Living Carbon
Living Carbon is a US-based public benefit corporation that uses genetic engineering to develop photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplar trees, generating verified carbon removal credits from reforestation of degraded mine and agricultural lands for corporate offtake buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Living Carbon does
Living Carbon is a US-based public benefit corporation (Living Carbon PBC), founded in 2019 and headquartered in Hayward, California with a secondary operations hub in South Carolina, that develops photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplar trees through genetic engineering and precision breeding to capture and store CO2 at greater rates than conventional trees. The company's core technology is a photorespiration bypass pathway that achieved a 53% increase in above-ground biomass production in controlled studies; the company also operates R&D programs in sporopollenin for durable carbon storage and metal hyper-accumulation, and is developing a coppice-plus-biochar system targeting 4x carbon per hectare per decade. The product platform is three-pronged: (1) high-integrity carbon removal credits from reforestation of degraded US lands (130M+ acres of addressable degraded land, with primary focus on former Appalachian mine lands and abandoned farmland), verified under Isometric's Reforestation Protocol; (2) land restoration services enrolling landowners with unproductive acreage via a direct website application; and (3) purpose-grown biomass feedstock for bioenergy and bio-based product companies.
The business model is enterprise sales-led: Living Carbon secures long-term carbon removal offtake agreements with large corporations — signed customers include Microsoft (1.4 million tonnes from 25,000 Appalachian acres), Google, Meta, and McKinsey via Symbiosis Coalition (131,240 tonnes over 10 years), and a multi-decade $500M project financing arrangement with Octopus Energy Generation targeting 50 million tonnes of CO2 removal over 40 years. Additional revenue streams include biomass feedstock transactions with bioenergy customers and lease payments to landowners for use of degraded land. The capital structure includes a $21M Series A (Temasek-led, January 2023), a $15M seed round (2022), a $13M direct investment from Octopus Energy Generation (April 2026), and ARPA-E R&D funding, with over $544M in total committed capital counting project financing. The company is intentionally asset-light — it does not own nurseries or execute site preparation itself, relying on forestry service providers for implementation.
Living Carbon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Living Carbon
- Legal name
- Living Carbon PBC
- Website
- https://livingcarbon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Living Carbon is a US-based public benefit corporation that uses genetic engineering to develop photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplar trees, generating verified carbon removal credits from reforestation of degraded mine and agricultural lands for corporate offtake buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Living Carbon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Carbon Removal & Reforestation Services
- NAICS
- Forestry and Logging (113), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)
- SIC
- Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Forestry & Ecosystem Carbon Removal (Afforestation/Reforestation, Improved Forest Management) (EUABAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Timberland Carbon & Natural Capital Project Development (Offsets/REDD+) (AFAMAKAH), Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) (EUABABAE), Biochar, Activated Carbon & Soil Amendments (from forest biomass) (IMAMALAH)
Keywords
Where Living Carbon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Living Carbon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Carbon Removal Credits: Living Carbon generates high-quality carbon removal credits through large-scale reforestation projects on degraded lands in the US. Credits are verified and issued by Isometric. Companies purchase these credits through long-term offtake agreements.
- Biomass Feedstock Sales: Living Carbon develops and sells purpose-grown tree biomass feedstock to bioenergy and bio-based product companies. This includes partnering with U.S. farmers and rural communities for efficient land use and domestic energy production.
- Land Partnership Payments: Living Carbon provides lease payments to landowners for otherwise unproductive and highly degraded lands, generating income for landowners while restoring degraded land.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Living Carbon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Living Carbon develops photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplar trees and operates a reforestation platform that delivers three commercial offerings: (1) verified carbon removal credits sold to corporate buyers under long-term offtake agreements, (2) land restoration services for landowners with abandoned mineland and degraded agricultural acreage, and (3) purpose-grown biomass feedstock for bioenergy and bio-based product companies. The company focuses on U.S. degraded lands and verifies credits through Isometric's Reforestation Protocol.
Product overview
Living Carbon is a climate technology company that operates a platform-based model combining three core products: (1) Carbon Removal for Corporations - generating verified carbon credits from large-scale reforestation of degraded US lands; (2) Land Restoration Services - enrolling landowners with abandoned mineland and degraded farmland for reforestation projects that create income and restore ecosystems; and (3) Biomass Feedstock - growing purpose-driven poplar trees optimized through precision breeding for sustainable bioenergy applications. The company develops specialized tree products including photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplars that grow 53% faster, and conducts R&D into sporopollenin-based durable carbon storage and coppice-optimized forestry systems. All projects are verified through Isometric's Reforestation Protocol and supported by long-term offtake agreements with major corporate buyers including Microsoft, Google, Meta, McKinsey, and Octopus Energy Generation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Carbon Removal for Corporations Verified, high-quality carbon removal projects in the U.S. with true additionality, limited leakage, and unique co-benefits, sold to corporate buyers under long-term offtake agreements. Credits are verified and issued by Isometric under its Reforestation Protocol.
- Land Restoration Services Forestry restoration services targeting abandoned mineland and degraded agricultural land. Living Carbon's team conducts extensive site preparation, plants native and genetically enhanced species, and generates annual lease income for landowners while improving long-term property value and restoring biodiversity.
- Biomass Feedstock Custom-grown, purpose-driven poplar biomass feedstock developed through precision breeding for bioenergy, sustainable aviation fuel, and bio-based product companies. Living Carbon partners with U.S. farmers and rural communities to deliver reliable, scalable supply near processing facilities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 53% increase in above ground biomass production in photosynthesis-enhanced poplar trees vs. control
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Living Carbon
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Living Carbon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Living Carbon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Symbiosis CoalitioncoreSymbiosis Coalition is an advance market commitment to contract more than 20 million tonnes of high-integrity nature-based carbon removal by 2030. Living Carbon's project is the first under Isometric's Reforestation Protocol.
- Oregon State UniversityminorAcademic research partner.
- IsometriccoreIsometric is the carbon removal registry that verifies and issues carbon credits for Living Carbon's reforestation projects. Living Carbon's project is the first registered under Isometric's Reforestation Protocol.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Living Carbon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pachama: Pachama is a nature-based carbon credit marketplace and project developer using satellite and AI to certify forestry and reforestation projects — directly comparable to Living Carbon's verification-and-credit-issuance model for forest-based carbon removal.
- NCX (Natural Capital Exchange): NCX operates a marketplace connecting landowners with corporate buyers for nature-based carbon credits from improved forest management — overlapping with Living Carbon in sourcing degraded-land reforestation supply and corporate offtake sales.
- Eden Reforestation Projects: Eden Reforestation Projects plants trees at scale for reforestation and carbon offset generation globally, comparable to Living Carbon's large-scale planting model on degraded lands for carbon credit production.
- Veritree: Veritree combines reforestation project development with blockchain-based verification and corporate partnerships — directly comparable in operating model and target customer base to Living Carbon.
- Mast Reforestation: Mast Reforestation develops reforestation projects on degraded and post-wildfire lands for the voluntary carbon market, serving corporate buyers — directly overlapping with Living Carbon's project development on former coal mine lands.
Broad incumbents
- Sylvera: Sylvera provides independent ratings and verification for nature-based carbon credits — adjacent but overlapping with Living Carbon's reliance on high-integrity registries like Isometric for credit issuance.
- Carbonfuture: Carbonfuture is a carbon credit marketplace and registry focused on durable removal — comparable to Living Carbon's positioning around high-integrity, registry-verified nature-based credits.
Emerging players
- Running Tide: Running Tide develops nature-based ocean carbon removal using kelp and biomass sinking — comparable as a Frontier AMC-backed nature-based removal peer competing for similar corporate offtake dollars.
- Charm Industrial: Charm Industrial converts biomass into bio-oil for geological sequestration — a peer in the broader biomass-to-durable-carbon category and a fellow Frontier offtaker.
Others
- Frontier (Stripe-led Advance Market Commitment): Frontier is an advance market commitment aggregating corporate demand for early-stage carbon removal suppliers — comparable as a demand-side counterpart to Living Carbon's supply-side role; Living Carbon is a Frontier portfolio supplier.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Living Carbon social profiles
Digital presenceLiving Carbon compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Living Carbon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Living Carbon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Living Carbon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors23 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Living Carbon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Living Carbon
What does Living Carbon do?
Living Carbon develops photosynthesis-enhanced hybrid poplar trees and operates a reforestation platform that delivers three commercial offerings: (1) verified carbon removal credits sold to corporate buyers under long-term offtake agreements, (2) land restoration services for landowners with abandoned mineland and degraded agricultural acreage, and (3) purpose-grown biomass feedstock for bioenergy and bio-based product companies. The company focuses on U.S. degraded lands and verifies credits through Isometric's Reforestation Protocol.
Is Living Carbon a public or private company?
Living Carbon is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Living Carbon founded?
Living Carbon was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Living Carbon based?
Living Carbon is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Living Carbon make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Carbon Removal Credits are the primary driver. The others are biomass Feedstock Sales and land Partnership Payments.
Who are Living Carbon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pachama, NCX (Natural Capital Exchange), Eden Reforestation Projects, Veritree and Mast Reforestation. Broad incumbents are Sylvera and Carbonfuture. Emerging players are Running Tide and Charm Industrial. Frontier (Stripe-led Advance Market Commitment) is listed as an others.
Does Living Carbon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Living Carbon.
What industry is Living Carbon in?
Living Carbon's product category is Carbon Removal & Reforestation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAFAH, Forestry & Ecosystem Carbon Removal (Afforestation/Reforestation, Improved Forest Management), with a secondary code of AFAMAKAH, Timberland Carbon & Natural Capital Project Development (Offsets/REDD+). Its NAICS code is 113 and its SIC code is 800.