Origen, a pioneer in limestone-based carbon removal, has raised $13 million in Series A funding to accelerate the deployment of its innovative direct air capture (DAC) technology. The funding round was led by Barclays Climate Ventures, with participation from Shell Ventures, Exascale Fund, Elemental Impact, and Hatch.
With this funding, Origen is poised to drive impactful change in the fight against climate change, delivering scalable, efficient, and sustainable carbon removal solutions.
The investment will support Origen’s mission to scale its carbon removal solutions globally and fund ongoing research at its technology center in Bristol. The company’s unique approach utilizes abundant limestone to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is then separated and safely stored underground. The byproduct, lime, passively captures additional carbon, making the process efficient and sustainable.
“Limestone can act as a natural sponge for carbon dioxide, and our technology makes this process scalable and cost-effective,” said Ben Riddle-Turner, CEO of Origen. “This funding will enable us to streamline operations, reduce costs, and deliver the carbon reductions critical for addressing climate change.”
Origen recently partnered with the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) to build a facility in North Dakota capable of capturing 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. The facility leverages proprietary technology, including a fuel-flexible kiln, lime preparation system, and air contactor, to provide scalable and energy-efficient carbon removal.
The company also collaborates with Shell and Mitsubishi on the Pelican Gulf Coast Carbon Removal project, which aims to capture up to 50,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year—ten times more than the largest current DAC facility in the U.S. The project includes advanced carbon removal credits worth up to $3 million.
As global temperatures rise, there is a critical need to deploy DAC solutions to remove atmospheric CO₂ and offset emissions from hard-to-decarbonize industries such as manufacturing, shipping, and construction. Origen’s fuel-flexible technology offers a versatile and scalable solution, positioning the company as a leader in this space.
“Origen has the technology, team, and vision required to deploy effective carbon removal at scale,” said Steven Poulter, Head of Barclays Climate Ventures. “We are proud to support their efforts to transform limestone into a powerful tool for combating climate change.”