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    Inside Octavia Carbon’s Quest to Lead Africa’s Fight Against Climate Change with $3.9M Seed Round

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    Octavia Carbon, a Kenyan-based Direct Air Capture (DAC) startup, has secured a $3.9 million seed funding round, with an additional $1.1 million generated from the pre-sale of carbon credits. The funding round was co-led by Lateral Frontiers and E4E Africa, alongside other participants such as Catalyst Fund, Launch Africa, Fondation Botnar, and Renew Capital. The investment aims to scale Octavia’s carbon removal operations, expanding its current infrastructure of DAC machines and enhancing its ability to capture and store carbon emissions underground.

    The investment’s primary objective is to increase Octavia’s carbon capture capacity from its current level of 50 tonnes annually to 1,500 tonnes per year by 2025. This scale-up will be supported by a new storage facility managed by its partner, Cella Mineral Storage, which specializes in injecting liquefied carbon into the ground to convert it into rock. The project is expected to be one of the first in the world to achieve this transformation of captured carbon into a stable mineral form.

    This funding is critical not only for advancing the technology but also for positioning Octavia to meet the growing demand for carbon credits, a market that is expected to grow as global climate goals intensify. The company is already establishing itself in the carbon credits market, with 12 clients, including the Danish carbon removal marketplace, Klimate.

    Why the Investors Invested

    The $3.9 million investment in Octavia Carbon can be attributed to several key factors that made the startup an attractive proposition for investors.

    One major reason is the scalability of Octavia’s solution, which addresses a global challenge — carbon emissions. DAC technology is at the forefront of climate innovation, and investors are increasingly looking to support companies with tangible, impactful solutions to carbon capture. Octavia’s focus on scaling its operations and its ambitious goal of achieving 1,500 tonnes of carbon capture annually provides investors with a compelling growth story. Furthermore, Kenya’s geological advantages and renewable energy potential make it an ideal location for such an initiative, adding to its operational viability.

    The market demand for carbon credits is another critical factor. The pre-sale of $1.1 million in carbon credits demonstrates a clear market need, making the investment less speculative and more rooted in immediate commercial opportunities. Carbon credits are becoming a valuable commodity as companies and governments worldwide work towards net-zero emissions. Octavia’s ability to offer scalable and certified carbon removal services gives it a strong competitive edge in this evolving market.

    Additionally, Octavia’s partnerships, particularly with Cella Mineral Storage, offer a clear and efficient pathway for carbon sequestration, which is a crucial aspect of achieving long-term climate impact. Investors likely saw this partnership as a way to mitigate risks associated with carbon storage, ensuring that the company’s solution is both technologically advanced and practically implementable.

    The involvement of well-established climate tech funds and investors also indicates confidence in the startup’s ability to execute on its ambitious goals. With players like Lateral Frontiers and E4E Africa leading the round, Octavia is positioned as a high-potential venture that fits within the broader ecosystem of climate-focused investments.

    A Look at Octavia Carbon

    Octavia Carbon was founded in Kenya in 2022 by Martin Freimüller and Duncan Kariuki. The company’s primary mission is to tackle the climate crisis through Direct Air Capture technology, which removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it underground. The startup has positioned itself at the cutting edge of carbon removal, offering a solution that not only captures carbon but also ensures its safe and permanent storage.

    Octavia’s primary markets are Kenya and, by extension, Africa, but the company’s work has global relevance as countries around the world seek to reduce emissions and achieve climate goals. Kenya provides a unique opportunity for carbon storage due to its geological features, particularly in the Rift Valley, which has porous volcanic rocks ideal for long-term carbon sequestration. The abundance of geothermal energy in the region also allows Octavia to run its operations sustainably, relying on renewable energy rather than fossil fuels, which enhances the company’s environmental credentials.

    Octavia’s team has grown to 60 members, with 40 engineers dedicated to research and development. Their work extends beyond carbon capture, involving bench-scale chemistry to test materials and methods for improving carbon sequestration efficiency. Octavia’s technological capabilities have garnered recognition as it was named a finalist in the XPrize Carbon Removal competition, further validating its innovation in this field.

    In addition to its technology, Octavia has established strong commercial foundations, with 12 clients already signed on for carbon credits, an impressive achievement for a startup at its seed stage. This combination of innovative technology, strategic partnerships, and early market traction positions Octavia Carbon as a leading player in Africa’s — and potentially the world’s — climate tech sector.

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