) * Sponsor this newsletter [https://dynamic-scale-210.notion.site/Sponsor-Reactor-175bc230b58280cca2a2f2b11d022cb4?pvs=74] or one of my LinkedIn posts. * Be a guest on my podcast, book me for a conference, or something else? Work with Reactor [https://form.typeform.com/to/Bw97KXWZ]. * Listen to the podcast [https://reactor-deeptech-impact-startup.buzzsprout.com/2352682/follow], watch the YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@Reactor-podcast], the TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@reactorpodcast] and the Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/reactortechmedia] * Join the free Reactor community on WhatsApp [https://chat.whatsapp.com/LZtqYMD3nP5HseGoIqEaTo]: deep tech and climate-tech entrepreneurs, events, and discussions. * Follow me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromegilleron/?locale=en_US] Capturing carbon from thin air costs $600–$1,000 per ton. So… how do direct air capture companies stay alive? In this upbeat explainer we unpack the surprisingly clever “money stack” behind DAC: corporate offtakes, U.S. tax credits (45Q), California fuel credits (LCFS), and a sprinkle of product sales. We also break down unit economics with simple math, profile the leading players, and get honest about risks (policy, power, MRV, capex). If you’ve ever wondered who actually pays for carbon removal—and why smart companies like Microsoft or Amazon sign giant contracts—this one’s for you. What you’ll learn * Why DAC costs $600–$1,000/t today—and who bridges the gap * The revenue stack: corporate offtakes, 45Q tax credits, LCFS, products * Quick math: $700/t cost – $180 (45Q) = $520/t to cover * The main business archetypes (Climeworks, 1PointFive/Occidental, Heirloom, CarbonCapture) * Real risks: policy swings, clean power access, MRV trust, big capex * How early buyers overpay on purpose to push costs down—like early solar & wind Mentioned / Resources * Climeworks technology & credits → https://climeworks.com/direct-air-capture * 1PointFive / Occidental STRATOS overview → https://www.1pointfive.com/ * Heirloom mineral looping explainer → https://www.heirloomcarbon.com/ * CarbonCapture modular approach / Project Bison → https://www.carboncapture.com/ * U.S. 45Q (IRS/DOE overview) → https://carboncapturecoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/45Q-primer-Carbon-Capture-Coalition.pdf * California LCFS (program info) → https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/6308#:~:text=California's%20Low%20Carbon%20Fuel%20Standard,in%20the%20state%20through%202030. * Frontier advanced market commitments (Stripe coalition) → https://frontierclimate.com/ Key takeaways * DAC firms stack revenues (offtakes + policy + sometimes products). * Early credits sell at $500–$800/t to fund learning curves. * Same skeleton, different strategies: brand, integration, minerals, modular. * Watch the contracts, costs, and kilowatts—that’s where winners emerge. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2352682/support]

He cleaned a lagoon… with bubbles

He cleaned a lagoon… with bubbles  Meet Marino Morikawa, a Peruvian nanoscientist. When his father called to say the lagoon of his childhood—El Cascajo—had become a dump, Marino left his lab in Japan and flew home. Using ultra-fine nanobubbles (≈50–100 nm) made with hardware-store parts, he built a natural, chemical-free system that traps pollutants and bacteria: Inject nanobubbles into the water As they rise slowly, their ionic charge attracts contaminants Biofilters with native microorganisms trap and break them down—no chemicals, no disruption to the ecosystem Results: ✔️ In 13 months, the water was drinkable again ✔️ In 3 years, migratory birds returned Today, Marino’s mission: 💧 Ultra-effective, low-cost decontamination with zero chemicals 🌍 Active projects at Lake Titicaca and desert oases affected by wastewater from 1.5M+ people 🌱 100 ecosystems restored by 2030, in partnership with local communities This is deep climate tech in action: simple physics, local biology, real impact. Would you deploy this in your city?  Credit Ecomedy for the story Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2352682/support]

This city ski slope heats and powers 150,000 people—by burning their trash.

This city ski slope heats and powers 150,000 people—by burning their trash. It sits on top of Copenhagen’s waste-to-energy plant, CopenHill. In the late 2000s, the city wanted to shut down coal but still had 440,000 tons of non-recyclable waste to deal with every year. Instead of burying or exporting it, they turned it into energy. The challenge: build an incinerator that’s clean, efficient, and embraced by locals. Danish architects BIG—Bjarke Ingels Group proposed something radical: make it visible, fun, educational, and a true public place. Enter CopenHill (opened 2017): a sharp, industrial building with high-performance filters to limit emissions. On the roof: a 400 m ski slope, an 85 m climbing wall, hiking trails, and a 10,000 m² green roof. It reflects Copenhagen’s ambition to lead on urban sustainability. CopenHill doesn’t hide waste. It shows it, treats it, and transforms it. Today, CopenHill = ♻️ 440,000 tons of waste transformed each year 🏠 Heat & power for 150,000 residents 🌱 A green roof, sports, and public space on top of an industrial plant Would you ski on a power plant? #climatetech #wastetoenergy #urbaninnovation #CopenHill #Copenhagen #BIG #architecture #sustainability #deeptech #Reactor Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2352682/support]

3 Weeks, 100+ Homes: Inside the Largest 3D-Printed Neighborhood

In Georgetown (USA), a full 3D-printed neighborhood is coming online—fast. Not a concept render: real homes, printed on-site, then finished with solar + smart energy controls. WHY IT MATTERS * Speed: printed in about 3 weeks for the shell phase * Less waste: additive construction = minimal material offcuts * Energy positive potential: solar panels + smart thermostats to shrink bills and emissions * Repeatable: scalable playbook for resilient, affordable housing CLIMATE & CIRCULARITY 3D printing cuts concrete use via optimized forms, reduces truck rolls, and accelerates near-zero waste builds. Pair with low-carbon mixes and rooftop PV to push toward net-positive neighborhoods. OPEN QUESTIONS FOR BUILDERS * What’s the embodied carbon vs. traditional builds? * Can we swap to low-carbon cement or geopolymer mixes at scale? * How do we finance community-level storage to bank daytime solar? 🔔 Subscribe to Reactor for deeptech that scales climate impact. 💬 Would you live in a printed home? Tell us why—or what would make you say yes. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2352682/support]

Fog → Drinking Water: The Simple Tech Bringing Potable Water to Arid Regions

These giant meshes turn fog into drinking water—no pumps, no power. It’s CloudFisher, a system developed by the German NGO WasserStiftung that captures airborne moisture with technical plastic nets stretched into the wind. How it works Zero energy: wind + fog, no electricity required Durable & recyclable: engineered to resist winds up to 120 km/h Potable by design: collected water is filtered to WHO standards, then routed to public fountains or cisterns Why it matters In Morocco’s Anti-Atlas, a 1,674 m² installation produces ~36,800 L/day for 1,300 people across 5 villages Each m² of net can harvest up to 22 L/day in foggy conditions It taps the sky—not aquifers—so it doesn’t disrupt local water cycles Old wisdom, modern scale Inspired by centuries-old Andean and Amazigh practices of dew and fog collection—now upgraded with modern materials and deployment at community scale. Already active in 5+ countries. If you’re building in climate & water: What would it take to pilot this in your region? Could schools, clinics, or shelters be first beneficiaries? Pairing with storage, UV, or remote monitoring—who’s in? 🎥 Credit: EcoMedy for the field footage. 🔔 Subscribe to Reactor for more deeptech that drives real-world sustainability. 💬 Comment where you’d deploy CloudFisher next, and tag a partner we should talk to.  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2352682/support]