SGInnovate, the Singapore government-backed deep tech investor and ecosystem builder, has backed a $5-million seed funding round in US-based climate tech startup Vycarb.
Proceeds from the funding round, which was led by Twynam, with participation from MOL Switch, Hatch Blue, Clocktower Ventures, and Idemitsu, will be used to accelerate the commercialisation of the startup’s water-based carbon capture and storage, per the announcement.
Vycarb’s system captures carbon dioxide directly from industrial sources and converts it into dissolved bicarbonate in natural waters, allowing permanent storage for up to 100,000 years.
The process, according to the company, eliminates the need for expensive purification or transport infrastructure and enables distributed CO₂ storage at the source.
“This investment enables us to further build our expert team and expand deployments at more sites worldwide, particularly where traditional carbon storage solutions are too expensive or infrastructure-intensive to be practical,” said Vycarb founder and CEO Dr Garrett Boudinott.
Vycarb has piloted its system at multiple sites, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City, where it captures and stores CO₂ from coastal waters.
The company said it has sold carbon credits to Stripe and Milkywire and is a semi-finalist in the US Department of Energy’s carbon dioxide removal purchase program.
SGInnovate’s executive director for Investments Hsien-Hui Tong said the startup’s approach aligns with Singapore’s net-zero goals.
