Milkywire announces 15 new carbon removal purchases and 3 grants after extensive selection process

Thanks to our corporate supporters, Milkywire has financed climate solutions through its Climate Transformation Fund (CTF) since 2021 to help reach global net zero. Catalyzing the nascent carbon removal sector is a big part of the fund's mission. This new round of support brings the total of CDR suppliers supported by purchases through the CTF to 40. Only Shopify and Stripe have purchased from a higher number of CDR suppliers according to CDR.fyi data.  The organisations selected in 2025 are: Arbon, Backwater, BlueShift Carbon, Carbonsate, Flux, InPlanet, Interholco, Kairos Carbon, Karbonetiq, NeoCarbon, Norma, Planboo/Carboneers, remove, Planeteers, Releaf Earth, Silicate/Northwestern University, WasteX, ZeroEx. (See full descriptions further down.) To do the selection we ran an open call for proposals for the third time. The interest was higher than ever, with 280 durable CDR suppliers applying. We invited a subset of applicants to submit a longer application and shared a final list with our advisory group for review before making the final selection. The list of selected applicants spans multiple CDR methods. What they all have in common is that they are high-quality removal pathways with significant potential, and that our support makes a big difference.

There is a strong need for early-stage buyers who prioritize innovation, sustainability, and co-benefits rather than just maximizing the volume of carbon removed today. Such buyers can help ensure promising ideas receive the necessary resources to validate and scale, preventing promising ventures from failing prematurely due to a lack of funding or market interest. Milkywire aims to fill precisely this role, ensuring long-term growth and knowledge-building in the carbon removal ecosystem. Read more in our strategy for catalytic CDR purchases.

We invite more companies to support these CDR suppliers with purchases. Reach out to our team if you want to learn more about how.

The Climate Transformation Fund is not only focused on CDR but also on supporting other types of solutions needed for global net zero, including emission reductions, and nature restoration & protection projects. For these project types, our 2025 selection is still ongoing.  We are committed to transparent reporting, and our annual progress report for the CTF will be published later this fall. See the 2024 Progress report which includes all supported projects up until 2024 and the progress they made. 

The CTF is supported by companies like Klarna, Spotify, Bolt, Avanza, BioGaia, Mentimeter, Northzone, Planet A, Atomico and Future Energy Ventures. Many of the companies have implemented an internal carbon fee, taxing themselves to generate a budget for climate action. 

See the full list of 2025 purchases and Grants below: Kairos Carbon, UK, BECCS (novel) Kairos Carbon transforms wet organic wastes through a novel supercritical water oxidation process, converting organic matter into CO₂ suitable for geological storage. This method generates energy, recovers nutrients, and neutralizes harmful pollutants, offering a sustainable and scalable solution for carbon removal. Planeteers, Germany, BECCS/ERW Planeteers’ engineered enhanced weathering (eEW) system captures CO₂ from both biogenic and anthropogenic flue gases and converts it into ocean-stable bicarbonates. Deploying at wastewater plants (for carbon removal) and in hard-to-abate industries (for decarbonization), their approach utilizes waste minerals, and is designed  for modularity, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and rigorous environmental monitoring. Interholco AG, Congo, Biochar Interholco produces high-quality biochar from sustainably sourced sawmill residues in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), applying it to rehabilitate degraded lands and lock away carbon for centuries. Their project meets rigorous environmental certification standards, delivers measurable ecosystem benefits, and actively engages local communities.  Planboo / Carboneers, Ghana, Biochar Planboo and Carboneers collaborate to produce biochar from agricultural residues in Ghana, reducing emissions and increasing incomes of smallholder farmers who get paid for biochar production. The project is using a new kiln manufactured by Carboneers and High Plains Biochar that offers high-quality decentralized biochar production with minimal methane emissions. Planboo’s robust digital monitoring system ensures transparency and verifiable carbon sequestration. Releaf Earth, Nigeria, Biochar Releaf runs a nut-cracking factory in Nigeria that creates jobs and sources nuts from over 3,000 smallholder farmers. They have now expanded into transforming nut shells into biochar for soil application, emphasizing localized environmental and agricultural benefits. Releaf is Nigeria’s first industrial biochar firm and aims to scale a model of helping other Nigerian food processors become biochar carbon removal companies while strengthening economic resilience in local communities. WasteX, Indonesia, Biochar WasteX builds and operates decentralized biochar production facilities in Indonesia, converting agricultural waste into biochar, applying it in farming for agricultural benefits and stable carbon storage, and tracking it with its own digital MRV. Their proprietary high-tech, modular technology facilitates rapid deployment, negligible emissions and tangible local ecological and economic benefits. The project’s technology and approach allows for scalability, with a potential for an expansion of such facilities into other developing regions e.g. India where WasteX already operates.  Carbonsate, Germany / Namibia, Biomass storage Carbonsate stores sun-dried biomass from invasive bushes underground in Namibia, utilizing sealed chambers to ensure long-term carbon stability. Comprehensive sensor monitoring and community-focused governance underpin this relatively cheap and scalable method that also helps restore biodiversity.

Arbon, USA, DAC Arbon proposes an innovative direct air capture (DAC) method utilizing humidity-swing technology with stable sorbents to significantly lower energy consumption and accelerate scalable deployment. Their approach promises substantial cost reductions and efficiency improvements.

NeoCarbon, Germany, DAC NeoCarbon integrates DAC technology with low-grade industrial waste heat, significantly reducing energy use and operational costs. Their approach uses innovative hollow fiber contactors and low-temperature regeneration, promoting modular scalability through retrofits in existing industrial infrastructure. Norma, France, DAC Norma is pioneering a new energy equation for carbon removal. Their next-generation Direct Air Capture system dramatically reduces energy use by recovering and reusing the energy needed in the capture process. Utilizing non-toxic, abundant materials and designed for scalability, their pilot system aims for substantial cost efficiencies and accelerated commercialization through early-stage support. BlueShift Carbon, USA, DOR BlueShift Carbon's membrane-free electrochemical direct ocean removal (DOR) captures CO₂ from seawater, enhancing marine health by returning de-acidified water. They aim to scale significantly using low energy inputs, partnering strategically with desalination facilities and industrial operations to maximize environmental and economic benefits.

Karbonetiq, USA, Mineralization Karbonetiq mineralizes CO₂ by carbonating alkaline industrial byproducts, such as steel slag, through a passive aeration process that is co-located with existing industrial activities. They are working closely with operational partners to establish low-cost, scalable, and quantifiable CDR projects that valorize industrial wastes and contribute to decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors globally.

Flux, Kenya, ERW Flux is testing the ERW potential of a rare plutonic rock previously not used for ERW that has high reactivity, in depleted farmland in Western Kenya. Their project combines field deployment with rapid MRV and aims to generate first-of-its-kind data on the rocks' weathering rates. This effort could reduce ERW costs and broaden global feedstock options while delivering agronomic co-benefits. InPlanet, Brazil, ERW InPlanet is deploying ERW in citrus orchards in Brazil while testing new ion-resin-exchange sensor-based MRV and evaluating fertilizer reduction. Their project supports ERW in perennial crop systems and explores co-benefits like improved yields and soil health. Data will be shared openly to support scientific and commercial advancement of insetting and beyond value chain mitigation strategies. ZeroEx, Germany, ERW ZeroEx advances ERW across Germany and Central Europe by deploying resin-based ion exchange MRV systems to measure cation and anion fluxes. Their approach enhances accuracy while reducing verification costs and enables monitoring of heavy metal leaching. Results from field trials will generate data to support regulatory compliance and broader adoption of ERW. This year, we specifically called for research-focused ERW projects and introduced a new contract model to reflect scientific uncertainty, commiting to a minimum verifiable volume using high-integrity MRV. This approach allows us to support rigorous science and learning without penalizing projects for being transparent or making more accurate measurements. Read more about the open questions on ERW in this Milkywire article: 

Grant recipients:

Remove, Global, Ecosystem-Building Remove is a non-profit accelerator supporting early-stage carbon removal startups. By expanding their global reach, particularly in underrepresented regions, they catalyze local innovation, ecosystem growth, job creation, and broader carbon removal market development. In this project we are funding their expansion into new geographies. Silicate / Northwestern University, USA, ERW Silicate uses fast-dissolving carbonate minerals to amend soil pH and durably store carbon as dissolved bicarbonate. In collaboration with Northwestern University, they will study how soil characteristics affect bicarbonate export and greenhouse gas fluxes in the US Midwest. This project provides novel insights into long-term ERW effectiveness using carbonate minerals, particularly in deep soil layers and across diverse soil types.  Backwater, UK/Canada, Storage Backwater introduces an innovative, shallow-depth geological storage method for dissolved CO₂. This novel approach expands geographic accessibility, enabling co-location of CO2 capture and underground storage. By eliminating transport and reducing well costs,  Backwater makes smaller projects cost-effective and unlocks untapped CDR potential in storage-constrained regions.

CDR purchases both happen through the WRLD Foundation using donations to the CTF, and through Milkywire AB for non-donation funding streams.