CarboNet
CarboNet is a Vancouver-based specialty chemical company that commercializes its proprietary NanoNet molecular platform into SimpleFloc flocculants, SimplePrime coagulants, and SpecialOps automated dosing systems for industrial wastewater treatment across oil & gas, food & beverage, municipal, mining, and construction operators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CarboNet does
CarboNet is a Vancouver-based specialty chemical company that has developed the proprietary NanoNet platform, a molecular engine and library of programmable flocculants, coagulants, and targeting agents derived from PhD biochemistry research at UBC. The NanoNet technology creates molecular scaffolds that increase surface area and binding strength, enabling flocculation approximately 10x faster than legacy commodity chemistry and at roughly half the dose. The company's commercial product portfolio is built on this platform and includes SimpleFloc flocculants (gel and emulsion formats requiring no make-down), SimplePrime inorganic coagulants (PAC and ACH, including a recycled R/O reject water formulation), and SpecialOps, an automated treatment module combining real-time sensors, dosing automation, and cloud dashboards.
CarboNet sells its chemistry and automation directly to industrial operators, municipalities, and engineering/service firms via an enterprise field sales motion. Primary verticals are Oil & Gas (majority share of Permian Basin produced water treatment within two years of entry), Food & Beverage, Municipal, Mining, and Construction; secondary verticals include Pulp & Paper, Pharmaceutical, Personal Care, and Dredging. The company complements direct sales with channel/spec-driven distribution through service delivery partners and chemistry-of-record designations. Pricing is quote-based and application-specific; revenue is primarily usage-based on chemical consumption, with SpecialOps introducing a managed-services/hardware-plus-subscription layer.
The company was founded in 2018 by four cofounders (Barry Yates, Michael Carlson, Amielle Lake, Bill Schonbrun) and has grown to 51-100 employees with operations across British Columbia, Texas (Permian), California, and Iowa. CarboNet has raised approximately $25.8M USD in disclosed funding (most recently a $14.28M round in February 2022 led by Ginkgo Capital) plus a $1.7M CAD PacifiCan grant, and has been recognized on Deloitte's Fast 50 Companies to Watch (#7) and via the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Pacific region.
CarboNet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CarboNet
- Legal name
- CarboNet
- Website
- https://carbonet.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CarboNet is a Vancouver-based specialty chemical company that commercializes its proprietary NanoNet molecular platform into SimpleFloc flocculants, SimplePrime coagulants, and SpecialOps automated dosing systems for industrial wastewater treatment across oil & gas, food & beverage, municipal, mining, and construction operators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CarboNet industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Water Treatment Chemicals
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coagulants, Flocculants & Dewatering Aids (IMAEAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAN), Industrial Wastewater Treatment Chemicals (IMAEAJAC), Adsorption & Taste/Odor Control (GAC/PAC, Air Stripping) (EUANABAF)
Keywords
Where CarboNet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
CarboNet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Advanced Chemistry Products: CarboNet generates revenue by selling proprietary flocculant and coagulant chemistry to industrial operators, municipalities, and service providers. Products are sold directly via field sales and technical teams. Pricing is quote-based and application-specific. Revenue is driven by volume-based chemical consumption across treated operations.
- SpecialOps Automated Treatment: Automated dosing systems combining sensors, pumps, telemetry, and cloud dashboards. Revenue likely includes equipment/hardware and ongoing service/subscription components for remote monitoring and reporting. Targets distributed operations and multi-site operators requiring real-time visibility.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Application-specific pricing — no public tiers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
CarboNet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CarboNet develops and sells proprietary water treatment chemistry — SimpleFloc flocculants (gel and emulsion) and SimplePrime coagulants (PAC and ACH) — built on its NanoNet molecular platform, plus the SpecialOps automated dosing and monitoring system. Products are sold to industrial operators, municipalities, and service providers to treat produced water, wastewater, sludge, leachate, and process streams, replacing make-down-heavy commodity polymers with pre-activated, adaptive chemistry.
Product overview
CarboNet offers a platform-plus-products architecture centered on the proprietary NanoNet platform, a molecular engine that generates programmable chemistry for liquid/solid separation. The core product portfolio consists of SimpleFloc flocculants (available in gel and emulsion formats requiring no make-down) and SimplePrime coagulants (inorganic coagulants including PAC and ACH optimized to work with SimpleFloc). These products work together as a coordinated system, with SimpleFloc creating strong, fast-settling flocs while SimplePrime stabilizes variable streams and reduces polymer demand. SpecialOps is an add-on automated treatment module that extends the system with real-time sensors, automated dosing, and cloud-based dashboards for remote monitoring and performance tracking. The platform underpins all offerings and delivers consistent performance even as flows, solids, and pH shift.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NanoNet Platform: Proprietary molecular platform that powers CarboNet chemistry, generating programmable flocculants, coagulants, and targeting agents that adapt to any application.
- SimpleFloc
- SimplePrime
- SpecialOps
Products and services
- SimpleFloc Flocculants Advanced flocculant products in gel and emulsion formats, built on the NanoNet platform, that require no make-down and create 10x stronger flocs than commodity chemicals. Reduces polymer use by up to 90% and cuts cost-to-treat by up to 50%. Targeted at industrial operators, municipalities, and service providers across oil & gas, food & beverage, municipal, mining, construction, and other water treatment segments.
- SimplePrime Coagulants Inorganic coagulants (PAC and ACH) optimized to work with SimpleFloc flocculants. Reduce TSS, improve sludge consistency, and stabilize variable water matrices for better downstream separation. SimplePrime PAC is made with recycled R/O reject water, supporting zero liquid discharge goals. For industrial operators, municipalities, and service providers treating variable wastewater and process streams.
- SpecialOps Automated Treatment Automated dosing system combining CarboNet chemistry, real-time flow and TSS sensors, pumps, telemetry, and cloud-based dashboards. Automatically adjusts dosing based on actual influent conditions, monitors distributed sites from a single dashboard, and tracks chemical use and KPIs. For distributed multi-site operators and remote operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cost-to-treat reduced by up to 50%
- +11 more outcomes
Companies that use CarboNet
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CarboNet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CarboNet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Bishop WatercoreBishop Water is a service delivery company that uses CarboNet chemistry to deliver water treatment services to industrial clients. Partner Kevin Bossy stated: 'CarboNet chemistry is a game changer. It doesn't just fix the water. It fixes the business. We take on more projects with less labour and better margins thanks to their products and support.' Bishop Water represents CarboNet to end customers and operates using CarboNet products.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
CarboNet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SNF Group: SNF is the world's largest producer of polyacrylamide (PAM) flocculants and a dominant incumbent in water treatment chemistry. It directly competes with CarboNet in flocculant/coagulant supply across municipal, industrial, and oil & gas wastewater applications.
- Solenis: Solenis is a global specialty chemical manufacturer focused on water-intensive industries including pulp & paper, mining, food & beverage, and oil & gas. Its water treatment chemistry portfolio directly overlaps with CarboNet's flocculant/coagulant offerings.
- Kemira: Kemira is a Finnish specialty chemicals company with a major water treatment segment serving municipal and industrial customers with coagulants and flocculants. It is one of the closest large-scale incumbents competing with CarboNet's chemistry portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- BASF: BASF is a global chemical conglomerate with broad water treatment chemistry offerings across industrial and municipal segments. While not specialized, BASF competes in coagulants, flocculants, and process chemicals that overlap with CarboNet's portfolio.
- Ecolab: Ecolab is a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions serving food & beverage, industrial, and municipal customers. Its water treatment chemistry and services overlap with CarboNet's industrial wastewater value proposition.
- Kurita Water Industries: Kurita is a Japanese specialty water treatment chemicals and services provider serving industrial and municipal customers. Its flocculant and coagulant offering is comparable to CarboNet's chemistry portfolio.
- Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia Water Technologies provides water treatment chemicals, equipment, and services across industrial and municipal sectors. While more services- and equipment-led than CarboNet, its chemistry offering addresses similar use cases.
Regional players
- H2O Innovation: H2O Innovation is a Canadian water treatment solutions company providing specialty chemicals, membrane systems, and operation services. It is comparable to CarboNet as a North-America-based, chemistry-and-systems provider serving municipal and industrial customers.
Emerging players
- Accepta Water Treatment: Accepta supplies specialty water treatment chemicals including coagulants, flocculants, and boiler/cooling treatments. It is a smaller, more specialized competitor to CarboNet with overlapping chemistry offerings for industrial applications.
- Bishop Water: Bishop Water is a Canadian water treatment services firm that uses CarboNet chemistry to deliver treatment services to industrial clients. As a service-delivery partner of CarboNet, it is comparable in the solutions-stack and customer base it serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CarboNet social profiles
Digital presenceCarboNet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CarboNet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
CarboNet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CarboNet 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 CarboNet
What does CarboNet do?
CarboNet develops and sells proprietary water treatment chemistry — SimpleFloc flocculants (gel and emulsion) and SimplePrime coagulants (PAC and ACH) — built on its NanoNet molecular platform, plus the SpecialOps automated dosing and monitoring system. Products are sold to industrial operators, municipalities, and service providers to treat produced water, wastewater, sludge, leachate, and process streams, replacing make-down-heavy commodity polymers with pre-activated, adaptive chemistry.
Is CarboNet a public or private company?
CarboNet is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CarboNet founded?
CarboNet was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CarboNet based?
CarboNet is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does CarboNet make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advanced Chemistry Products are the primary driver. The others are specialOps Automated Treatment.
Who are CarboNet's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SNF Group, Solenis and Kemira. Broad incumbents are BASF, Ecolab, Kurita Water Industries and Veolia Water Technologies. H2O Innovation is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Accepta Water Treatment and Bishop Water.
Does CarboNet have an API?
No public API is recorded for CarboNet.
What industry is CarboNet in?
CarboNet's product category is Industrial Water Treatment Chemicals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAJAM, Coagulants, Flocculants & Dewatering Aids, with a secondary code of IMAEABAN, Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals. Its NAICS code is 325 and its SIC code is 2890.