SOS Carbon

What SOS Carbon does

SOS Carbon is a private, MIT-founded climate-tech company established in 2018 to address the environmental, economic, and public-health impacts of invasive sargassum seaweed across the Caribbean. The company is incorporated in the Dominican Republic with a headquarters in Santo Domingo and operational presence in Punta Cana, and serves tourism operators (hotels, resorts), coastal municipalities and public institutions, power plants and coastal infrastructure owners, industrial processing companies, and emerging carbon-offset buyers in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and (per company materials) West Africa. Its mission is to deliver the most cost-effective and responsible sargassum collection, disposal, and valorization solutions.

The company's technology stack is built on two core systems. The Littoral Collection Module (LCM) is a patent-pending, low-capital harvesting device mounted on artisanal or small vessels that collects sargassum offshore and nearshore before landfall, with stated capacity of up to 150,000 pounds of fresh seaweed per workday per unit and more than seven direct local jobs generated per deployed system. The SOS (Sargassum Ocean Sequestration) System is a registered patent covering the sinking of sargassum in the deep ocean for carbon and methane sequestration, producing verifiable carbon credits. SOS Carbon is differentiated by the first and only environmental permit for on-water sargassum collection in the Dominican Republic, plus export permits, and by sand-free collection that simplifies downstream composting and anaerobic digestion.

SOS Carbon operates a multi-stream revenue model: (1) professional services for end-to-end integral sargassum management (offshore and nearshore harvesting, sea-to-land transfer, logistics, storage, beach interface, and environmental monitoring); (2) hardware sales, technology licensing, and equipment rental of the LCM; (3) direct seaweed supply (fresh or dried) via a dedicated marketplace platform, including to sister company SOS Biotech for biochemical, textile, and bioinput production; and (4) emerging carbon credit sales from the SOS System. Pricing is custom and quote-based, structured around multi-year contracts tailored to client location and scale. The company is founder-led by CEO Andrés Bisonó León, integrates coastal communities through the Terra & Marre Foundation, and maintains 30+ formal collaborations including MIT programs, the British Embassy in the Dominican Republic, and Invest Puerto Rico/Newlab. As of the source data, the team is 1-10 employees, no funding rounds or revenue figures are publicly disclosed, and the company is actively seeking capital to scale commercially toward 2027-2028 in response to record sargassum landings.

Name

SOS Carbon

Legal name

SOS Carbon

Website

https://soscarbon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOS Carbon is a Dominican Republic-based climate-tech company founded through MIT research that delivers patented sargassum harvesting and ocean carbon-sequestration systems, alongside integral management services and biomass supply, to Caribbean tourism operators, municipalities, power plants, and industrial processors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Environmental Services

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-oil & Biomass Burial / Geologic Biomass Storage (EUABAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon Removal Credits Trading (DAC, BECCS, Biochar, Mineralization) (EUAGAIAL), CO₂ Storage & Sequestration for BECCS (Saline Aquifers, Depleted Fields, MRV) (EUAAALAF), Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae) (AFAEAAAE)

Keywords

• Sargassum collection systems
• Marine debris management
• Ocean carbon sequestration
• Coastal protection services
• Blue economy solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sargassum Collection and Disposal Services: Direct service provision of sargassum seaweed collection and disposal for tourism industry and coastal communities. Revenue generated through service contracts with hotels, resorts, municipalities, and tourism operators.
2. Device Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacturing and selling the LCM (Littoral Collection Module) system to clients requiring their own sargassum management capabilities.
3. Technology Licensing and Equipment Rental: Licensing the proprietary LCM technology and providing equipment rental options for clients who prefer not to purchase outright.
4. Carbon Sequestration and Carbon Credits: The SOS System enables carbon sequestration through sinking sargassum in the ocean, generating carbon credits for sale.
5. Marine Debris Management Systems: Providing comprehensive marine debris management systems including barriers, booms, and operational support services.
6. Technical Consulting and Engineering: Technical consulting services for sargassum management strategy, operational planning, and engineering support.
7. Seaweed Supply (Fresh or Dried): Supplying collected sargassum seaweed to processing companies and industrial users. They have the first and only environmental permit for sargassum collection on water in Dominican Republic.
8. Seaweed Testing and R&D Services: Lab testing and R&D services including nutrient levels, heavy metals content analysis in partnership with local laboratories and universities.
9. Sustainable Textiles and Biochemicals Production: Transforming invasive seaweed into sustainable textiles, dyes, and biochemicals through partnership with sister company SOS Biotech.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SOS Carbon develops, manufactures, and deploys proprietary sargassum seaweed management technologies and services. Its Littoral Collection Module (LCM) is a patent-pending, low-capital harvesting system that mounts on artisanal and small vessels for offshore and nearshore collection of invasive sargassum (up to 150,000 lbs per workday per unit). Its patented SOS (Sargassum Ocean Sequestration) System sinks sargassum in the deep ocean to enable carbon sequestration and carbon credit generation. Around these technologies the company delivers end-to-end integral sargassum management services, fresh and dried seaweed supply, marine debris barriers and booms, technical consulting, engineering, and seaweed testing and R&D.

Product overview

SOS Carbon offers an integrated portfolio of climate-tech solutions for sargassum seaweed management, centered around two core patented technologies: the Littoral Collection Module (LCM) System for offshore harvesting and the SOS System (Sargassum Ocean Sequestration) for carbon sequestration. The company provides end-to-end services including seaweed supply (fresh/dried), processing, and R&D, supported by the Sargassum Seaweed Marketplace platform. Their Authentic Caribbean Vibes merchandise line allows consumers to support the mission. Services are delivered through partnerships with coastal communities, artisanal fishermen, and sister company SOS Biotech for bioinput production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Authentic Caribbean Vibes: A collection of stylish gear where each purchase helps remove over 20 kg of sargassum from beaches while providing employment for local communities. Supports climate action and ocean protection.

Products and services

• Littoral Collection Module (LCM) System A patent-pending, ecosystem-protective harvesting technology that mounts on artisanal and small vessels for offshore and nearshore collection of sargassum seaweed before it reaches the coast. Provides up to 150,000 lbs of fresh seaweed harvesting capacity per workday and generates more than 7 direct jobs per unit. Sold or licensed to tourism operators, coastal communities, and public institutions requiring their own sargassum management capability.
• SOS (Sargassum Ocean Sequestration of Carbon) System A patented technology that sinks sargassum seaweed in the deep ocean, enabling carbon and methane sequestration and the generation of carbon and methane sequestration credits. Sold to corporate buyers as part of SOS Carbon's carbon offset offering, supported by a published academic paper.
• Integral Sargassum Management Services End-to-end services including offshore and nearshore harvesting, sea-to-land transfer systems, logistics and storage, beach interface solutions, and environmental monitoring to protect coastal ecosystems and preserve beach and reef integrity. Sold to tourism operators, hotels, resorts, coastal municipalities, infrastructure owners, and power plants.
• Seaweed Supply (Fresh or Dried) Fresh or dried sargassum biomass collected from water with minimal contaminants, supplied to processing companies and industrial users under SOS Carbon's Dominican Republic collection and export permits.
• Sargassum Seaweed Marketplace A direct contact-based marketplace offering sargassum biomass in fresh, dried, or other preparations at sampling sizes or container load quantities, connecting buyers with the company's collection and processing supply chain.
• Seaweed Processing and R&D Services Seaweed processing services combined with lab testing and R&D capabilities. Works with local laboratories and regional universities to provide sargassum testing for nutrient levels, heavy metals content, and other components. Sold to industrial processing partners and research clients.
• Carbon Sequestration Credits Carbon and methane sequestration credits generated through the SOS System by sinking sargassum seaweed in the ocean. Sold to corporate buyers and entities seeking verified climate impact mitigation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 150,000 lbs of fresh seaweed harvested per workday per LCM unit
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOS Carbon originated through research and engineering work at MIT. Collaborates with multiple MIT units including Legatum Center, MIT Sloan Latin America Office, MIT PKG (Public Service Center), and Sandbox. The company was founded by MIT-affiliated team members.
• SOS BiotechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company leading the transformation of sargassum into bioinputs and other value-added products. Collaborates with SOS Carbon on supply chains and processing pathways.
• Terra & Marre FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation created to educate and empower local communities about the environment and coastal ecosystems, building capabilities to fight Climate Change and prepare for employment opportunities.
• Invest Puerto Rico and NewlabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected among 5 startups to pilot solutions for converting unmanaged and landfilled items into new value-added products through this innovation partnership.
• British Embassy in Dominican RepublicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish Embassy visited Punta Cana to learn about environmental sanitation technologies that promote job creation, showing governmental support and interest in the technology.
• Local Laboratories and Regional UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local laboratories and regional universities to provide quick and precise sargassum testing for nutrient levels, heavy metals content, and other components.
• Third-party Processing CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with third-party processing companies to ensure responsible handling and valorization of collected sargassum biomass.
• Local Logistics CompaniesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIntegration with local logistics companies to provide shipping solutions for sargassum supply chains and export operations.
• Coastal Communities and Artisanal FishermencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking closely with coastal communities and artisanal fishermen, integrating them into formal employment through training, equipment deployment, and long-term operational roles. Creates sustained social and economic benefits.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Running Tide: Ocean-based carbon removal company that grows and sinks kelp biomass to sequester carbon. Closest analogue to SOS Carbon's SOS System, which sinks sargassum in the open ocean to generate carbon and methane removal credits.
• Charm Industrial: Permanent carbon removal company that converts biomass into bio-oil and sequesters it underground. Directly comparable to SOS Carbon's biomass-burial carbon-removal approach and validates the broader business model of monetizing waste biomass as removal credits.

Emerging players

• Project Vesta: Coastal carbon removal startup that uses enhanced mineral weathering on beaches to capture CO2. Comparable as an early-stage nature/ocean-based removal company targeting corporates and governments for credit offtake, adjacent to SOS Carbon's open-ocean approach.
• Atlantic Sea Farms: Commercial kelp aquaculture company that grows, processes, and markets seaweed-based products. Comparable in the seaweed value chain and productization angle (textiles, biochemicals, food) and adjacent to SOS Carbon's downstream ambitions via SOS Biotech.
• Sea6 Energy: India-based ocean-tech company cultivating and processing seaweed at scale for biofuels, bioplastics, and agricultural inputs. Comparable in seaweed-to-bioeconomy productization and the same fundamental challenge of monetizing large volumes of cultivated or collected biomass.
• Cascadia Seaweed: British Columbia-based seaweed cultivator and processor producing food, agricultural, and bioproduct ingredients. Comparable as a vertically integrated seaweed biomass business with analogous downstream markets to those SOS Carbon is entering via SOS Biotech.
• Tidal Vision: Seaweed-derived products company producing chitosan-based solutions for agriculture, water treatment, and industrial applications. Comparable in commercializing seaweed biomass into higher-value end markets, mirroring the downstream play SOS Carbon is pursuing through SOS Biotech.

Broad incumbents

• Climeworks: Largest direct air capture player and a leading corporate offtake counterparty for durable carbon removal credits. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in the carbon-removal market SOS Carbon is targeting with the SOS System, and as a reference point for credit pricing, offtake structures, and MRV expectations.
• Heirloom Carbon: DAC-plus-mineralization carbon removal company with corporate offtake contracts across the FORTUNE 100. Comparable as a competing durable-removal technology route competing for the same corporate carbon-credit buyer pool that SOS Carbon's SOS System is targeting.

Others

• Saildrone: Autonomous ocean-data and surveillance company whose USV fleet already supports Atlantic sargassum monitoring for NOAA and others. Comparable as enabling technology for sargassum tracking, biomass quantification, and potentially future MRV for SOS Carbon's sequestration system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sos_carbon
• Xx.com/sos_carbon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 SOS Carbon