Captura
Captura is a Caltech-spinout climate technology company that uses proprietary bipolar membrane electrodialysis to extract CO2 directly from seawater (Direct Ocean Capture), selling carbon removal credits to enterprise net-zero buyers and electrodialysis systems to industrial customers in lithium extraction, desalination, and wastewater treatment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersPasadena, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Captura does
Captura Corporation is a Pasadena, California-based climate technology company founded in 2021 out of Caltech that develops Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology to remove carbon dioxide from seawater. Its proprietary bipolar membrane electrodialysis platform — invented by CTO CX Xiang and CSO Harry Atwater — uses seawater and renewable electricity to extract CO2 from the ocean, which in turn enhances the ocean's natural absorption of atmospheric CO2. The system produces a pipeline-purity CO2 stream suitable for permanent geologic sequestration or industrial utilization, generates no waste or by-products, requires no fresh water or rare-earth minerals, and has demonstrated voltage degradation rates below 10 µV/h supporting multi-year membrane lifetime. The company has scaled the technology by a factor of 1,000x — from a 1-ton-per-year pilot at Caltech's Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory in Newport Beach (August 2022) to a 100-ton-per-year pilot at AltaSea in Los Angeles (2023) to a 1,000-ton-per-year facility at the Hawai'i Ocean Science & Technology Park in Kona (February 2025, in partnership with Equinor). Captura targets sub-$100/ton carbon removal economics at gigaton scale and is exploring commercial facility sites across Europe, the UK, and Asia-Pacific.
Captura's product portfolio spans the core DOC system, the standalone Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis Platform (BPMs, CEMs, electrodialysis stacks, and turn-key systems) sold into direct lithium extraction, desalination, wastewater valorization, energy storage, and electrochemical carbon capture, plus Carbon Removal Credits, CO2-for-sustainable-fuel supply (eSAF, e-methanol), ocean acidification mitigation services, and a comprehensive MRV (Monitoring, Reporting & Verification) program developed in collaboration with Isometric. The company also operates a software ecosystem for high-volume photography studios (Captura Yearbooks, Captura Workflow, and the acquired Studio Source brand), which is operationally separate from the carbon removal business.
The business model is a hybrid of four revenue streams: (1) sale of carbon removal credits via large-volume multi-year offtake agreements (e.g., MOL for 30,000 credits by 2030); (2) direct hardware sales of electrodialysis systems and components to industrial customers, with secured purchase orders in the lithium extraction market; (3) technology licensing to deployment partners such as Equinor and Deep Sky who build, own, and operate large-scale DOC facilities globally; and (4) transaction-based CO2 supply to industrial buyers for sustainable fuels and low-carbon products. Go-to-market is enterprise B2B, targeting corporate net-zero buyers in shipping, energy, aviation, and heavy industry, with strategic corporate venture backing from Maersk Growth, Aramco Ventures, Equinor Ventures, Eni Next, EDP Ventures, National Grid Partners, Japan Airlines Innovation Fund, and others. Leadership is anchored by CEO Steve Oldham (former CEO of Carbon Engineering) and the Caltech co-founders.
Captura firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Captura
- Legal name
- Captura Corporation
- Website
- https://capturacorp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Captura is a Caltech-spinout climate technology company that uses proprietary bipolar membrane electrodialysis to extract CO2 directly from seawater (Direct Ocean Capture), selling carbon removal credits to enterprise net-zero buyers and electrodialysis systems to industrial customers in lithium extraction, desalination, and wastewater treatment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Captura industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Carbon Capture & Removal Technology
- NAICS
- Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914)
- SIC
- Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Treatment Adsorbents (GAC/PAC/Media) (IMAEAIAK)
Keywords
Where Captura is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pasadena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Captura business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Carbon Removal Credits: Captura sells permanent, verifiable carbon removal credits from commercial DOC facilities. Customers purchase large-volume offtake agreements for carbon removal to meet net zero targets. Credits are verified through MRV protocols and can be certified by third-party registries.
- Electrodialysis Equipment Sales: Captura manufactures and sells bipolar membranes, electrodialysis stacks, and complete turn-key systems to industrial customers for applications including direct lithium extraction, desalination, wastewater valorization, energy storage, and electrochemical carbon capture.
- Technology Licensing: Captura licenses its DOC technology to deployment partners globally who build, own and operate large-scale DOC facilities. Partners pay licensing fees for the right to deploy Captura's technology.
- CO2 Utilization/Sales: Captura can supply captured CO2 to industrial customers for sustainable fuel production (eSAF, e-methanol), aquaculture operations, and other low-carbon products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Large-volume carbon removal credits |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Electrodialysis systems and components |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Captura product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Captura develops and commercializes Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology that uses proprietary bipolar membrane electrodialysis to extract CO2 directly from seawater, amplifying the ocean's natural absorption of atmospheric carbon. The company monetizes this through large-volume carbon removal credit offtake agreements, technology licensing to deployment partners that build and operate commercial DOC facilities, and direct sales of high-performance electrodialysis membranes, stacks and turn-key systems to industrial customers in markets including direct lithium extraction, desalination, wastewater valorization, energy storage, and electrochemical carbon capture.
Product overview
Captura offers a unified Direct Ocean Capture platform centered on its proprietary bipolar membrane electrodialysis technology. The core product portfolio consists of the Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) system, which uses electrodialysis to remove CO2 from seawater, and the Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis Platform, which is both the core technology powering DOC and a standalone product sold to industrial markets. Supporting offerings include Carbon Removal Credits (verifiable carbon removal credits from DOC facilities), Sustainable Fuel and Products (CO2 utilization), and Ocean Acidification Mitigation services. The company also operates an MRV (Monitoring, Reporting & Verification) program for transparent carbon accounting. Captura's electrodialysis platform serves multiple markets including direct lithium extraction, desalination, wastewater valorization, and energy storage. NOTE: Captura also operates a separate software ecosystem for photography studios (Captura Yearbooks, Captura Workflow, and the acquired Studio Source brand) which is unrelated to the carbon removal business.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) Captura's core Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology removes CO2 from seawater using proprietary electrodialysis and gas extraction processes. It amplifies the ocean's natural capacity to absorb atmospheric CO2, producing a measurable, pipeline-purity CO2 stream for permanent storage or reuse, using only seawater and renewable electricity with no additives, by-products, or fresh water consumption.
- Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis Platform High-performance bipolar membrane electrodialysis system delivering up to 10x the performance of leading alternatives at significantly lower energy and capital cost. Products include bipolar membranes (BPMs), cation exchange membranes (CEMs), electrodialysis stacks, and full turn-key and custom solutions sold to industrial customers for direct lithium extraction, desalination, wastewater valorization, energy storage, and electrochemical carbon capture.
- Carbon Removal Credits Large-volume, permanent, verifiable carbon removal credits generated from commercial DOC facilities, sold primarily through multi-year offtake agreements to corporate buyers with net-zero commitments. Credits are validated through MRV protocols and can be certified by third-party registries (e.g., via Isometric). First major agreement: 30,000 credits committed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines for delivery before end of 2030.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 10x higher performance than leading electrodialysis alternatives with significantly lower energy use and capital costs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Captura
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Captura technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Captura partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and major.
- Carbon Herald / eSAF Plant FrancestrategicCaptura won supplier deal for eSAF plant in France using ocean-captured CO2. Captura will supply CO2 for sustainable aviation fuel production.
- CURA ClimatestrategicCURA and Captura combined technologies in novel collaboration to advance Bipolar Membrane technology for low-carbon cement production. Partnership leverages Captura's electrodialysis technology for industrial decarbonization.
- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)coreMOL signed the first large-volume offtake agreement for 30,000 carbon removal credits. MOL Switch (MOL's venture capital arm) invested in Captura. They also signed an MoU for strategic partnership to explore deploying commercial DOC plants. MOL sees potential to repurpose end-of-life vessels as floating DOC platforms.
- Deep SkycorePartnership to deploy DOC facilities in Canada, starting with a 100-ton/year pilot in Eastern Quebec in 2024, powered by renewable hydroelectric energy. Goal is to eventually build commercial facilities capturing 100,000 to 1 million tons annually. Deep Sky is developing Canada as a world-leading carbon removal hub.
- AltaSea at the Port of Los AngelesmajorPartnership to host Captura's 100-ton/year pilot system at AltaSea's 35-acre blue economy campus. AltaSea provides site for technology testing, research, and analysis. Partnership enables collaboration across the blue economy ecosystem.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Captura competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ebb Carbon: Ebb Carbon is the closest direct competitor to Captura in ocean-based carbon removal, using an electrochemical process to remove CO2 from seawater. Both companies target voluntary carbon credit buyers with ocean-based CDR pathways.
- Heirloom Carbon: Heirloom Carbon is a leading direct air capture (DAC) company competing for the same corporate voluntary carbon removal market as Captura. Both sell permanent, verifiable carbon removal credits to enterprises with net-zero targets.
- CarbonCapture Inc. CarbonCapture Inc. is a DAC company developing large-scale carbon removal facilities and selling removal credits. It competes directly with Captura for enterprise offtake agreements and voluntary carbon market share.
- Charm Industrial: Charm Industrial is a carbon removal company using biomass conversion and geological sequestration to deliver permanent CDR credits. It competes with Captura in the voluntary carbon removal credit market serving enterprise buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Climeworks: Climeworks is the most established DAC incumbent, operating commercial-scale plants (including Mammoth in Iceland) and selling carbon removal credits to enterprise buyers. It is a broader incumbent in the carbon removal market where Captura competes.
- 1PointFive (Occidental): 1PointFive is Occidental's DAC business, built on the Carbon Engineering technology platform. It is a broad incumbent in CDR with significantly greater capital backing and is scaling Stratos, one of the world's largest DAC facilities.
- SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: SUEZ is a broad incumbent in water and wastewater treatment, including electrodialysis and membrane technologies. It is comparable to Captura's industrial electrodialysis platform business serving desalination and wastewater markets.
- Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia is a broad incumbent in water treatment and industrial process equipment, including membrane-based separation technologies. It overlaps with Captura's electrodialysis platform business in desalination and industrial water markets.
Emerging players
- Planetary Technologies: Planetary Technologies is an emerging ocean carbon removal company using ocean alkalinity enhancement rather than electrodialysis. It addresses the same corporate demand for ocean-based CDR credits as Captura with a different technical approach.
- C2X: C2X is an emerging ocean CDR company pursuing electrochemical ocean alkalinity enhancement. It is a niche, emerging player in ocean-based carbon removal with partial overlap to Captura's electrochemical approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Captura social profiles
Digital presenceCaptura financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Captura leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Captura funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors17 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Captura 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 Captura
What does Captura do?
Captura develops and commercializes Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) technology that uses proprietary bipolar membrane electrodialysis to extract CO2 directly from seawater, amplifying the ocean's natural absorption of atmospheric carbon. The company monetizes this through large-volume carbon removal credit offtake agreements, technology licensing to deployment partners that build and operate commercial DOC facilities, and direct sales of high-performance electrodialysis membranes, stacks and turn-key systems to industrial customers in markets including direct lithium extraction, desalination, wastewater valorization, energy storage, and electrochemical carbon capture.
Is Captura a public or private company?
Captura is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Captura founded?
Captura was founded in 2021. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Captura based?
Captura is headquartered in Pasadena, United States, in the North America region.
How does Captura make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Carbon Removal Credits are the primary driver. The others are electrodialysis Equipment Sales, technology Licensing and CO2 Utilization/Sales.
Who are Captura's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ebb Carbon, Heirloom Carbon, CarbonCapture Inc. and Charm Industrial. Broad incumbents are Climeworks, 1PointFive (Occidental), SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions and Veolia Water Technologies. Emerging players are Planetary Technologies and C2X.
Does Captura have an API?
No public API is recorded for Captura.
What industry is Captura in?
Captura's product category is Carbon Capture & Removal Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAIAK, Water Treatment Adsorbents (GAC/PAC/Media). Its NAICS code is 333914 and its SIC code is 3561.