Alt Carbon, an Indian deeptech science and data startup, has raised US$12 million in a seed funding round led by Lachy Groom. Existing investors also participated in this funding round.

The company plans to use the funds to accelerate carbon removal efforts in the Global South. It aims to expand research in earth sciences, advance hardware development, and scale operations in India.

Alt Carbon employs Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), a process that uses waste basalt rock dust on farmland to capture CO2 and convert it into stable bicarbonates. This process enriches soil and improves crop yields.

Lachy Groom has invested in over 200 companies including Anduril, OpenAI, Ramp, Notion, Figma, and Zepto.

🔗 Source: YourStory

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Enhanced rock weathering balances promise with practical challenges

Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) represents a growing category of carbon removal with unique advantages beyond just carbon capture.

The technique can potentially store CO2 for hundreds to thousands of years by converting it into stable carbonate minerals, providing much longer sequestration than many alternative approaches 1.

Beyond carbon benefits, applying crushed basalt to agricultural land improves soil health and fertility for crops like soybeans, corn, and rice, while potentially reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers 2.

However, ERW faces significant economic hurdles with implementation costs estimated between $80-180 per ton of CO2 removed, making it currently more expensive than direct emissions reduction through renewable energy 1.

The process also requires substantial energy for mining, grinding, and transporting rocks, which can offset some carbon removal benefits if not powered by clean energy sources 3.

Environmental risks include potential dust pollution during application and variability in carbon removal rates based on local conditions, requiring careful implementation and monitoring 2.

2️⃣ Carbon removal investment surge highlights market evolution

Alt Carbon’s US$12 million seed funding reflects a broader trend in the carbon removal sector, which has seen investment increase fivefold since 2020 and now accounts for 3.5% of all Climate Tech funding 4.

This growth is occurring despite significant financial challenges ahead—approximately US$196 billion will be needed over the next decade just to scale global carbon removal infrastructure to meet climate goals 4.