What CarbonRun does

CarbonRun is a Nova Scotia-based cleantech company that generates and sells verified carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits using River Alkalinity Enhancement (RAE), a process that adds finely crushed natural limestone to acidified rivers to convert atmospheric and soil CO2 into stable bicarbonate ions that are transported to the ocean for millennia-scale storage. The company deploys in-river limestone dosers — small-footprint hardware powered by renewable energy, sited near limestone sources — and operates an independent monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) stack built on real-time in-river carbon measurement, third-party validation (350Solutions) and the world's first certified CDR protocol for RAE co-developed with Isometric. The technology was developed by founder Dr. Shannon Sterling, an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University, based on two decades of freshwater alkalinity research.

The business model is the sale of verified carbon removal credits under long-term offtake agreements to enterprise buyers. The primary commercial channel is Frontier Climate, an advance market commitment aggregating corporate demand, which committed $25.4 million to CarbonRun for the removal of more than 55,000 tonnes of CO2 between 2025 and 2029 — representing Frontier's first marine-based CDR deal. Beyond Frontier, the company has sold credits to financial-services buyers (RBC) and is working to expand the buyer base. Customers are enterprise corporate sustainability programs (technology, retail, consulting, banking) seeking durable, science-based removals for net-zero commitments. Revenue is recognized through credit delivery under these offtakes; pricing is negotiated bilaterally and is not publicly disclosed.

Active operational sites include the West River Pictou Project in Nova Scotia (opened 2024-10, the world's first dedicated RAE-for-CDR project) and the Kvina River project in Agder, Norway (the first site to issue verified RAE credits, 2026-01, with mineral feedstock from Omya International). Partnerships span the CDR stack: Isometric for protocol and registry, Omya for feedstock, Nova Scotia Salmon Association and Dalhousie University for science and field operations, and Counteract, Propeller, Plug and Play, NorthX Climate Tech, Terraset and CUR8 as financial partners. Co-benefits of the deployment model — restored water quality, higher fish populations, coastal ocean rebalancing and rural/Indigenous employment — are integral to site siting and stakeholder engagement.

Name

CarbonRun

Legal name

CarbonRun

Website

https://carbonrun.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CarbonRun is a Nova Scotia-based climate technology company that sells verified carbon dioxide removal credits generated through River Alkalinity Enhancement — adding crushed limestone to acidified rivers to convert CO2 into stable bicarbonate for long-term ocean storage — to enterprise corporate buyers under multi-year offtake agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Dioxide Removal Services

NAICS

Crushed and Broken Limestone Mining and Quarrying (212312)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Carbon Removal Project Development, Financing & Offtake (Developers, Aggregators, Buyers Clubs) (EUABAFAL)

Keywords

• Carbon dioxide removal
• River restoration services
• Carbon removal credits
• Nature-based solutions
• Climate technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Carbon Removal Credits: CarbonRun generates revenue by selling verified carbon removal credits to enterprise buyers through offtake agreements. The company earns credits for CO2 removal through river alkalinity enhancement, which are verified by third-party certifiers like Isometric and delivered to buyers under long-term agreements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CarbonRun restores acidified rivers and removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using River Alkalinity Enhancement (RAE). The company deploys proprietary Limestone Doser Technology that adds crushed natural limestone to degraded rivers, converting CO2 into stable bicarbonate that is transported to the ocean for permanent storage on millennial timescales. The company monetizes this work by issuing and selling Verified Carbon Removal Credits, generated under the Isometric RAE CDR Protocol, to enterprise buyers through offtake agreements.

Product overview

CarbonRun offers a single unified product: River Alkalinity Enhancement (RAE) technology for carbon dioxide removal. The core offering consists of their limestone doser technology that adds crushed natural limestone to acidified rivers, which converts atmospheric and soil CO2 into stable bicarbonate transported to oceans for millennium-scale storage. The company generates value by issuing verified carbon removal credits, selling offtake agreements to corporate buyers, and providing ecological restoration co-benefits including improved water quality, boosted fish populations, and reduced ocean acidification. Projects are deployed in degraded river systems globally, with active sites in Nova Scotia (West River Pictou) and Norway (Kvina River).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• River Alkalinity Enhancement (RAE) CarbonRun's primary carbon dioxide removal methodology that adds crushed natural limestone to acidified rivers, converting CO2 into stable bicarbonate ions that rivers transport to the ocean for millennia-scale storage. The process also restores river health, improves water quality, and boosts aquatic biodiversity, with projects deployed in degraded river systems for enterprise buyers seeking verified durable removal.
• Limestone Doser Technology CarbonRun's proprietary equipment that delivers crushed natural limestone into acidified rivers in a controlled manner. The dosers have a small environmental footprint and minimal ecosystem impact, are powered by renewable energy, and are strategically located near limestone sources to reduce transport emissions; they enable the in-river conversion of CO2 into stable bicarbonate.
• Verified River Alkalinity Enhancement Carbon Removal Credits Carbon credits representing verified tonnes of CO2 removed and durably sequestered as stable bicarbonate in ocean reservoirs, generated under the Isometric River Alkalinity Enhancement CDR Protocol and supported by rigorous MRV with third-party validation (e.g., 350Solutions). Sold to enterprise buyers through offtake agreements, with the first verified RAE credits issued from the Kvina River project in Agder, Norway, including a major tranche purchased by RBC.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-15% of global carbon removal need by 2050
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Omya International AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026Omya supplied the mineral feedstock (Biokalk 75 limestone slurry) for CarbonRun's Kvina River project in Norway. Omya's early investment and long-term commitment to climate solutions were foundational to the world's first verified River Alkalinity Enhancement credits.
• IsometriccoreTechnology or IntegrationIsometric developed the first certified protocol for carbon dioxide removal through River Alkalinity Enhancement. CarbonRun played a key role in shaping this framework, contributing field experience and scientific expertise. Isometric provides the registry and verification framework for CarbonRun's carbon credits.
• Dalhousie UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbonRun founder Dr. Shannon Sterling is an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The company collaborates with the university for research and scientific expertise in watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry.
• Nova Scotia Salmon AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nova Scotia Salmon Association has partnered with CarbonRun on river restoration projects. NSSA installed North America's first in-stream lime doser on the West River in 2005, and their long-term lime dosing program generated carbon removal credits purchased by RBC.
• 350SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration350Solutions validated and verified the Kvina River project under the Isometric River Alkalinity Enhancement CDR Protocol, ensuring the project's carbon removal claims meet rigorous scientific standards.
• Canada GovernmentminorOthersCanadian federal and provincial government partners supporting carbon technology innovation and river restoration initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• CarbonCapture Inc. Direct air capture company commercializing modular DAC systems for permanent geological storage. Comparable to CarbonRun as a CDR credit issuer selling verified removal to enterprise buyers, with overlap in the voluntary carbon market procurement ecosystem.
• BCarbon: Biochar-based carbon removal project developer producing verified removal credits from biomass pyrolysis. Comparable to CarbonRun as a project developer of nature/chemistry-based CDR credits selling into voluntary markets, though using biomass feedstock rather than mineral feedstock.

Broad incumbents

• 1PointFive (Occidental): Occidental subsidiary building Stratos, the largest planned DAC facility, and selling CDR credits at scale to corporate offtakers. Comparable to CarbonRun as a high-volume CDR credit supplier competing for the same enterprise buyers, though operating at significantly larger scale and capital base.
• Climeworks: Pioneer and incumbent in direct air capture with operational commercial plants and Orca/Mammoth facilities. Comparable to CarbonRun as a CDR credit seller competing for the same corporate voluntary market dollars, though using DAC rather than enhanced weathering and operating at larger scale.

Direct peers

• Heirloom Carbon Technologies: Direct air capture company using limestone sorbents to capture CO2 that is then mineralized in concrete. Comparable to CarbonRun as a mineralization-flavored CDR credit company selling verified removal credits to enterprise buyers including Stripe and Microsoft, though using DAC rather than river chemistry.
• Equatic: Ocean-based carbon removal company using electrochemistry to dissolve CO2 into seawater as stable bicarbonate, storing it in the ocean for 10,000+ years. The closest peer to CarbonRun because both target ocean alkalinity enhancement as the durable storage mechanism and both sell CDR credits into voluntary markets.
• Lithos Carbon: Enhanced rock weathering CDR company spreading basalt on agricultural land to accelerate natural CO2 mineralization. Highly comparable to CarbonRun's RAE because both rely on mineral weathering reactions to convert CO2 into stable bicarbonate, and both sell verified CDR credits to enterprise buyers with similar MRV challenges.
• CarbonCure Technologies: CO2 mineralization company that injects captured CO2 into fresh concrete to mineralize permanently. Comparable to CarbonRun as a mineralization-based CDR credit seller targeting enterprise buyers, with the key difference that CarbonCure's substrate is concrete while CarbonRun's is river water.
• Eion Carbon: Enhanced rock weathering company applying olivine to farmland for permanent CO2 removal. Directly comparable to CarbonRun in technology approach (mineral weathering for CDR), buyer base (corporate voluntary market), and go-to-market (offtake agreements with corporates like Stripe and Shopify).

Others

• Puro.earth: Carbon removal marketplace and registry (now part of Nasdaq) issuing CORC credits across biochar, DAC, mineralization, and other CDR methods. Comparable to CarbonRun as a CDR infrastructure enabler that could host and certify CarbonRun's credits, and as a marketplace competing with Frontier for buyer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CarbonRun

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 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 CarbonRun