Sustaera
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersCary, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Sustaera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sustaera
- Legal name
- Sustaera Inc.
- Website
- https://sustaera.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sustaera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Carbon Capture Technology
- NAICS
- Industrial Gas Manufacturing (325120)
- SIC
- Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Direct Air Capture (DAC) Systems & Plants (EUABAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Direct Air Capture (DAC) Project Development (EUABABAJ)
Keywords
Where Sustaera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cary
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sustaera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Carbon Removal Credits: Sustaera generates revenue through multi-year carbon removal agreements where companies purchase tonnes of CO2 captured from the atmosphere. Revenue is based on the volume of CO2 removed, with targets to achieve costs below $100 per tonne at scale.
- Renewable CO2 Supply: The company also supplies captured CO2 to companies in the market for renewable carbon dioxide, creating an additional revenue stream from the utilization of captured carbon.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Carbon removal per tonne negotiated via multi-year agreements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Sustaera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sustaera designs, manufactures, and operates Direct Air Capture (DAC) systems that capture CO2 from ambient air using a novel sorbent based on naturally abundant mineral materials, regenerated by integrated electrical resistive heating powered by renewable energy. The company sells verified carbon removal through multi-year enterprise agreements and supplies captured CO2 to utilization markets, targeting capture costs below $100 per tonne at scale.
Product overview
Sustaera offers a modular Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology platform centered on its novel sorbent-based system using naturally abundant mineral materials. The core product consists of Structured Material Assemblies (SMA) that capture CO2 from ambient air and are regenerated via proprietary integrated resistive heating powered by renewable energy. The company provides carbon removal services through multi-year agreements with corporate customers. The technology is designed for geographic flexibility, modular scalability, and cost efficiency below $100 per tonne at scale, targeting removal of 500 million tonnes of CO2 by 2040.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Direct Air Capture (DAC) Technology Sustaera's modular Direct Air Capture technology uses a novel sorbent based on naturally abundant mineral materials that rapidly absorb atmospheric CO2, regenerated by integrated electrical resistive heating powered by renewable energy. Designed for geographic flexibility and scalability toward sub-$100 per tonne capture costs.
- Structured Material Assemblies (SMA) Full-size, commercially produced Structured Material Assemblies coated with Sustaera's novel sorbent and integrated resistive heating mechanism, enabling CO2 capture from ambient air through combined sorption and thermal desorption cycles with demonstrated stability over 1,500+ integrated cycles.
- Carbon Removal Services Multi-year carbon removal services enabling enterprises and government entities to purchase verified tonnes of CO2 removed from the atmosphere via Sustaera's Direct Air Capture technology, supporting corporate net-zero commitments and durable carbon removal procurement.
Quantifiable outcome
- CO2 capture cost target below $100 per tonne at scale
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sustaera
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sustaera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sustaera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, major and core.
- 350SolutionssupportingAwarded up to $250K as part of DOE OCED Voucher Opportunity 5 to support independent review of TEA/LCA/MRV for Sustaera's DAC technology deployment.
- Department of Energy (DOE)majorSelected for DOE DAC Hub TA-1 award to evaluate and design Sustaera's DAC technology into 3 potential DOE DAC Hubs in Pacific NW, Colorado, and California.
- ShopifycoreMulti-year carbon removal agreement to purchase 5,000 tonnes of CO2 removal starting in 2024. Shopify is Sustaera's largest customer and a major corporate purchaser of long-term carbon removal.
- XPRIZEmajorSelected for $1 million XPRIZE Carbon Removal Milestone Award. Competition backed by Musk Foundation aiming to advance carbon removal technologies.
- StripecoreAdded to Stripe Climate portfolio for carbon removal purchases. Stripe has committed $15 million to carbon removal and selected Sustaera as one of four new companies.
- DPEnergysupportingListed as a partner, likely involving clean energy integration for powering DAC operations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sustaera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Noya: Noya is an early-stage DAC startup using sorbent-based capture. It pursues similar enterprise carbon removal offtake and modular deployment as Sustaera but is at an earlier stage with smaller funding.
- Avnos: Avnos is a DAC company combining CO2 capture with water generation. It is an emerging player in the broader DAC market with partial overlap to Sustaera in direct air capture chemistry and enterprise carbon removal offtake, though it adds a water co-product.
Direct peers
- Verdox: Verdox is an electrified DAC company using renewable electricity to capture CO2 from ambient air, sharing Sustaera's emphasis on electrically-driven regeneration. Both target sub-$100/tonne cost economics and serve voluntary carbon markets, making Verdox a closely comparable technology peer.
- Heirloom Carbon: Heirloom is a DAC company using limestone-based sorbents with similar mineral-based capture chemistry to Sustaera. Both target the cost-down DAC market and serve voluntary corporate buyers, making Heirloom the most technology-comparable direct peer; Heirloom has raised significantly more capital and is further along in commercial deployment.
- Climeworks: Climeworks is the most established commercial Direct Air Capture company, operating multiple DAC plants and selling carbon removal credits to enterprise buyers. It is the closest direct peer to Sustaera, competing in the same DAC systems/credits market with similar enterprise offtake models, though Climeworks uses a different sorbent/regeneration approach and is at a much later commercial stage.
- Global Thermostat: Global Thermostat is an early-stage DAC company developing sorbent-based air capture systems for commercial carbon removal. It overlaps directly with Sustaera in technology approach and target markets (corporate CDR buyers, government partners).
- CarbonCapture Inc. CarbonCapture Inc. develops DAC systems and recently merged with a partner to scale commercial DAC. It competes with Sustaera in modular DAC technology targeting enterprise carbon removal buyers and is pursuing comparable cost-down pathways for gigatonne-scale deployment.
- 280 Earth: 280 Earth is a DAC company developing sorbent-based capture systems targeting sub-$100/tonne costs. Its product positioning, sorbent-based chemistry, and enterprise GTM motion closely mirror Sustaera's strategy and customer profile.
- Spiritus: Spiritus is a sorbent-based DAC startup pursuing low-cost carbon removal using structured sorbent materials. Its chemistry-driven, modular approach to DAC overlaps directly with Sustaera's Structured Material Assemblies and competes for the same enterprise buyer pool.
Broad incumbents
- CarbonCure Technologies: CarbonCure is a larger carbon utilization company injecting captured CO2 into concrete. While not a direct DAC competitor, it is a relevant broad incumbent in the carbon removal/utilization value chain that competes for enterprise sustainability budgets and is part of the same voluntary CDR buyer ecosystem Sustaera sells into.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sustaera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sustaera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Sustaera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sustaera 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 Sustaera
What does Sustaera do?
Sustaera designs, manufactures, and operates Direct Air Capture (DAC) systems that capture CO2 from ambient air using a novel sorbent based on naturally abundant mineral materials, regenerated by integrated electrical resistive heating powered by renewable energy. The company sells verified carbon removal through multi-year enterprise agreements and supplies captured CO2 to utilization markets, targeting capture costs below $100 per tonne at scale.
Is Sustaera a public or private company?
Sustaera is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sustaera founded?
Sustaera was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sustaera based?
Sustaera is headquartered in Cary, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sustaera make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Carbon Removal Credits are the primary driver. The others are renewable CO2 Supply.
Who are Sustaera's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Noya and Avnos. Direct peers are Verdox, Heirloom Carbon, Climeworks, Global Thermostat, CarbonCapture Inc., 280 Earth and Spiritus. CarbonCure Technologies is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sustaera have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sustaera.
What industry is Sustaera in?
Sustaera's product category is Carbon Capture Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAFAA, Direct Air Capture (DAC) Systems & Plants, with a secondary code of EUABABAJ, Direct Air Capture (DAC) Project Development. Its NAICS code is 325120 and its SIC code is 3564.