Vesta

What Vesta does

Vesta, PBC is a San Francisco-based Public Benefit Corporation founded in 2019 that develops and deploys Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering (mERW), branded as Coastal Carbon Capture. The company grinds the natural mineral olivine into beach-compatible sand and places it in coastal waters, where wave energy accelerates dissolution. This process increases ocean alkalinity and enables permanent carbon dioxide sequestration over tens to hundreds of thousands of years. Vesta adopted the PBC structure to ensure long-term, responsible stewardship of the technology as a globally scalable climate solution.

Vesta's product portfolio centers on two field pilots and supporting research infrastructure. The Southampton, NY pilot at North Sea Beach Colony (July 2022) deployed 500 cubic yards of olivine sand into a beach restoration project—the world's first field trial of mERW. The Duck, NC pilot (July 2024) deployed approximately 8,200 metric tons of olivine sand and is estimated to remove ~5,000 metric tons of CO2 over its lifecycle. Vesta supplements field work with Advanced Sediment Mesocosms (ASM) for lab-based dissolution testing, a proprietary MRV methodology developed with Absolute Climate, independent monitoring by Hourglass Climate, and ecotoxicology studies with Enthalpy Analytical and multiple universities. The Duck pilot is also notable as the first U.S. standalone ocean-based carbon removal permit, granted by North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after an 18-month review.

Vesta's business model combines future carbon removal credit sales, olivine sand as a beach nourishment alternative for coastal infrastructure projects, grants and philanthropic funding, and equity investment. Pilot customers to date are U.S. East Coast municipalities and a private community (Town of Southampton, North Sea Beach Colony, Town of Duck, NC), with carbon credit buyers and coastal construction firms as the longer-term commercial customer base. Vesta targets a carbon removal cost of approximately $35 per tonne at full scale—less than 10% of alternative carbon capture technologies—and projects costs under $100 per tonne by the end of the decade. Distribution relies on direct engagement with coastal communities, channel partnerships with coastal engineering firms, and government permitting collaboration.

Name

Vesta

Legal name

Vesta, PBC

Website

https://vesta.earth

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vesta is a Public Benefit Corporation that deploys olivine sand in coastal waters to permanently remove carbon dioxide, serving U.S. coastal municipalities, private communities, and future carbon credit buyers through its Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ocean Carbon Removal Services

NAICS

Industrial Sand Mining (212322)

SIC

Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean-Based Carbon Removal (Alkalinity Enhancement, Seaweed, Ocean Biomass Sinking) (EUABAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Revetments, Groynes & Beach Nourishment (IMAFAJAD), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Pollution Control & Environmental Remediation (Booming, Skimming, Shoreline Cleanup) (TLAHAIAH)

Keywords

• Ocean carbon removal
• Marine enhanced weathering
• Coastal carbon capture
• Carbon dioxide removal
• Olivine sand deployment

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Carbon Credits / Carbon Removal Credits: Vesta generates revenue through the sale of carbon removal credits from their Coastal Carbon Capture projects. The company has pilot projects that generate verified carbon removal, which can be sold to carbon markets or directly to corporations seeking to offset emissions.
2. Coastal Infrastructure Services: Vesta provides olivine sand as a cost-effective alternative to traditional beach sand for coastal protection and nourishment projects, potentially reducing costs for coastal communities while delivering carbon removal benefits.
3. Grants and Philanthropic Funding: Vesta receives grants from foundations and organizations supporting climate solutions, including a $1.6M grant from Additional Ventures and funding from Elemental Excelerator and other donors.
4. Series A Investment: Vesta completed the first closing of Series A financing led by the Grantham Trust's Neglected Climate Opportunities program, with additional participation from Prime Impact Fund and Carbonfix.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vesta (Project Vesta) deploys Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering (mERW), branded as Coastal Carbon Capture, by integrating ground olivine sand into coastal construction and shoreline protection projects. Wave energy dissolves the olivine, increasing ocean alkalinity and enabling permanent removal of atmospheric CO2, while also providing physical coastal protection benefits.

Product overview

Vesta is an ocean-based carbon dioxide removal company structured as a Public Benefit Corporation. Its core offering is Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering (mERW), branded as Coastal Carbon Capture, which integrates olivine sand into coastal construction and protection projects. The company's portfolio includes field pilot programs (Duck Pilot in North Carolina and Southampton Pilot in New York), research technologies (Advanced Sediment Mesocosms for laboratory assessment), MRV services for carbon removal quantification, ecotoxicology studies, and social science/community engagement programs. The company also offers a searchable website (search2 page) for public access to information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coastal Carbon Capture: Vesta's trademarked approach that places carbon-removing olivine sand in coastal waters to accelerate Earth's natural carbon removal process while reducing ocean acidity and providing coastal protection.

Products and services

• Coastal Carbon Capture (Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering) A nature-based negative emission service that integrates ground olivine sand into coastal construction and protection projects. The olivine dissolves in seawater via free wave energy, increasing ocean alkalinity and permanently removing CO2 from the atmosphere, while adding physical sand to coastal systems for shoreline protection.
• Verified Carbon Removal Credits Verified, permanent carbon removal credits generated by Coastal Carbon Capture deployments. Each credit represents a tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere and stored in the ocean as dissolved bicarbonate, with quantification through Vesta's MRV methodology and independent third-party monitoring.
• Duck Pilot Project Vesta's flagship pilot project in Duck, North Carolina, placing 7,000 cubic yards (approximately 8,200 metric tons) of olivine sand in nearshore waters. Permitted under the federal Clean Water Act and North Carolina's Coastal Area Management Act, with three-year ecological monitoring led by Hourglass Climate.
• Southampton Pilot Project The world's first field pilot of Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering, integrating 500 cubic yards of olivine sand (~5% of total sand volume) into the Phase 2 beach restoration project at North Sea Beach Colony in Southampton, NY. Two-year monitoring results were shared with the state of New York.
• Carbon Removal MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) A measurement, reporting, and verification service combining real-world field measurements with controlled laboratory experiments, developed in partnership with Absolute Climate. Quantifies carbonate chemistry, alkalinity, secondary minerals, nutrients, sediment transport, and biogeochemical parameters to provide precise data for carbon removal credits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 gigatonne potential annual CO2 removal with 0.1%-0.25% of shelf seas
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hourglass ClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent nonprofit research organization led by Dr. Grace Andrews (Vesta's former Head of Science) that independently performs scientific monitoring, analysis, and peer-reviewed publishing of Vesta's deployment results. Vesta supported the creation of Hourglass Climate by enabling transfer of scientific assets and providing a research license to relevant intellectual property. This partnership ensures transparency and builds trust with communities and carbon markets.
• Absolute ClimatecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with Absolute Climate to develop an MRV methodology that combines real-world field measurements with controlled laboratory experiments to ensure precise and accurate data for carbon removal quantification.
• Coastal Protection EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssisted in the design, permitting, and execution of the Duck, NC pilot project.
• First Coastal CorporationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCoastal geologist and environmental scientist firm led by Aram Terchunian, a nationally renowned coastal geologist. Advised on the Southampton pilot and works with municipalities on coastal management issues including flooding and erosion control.
• Town of Southampton, NYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Vesta and First Coastal on the world's first field pilot of mERW, incorporating olivine sand into Phase 2 of beach restoration project.
• North Sea Beach Colony (NSBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate community in Southampton, NY that hosted the world's first field pilot of mERW in July 2022, incorporating 500 cubic yards of olivine sand (~5% of total sand volume) into beach restoration.
• Enthalpy AnalyticalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of multi-agency accredited laboratories conducting ecotoxicology studies to investigate potential toxicity effects of olivine dissolution on representative organisms from single-celled algae to marine vertebrates.
• University of Southern CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers at USC conducted phytoplankton studies showing no evidence of toxic effects for 6 species of phytoplankton grown under elevated concentrations of olivine dissolution products.
• Florida International UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with seagrass experts Dr. Justin Campbell and Dr. James Fourqurean to research the effects of olivine dissolution on multiple species of seagrasses.
• University of Hawai'iminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to analyze samples of marine algae and small invertebrates from Papakōlea Beach (naturally occurring olivine beach) and surrounding non-olivine beaches for comparative ecotoxicological studies.
• North Carolina State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial science research project led by Dr. Eric Wade to assess community attitudes towards carbon dioxide removal techniques in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
• University of ExeterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Harry Hilsner collaborated on developing a participatory governance framework for the Dominican Republic project, integrating stakeholder perspectives on climate change.
• Cardiff UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Emily Cox collaborated on developing a participatory governance framework for community engagement in the Dominican Republic.
• US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Field Research FacilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSACE Field Research Facility in Duck, NC supports Vesta's monitoring program with infrastructure and expertise for the Duck pilot project.
• UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, East Carolina University Coastal Studies InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institutions supporting the three-year ecological monitoring program for the Duck pilot project alongside Hourglass Climate.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Equatic: Equatic is an ocean-based CDR company that uses electrolytic processes to dissolve captured CO2 into seawater, generating hydrogen and removing carbon. Like Vesta, it operates pilot-scale ocean CDR projects and sells carbon removal credits; both target durable, gigaton-scale removal via ocean chemistry.
• 44.01: 44.01 is an Oman-based company that mineralizes CO2 by reacting it with peridotite (olivine-rich rock) in engineered reactors, with parallel work in open-system mineralisation. It is the closest peer to Vesta in the enhanced rock weathering / olivine CDR category, with shared feedstock, similar permanence claims, and similar MRV challenges.
• Planetary Technologies: Planetary Technologies adds alkalinity to the ocean using magnesium hydroxide to enhance the ocean's natural CO2 uptake, a direct ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) peer to Vesta's mERW. Both target OAE pathways with similar permanence, cost trajectories, and registry hurdles.
• Captura: Captura uses electrodialysis-based direct ocean CO2 capture to extract dissolved CO2 from seawater. As a fellow ocean-based CDR company at pilot scale, it competes for the same voluntary carbon credit buyers, regulatory goodwill, and limited blue-economy financing.
• C2X (Carbon to Sea): C2X is a non-profit advancing ocean alkalinity enhancement, including olivine-based pathways similar to Vesta's. It shares the same MRV, ecological-safety, and registry-acceptance challenges and competes for climate philanthropy and research funding.
• Running Tide: Running Tide (now wound down) pursued ocean-based CDR via kelp sinking and biomass pathways. It shared Vesta's challenge of scaling durable ocean CDR with rigorous MRV, and its recent contraction underscores the execution risk for the category.

Broad incumbents

• Climeworks: Climeworks is the largest direct air capture operator and a benchmark corporate CDR buyer target. It does not compete with Vesta technologically, but both sell durable CDR credits into the same voluntary market and compete for the same corporate offtake contracts.
• Heirloom Carbon Technologies: Heirloom uses limestone-based DAC. Like Climeworks, it is a broader incumbent durable CDR provider competing for corporate procurement dollars and registry methodologies; Vesta's $35/tonne cost target undercuts Heirloom's higher-cost pathway.
• Charm Industrial: Charm Industrial sequesters biomass-derived CO2 underground via bio-oil injection, another durable CDR pathway competing for the same buyer pool and policy tailwinds (45Q, voluntary market) as Vesta's mERW.

Others

• Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock is a major US coastal dredging and beach nourishment contractor. Vesta's GTM strategy integrates olivine into existing beach nourishment supply chains, making Great Lakes a potential partner, customer, or competitor in the coastal construction sand market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/project_vesta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/projectvesta
• Facebookfacebook.com/Vesta.earth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vesta