CERT Systems
CERT Systems is a Toronto-based climate tech startup founded in 2019 that is developing technology to convert carbon dioxide into conventional chemical feedstocks and fuels, serving the industrial chemicals and fuels value chain from a 1–10 person team.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CERT Systems does
CERT Systems is a Toronto-based climate technology startup founded in 2019 that is developing processes to convert carbon dioxide into conventional chemical feedstocks and fuels. The company sits in the carbon capture and utilization (CCU) segment, addressing the industrial chemicals value chain rather than direct emissions reduction, with a stated technology focus on CO2 as a feedstock for downstream chemicals and fuel production.
The company was founded by Alexander Ip alongside University of Toronto Principal Investigators David Sinton and Edward Sargent, anchoring the technical team in academic electrochemistry and process engineering expertise. Capital formation to date consists of a $1.4M seed round from Breakthrough Energy Solutions Canada in February 2020, complemented by participation in accelerator and commercialization programs including UTEST (2020), Third Derivative with RMI (March 2025), and the IAGi Accelerator (August 2025). Headcount is reported at 1–10 employees.
At this stage CERT Systems has no disclosed customers, products, pricing, revenue, certifications, patents, or geographic footprint beyond its Toronto base. Its commercial model, go-to-market motion, and route to monetization (offtake agreements, licensing, project finance, or joint development with industrial chemicals/fuels counterparties) are not articulated in the available data, consistent with a pre-revenue, lab-to-pilot-stage posture.
CERT Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CERT Systems
- Website
- https://co2cert.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CERT Systems is a Toronto-based climate tech startup founded in 2019 that is developing technology to convert carbon dioxide into conventional chemical feedstocks and fuels, serving the industrial chemicals and fuels value chain from a 1–10 person team.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CERT Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Chemicals and Fuels Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Petrochemical Manufacturing (32511), Basic Chemical Manufacturing (3251), Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Miscellaneous Products Of Petroleum & Coal (2990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electrochemical CO₂ Conversion Systems (electrolyzers, catalysts, reactors, balance‑of‑plant) (EUABAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- E‑Fuels & Synthetic Hydrocarbons (e‑kerosene, e‑diesel, e‑gasoline, e‑methane) (EUABAIAA), CO₂‑Derived Synthetic Fuels for Aviation & Marine (SAF e‑fuels, e‑ammonia/e‑methanol bunkering pathways) (EUABAIAH), Thermochemical CO₂ Conversion Systems (RWGS, Fischer‑Tropsch integration, catalytic hydrogenation) (EUABAIAL)
Keywords
Where CERT Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
CERT Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations
CERT Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CERT Systems converts captured carbon dioxide into conventional chemical feedstocks and synthetic fuels. The company develops and deploys proprietary electrochemical conversion technology that transforms CO2 emissions into industrial chemicals and drop-in fuel precursors usable by existing chemical and energy value chains.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CO2-derived chemical feedstocks
Companies that use CERT Systems
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
CERT Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CERT Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
CERT Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ION Clean Energy: ION Clean Energy is developing point-source CO₂ capture and conversion technologies with similar process intensification themes to electrochemical CCU players like CERT.
- CarbonCapture Inc. CarbonCapture Inc. focuses on direct air capture with downstream mineralization and conversion partnerships, adjacent to CERT in the broader CCU value chain.
Direct peers
- Twelve (formerly Opus 12): Twelve converts captured CO₂ into chemicals and fuels using proprietary electrochemical reactors, making it the closest direct competitor to CERT Systems in CO₂-to-value technology.
- C2CNT: C2CNT uses molten carbonate electrolysis to convert CO₂ into carbon nanotubes and other carbon products, directly competing in the electrochemical CO₂ conversion space.
- Prometheus Fuels: Prometheus converts CO₂ into transportation fuels (gasoline, jet fuel) using catalytic and electrochemical processes, a directly adjacent technology and end-market focus to CERT.
- Dioxide Materials: Dioxide Materials develops membranes, catalysts, and electrolyzer components for CO₂ conversion into chemicals and fuels, overlapping with CERT's electrochemical approach.
Broad incumbents
- Climeworks: Climeworks is a leading DAC provider; while its core focus is capture rather than utilization, it supplies CO₂ to downstream conversion partners in the same ecosystem as CERT.
- Carbon Engineering (1PointFive): Carbon Engineering, now part of Occidental's 1PointFive, operates DAC plus CO₂-to-fuel pathways; a much larger incumbent in the broader CO₂ utilization and removal value chain.
- LanzaTech: LanzaTech uses gas fermentation (biomass and waste gases, including captured CO) to produce fuels and chemicals — an alternative carbon-to-value pathway competing for the same offtake customers.
Regional players
- C-Quest Capital: C-Quest Capital develops carbon credit and CCUS projects globally, intersecting with CO₂ utilization monetization pathways that CERT's chemistry could ultimately feed.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
CERT Systems social profiles
Digital presenceCERT Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CERT Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CERT Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CERT Systems 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 CERT Systems
What does CERT Systems do?
CERT Systems converts captured carbon dioxide into conventional chemical feedstocks and synthetic fuels. The company develops and deploys proprietary electrochemical conversion technology that transforms CO2 emissions into industrial chemicals and drop-in fuel precursors usable by existing chemical and energy value chains.
When was CERT Systems founded?
CERT Systems was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CERT Systems based?
CERT Systems is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
Who are CERT Systems's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ION Clean Energy and CarbonCapture Inc.. Direct peers are Twelve (formerly Opus 12), C2CNT, Prometheus Fuels and Dioxide Materials. Broad incumbents are Climeworks, Carbon Engineering (1PointFive) and LanzaTech. C-Quest Capital is listed as a regional player.
Does CERT Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for CERT Systems.
What industry is CERT Systems in?
CERT Systems's product category is Sustainable Chemicals and Fuels Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAIAK, Electrochemical CO₂ Conversion Systems (electrolyzers, catalysts, reactors, balance‑of‑plant), with a secondary code of EUABAIAA, E‑Fuels & Synthetic Hydrocarbons (e‑kerosene, e‑diesel, e‑gasoline, e‑methane). Its NAICS code is 32511 and its SIC code is 2860.