Location: Seattle, WA

How we met: Banyu reached us at Propellervc.com , and was selected to attend our Ocean MBA.

Propeller theme: Ocean Carbon

Propeller investment stage: Seed

Alex Gagnon and Julian Sachs are career oceanographers who founded Banyu Carbon based on their research at UW.  Banyu’s process is designed to use sunlight to drive a chemical reaction that causes CO2 to be released from seawater. The liberated CO2 can be stored in geologic formations or used by industry. They are also currently Activate Fellows, and supported by Regen, Carbon Removal Partners, Grantham, and United Airlines Ventures.  

• Why we love the founders – From the first meeting with Alex and Julian, we could tell they are a special team. Strong scientific background, committed to making an impact on the planet, and willing to go for it as entrepreneurs.  
• What’s novel about Banyu’s tech – Banyu’s approach is truly novel – we haven’t seen anything else like it. By leveraging light to fuel the reaction, Banyu’s carbon removal method requires some of the lowest energy levels we’ve seen.  
• Why we’re excited about this market – The carbon removal market is large and growing, but Banyu specifically has an opportunity to tap into heavy industry flows AND produce valuable products from their novel process. 
• How impactful Banyu could be – Energy intensity is where many forms of carbon removal fall down. Banyu has the potential to be one of the lowest energy intensities out there, and the possibility of being a net-producer of energy back to the grid while doing effective, measurable CDR. Doesn’t get much better than that.  

Learn more about Banyu Carbon at https://www.banyucarbon.com/