What Liquid Trees does

Liquid Trees is a San Francisco-based climate technology company that develops biological carbon removal solutions across two product lines: Ocean Iron Fertilization (OIF) and the Liquid Tree urban photobioreactor. OIF involves adding trace amounts of bioavailable iron (delivered as very dilute ferrous sulfate) to High-Nutrient, Low-Chlorophyll (HNLC) ocean regions to stimulate diatom-dominated phytoplankton blooms, with engineered preference for export-prone species such as Chaetoceros, Thalassiosira, and Fragilariopsis that sink rapidly and transfer carbon to the deep ocean. The company's Liquid Tree is a 1,600-liter outdoor microalgae photobioreactor that captures CO2, produces oxygen, removes particulate matter, and yields bio-fertilizer, with each unit equivalent to approximately six mature trees in annual CO2 removal. A third service line applies the same diatom-led biology to freshwater bioremediation for rivers and lakes.

Founded in 2022 by Daniel Neetzel, Liquid Trees operates with 101-250 employees and has assessed over 45 river-based carbon projects across 10 countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mexico, and India. Its scientific credibility rests on collaborations with Prof. Victor Smetacek, Dr. Christine Klaas (Alfred Wegener Institute), and Dr. Matthew Savoca, drawing on 30+ years of Southern Ocean iron fertilization research. The company operates under London Convention/Protocol governance frameworks with a proprietary MRV system that includes defined pause and stop thresholds for dissolved iron concentrations.

Liquid Trees monetizes through research collaborations, corporate partnerships, and likely carbon credit sales, though revenue and pricing are not publicly disclosed. Its customer base spans climate and environmental research institutions (its primary segment) and corporate sustainability partners (with DS Group / Dharampal Satyapal Group as the flagship enterprise deployment of the Liquid Tree photobioreactor in Noida, India). Distribution is direct and field-based rather than channel-mediated, and the company has disclosed one funding round from Unruly Capital in 2023.

Name

Liquid Trees

Legal name

Liquid Trees

Website

https://liquidtrees.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Liquid Trees is a San Francisco-based climate technology company developing Ocean Iron Fertilization (OIF) and microalgae photobioreactor systems for ocean and urban carbon sequestration, serving research institutions and corporate sustainability partners such as DS Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Removal Services

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon Removal Project Development, Financing & Offtake (Developers, Aggregators, Buyers Clubs) (EUABAFAL), Bioremediation & Phytoremediation (Enhanced Bioremediation, Natural Attenuation) (EUAIALAF)

Keywords

• Ocean carbon removal
• Iron fertilization
• Microalgae bioreactors
• Carbon sequestration
• Freshwater bioremediation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Collaboration & Field Trial Partnerships: Liquid Trees collaborates with funders and partners who advance field trials, including project financing and on-the-ground scientific work. Revenue appears to come from research partnerships, government grants, and corporate collaborations for carbon removal projects.
2. Carbon Removal Credits: The company assesses carbon projects across multiple countries and likely generates revenue through carbon credits from verified ocean iron fertilization and freshwater bioremediation projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Liquid Trees offers scientifically rigorous ocean and urban carbon removal through two core technology platforms: (1) Ocean Iron Fertilization (OIF), which adds trace amounts of bioavailable iron to High-Nutrient, Low-Chlorophyll (HNLC) ocean regions to stimulate diatom blooms and durably sequester carbon in the deep ocean; and (2) the Liquid Tree Urban Photobioreactor, the world's largest outdoor microalgae system (1,600 L) deployed with corporate partners for urban CO2 capture, oxygen production, particulate-matter removal, and bio-fertilizer generation. The company also provides diatom-led freshwater bioremediation services for rivers and lakes.

Product overview

Liquid Trees operates two primary product/service lines: (1) Ocean Iron Fertilization (OIF) — the company's core ocean restoration technology that adds trace iron to HNLC ocean regions to stimulate phytoplankton blooms and enhance carbon sequestration in the deep ocean; and (2) the Liquid Tree Urban Photobioreactor — in collaboration with DS Group, the world's largest outdoor microalgae photobioreactor for urban air cleaning and CO₂ capture. The company also offers freshwater diatom-led bioremediation services for rivers and lakes. OIF is supported by comprehensive scientific research, safety frameworks, and monitoring protocols, while the Liquid Tree represents an applied commercial deployment for urban sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Iron Fertilization (OIF) A measured, evidence-based ocean carbon removal method involving addition of trace amounts of bioavailable iron to High-Nutrient, Low-Chlorophyll (HNLC) regions to enhance marine productivity and durably sequester carbon in the deep ocean. Targeted at climate research institutions, government ocean programs, and corporate carbon offset buyers.
• Liquid Tree Urban Photobioreactor The world's largest outdoor photobioreactor (1,600 L microalgae system) deployed in collaboration with DS Group that absorbs CO2, produces oxygen, removes particulate matter, and yields bio-fertilizer. Equivalent to approximately six mature trees worth of CO2 removal per year. Designed for corporate campuses and urban sustainability installations.
• Diatom-Led Freshwater Bioremediation Freshwater bioremediation and carbon removal service using diatoms, including bioaugmentation to foster diatom growth in rivers and targeting harmful algal blooms (HABs) in lakes. Served organizations and governments interested in freshwater ecosystem restoration (e.g., Jamuna River Bangladesh, Kech River Pakistan, Salinas River Mexico, Amba River India).

Quantifiable outcome

• Each Liquid Tree unit removes ~6 mature trees' worth of CO2 per year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• DS Group (Dharampal Satyapal Group)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2024DS Group partnered with Liquid Trees to install India's first outdoor 'Liquid Tree' photobioreactor at DS Group's Noida headquarters. This represents the world's largest outdoor photobioreactor (1,600 L capacity) demonstrating urban carbon capture using microalgae technology.
• Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific collaboration with AWI researchers including Dr. Christine Klaas (plankton ecologist with experience from EisenEx and EIFEX experiments) and access to Southern Ocean research expertise for OIF science development.
• Dr. Matthew SavocacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Matthew Savoca, marine ecologist known for research on whale ecology and nutrient cycling, to advance understanding of whale-krill-iron recycling and biological carbon pump mechanisms.
• Prof. Victor SmetacekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Prof. Victor Smetacek on OIF science, addressing misconceptions, and ecosystem pathway research. Contributed to safety documentation and governance frameworks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Charm Industrial: Biomass-based CDR company converting agricultural residues into bio-oil for underground sequestration. Comparable as a durable-CDR peer pursuing credit sales via the same buyer coalitions (Stripe, Frontier, Microsoft).
• Equatic: Ocean CDR company using electrolysis to sequester CO2 while producing hydrogen. Directly comparable as a venture-backed ocean-based carbon removal peer pursuing gigaton-scale impact with measured MRV.
• Running Tide: Was an ocean CDR company using macroalgae sinking and ocean iron pathways. Directly comparable historically as an ocean-based removal venture; relevant as a cautionary peer on capital and execution risk.
• Planetary Technologies: Developer of ocean alkalinity enhancement for CO2 removal. Directly comparable as an ocean CDR specialist focused on measurable, verifiable carbon storage in seawater.
• Heirloom Carbon: Direct air capture company using limestone-based sorbents. Comparable as a venture-backed durable CDR peer competing for the same corporate offtake and Frontier-style buyer capital.
• CarbonCapture Inc. Direct air capture company building megaton-scale facilities. Comparable as a CDR peer in the durable-removal category targeting similar corporate offtakers and credit pricing.
• Ebb Carbon: Ocean-based carbon removal company using ocean alkalinity enhancement. Directly comparable to Liquid Trees as an ocean CDR startup pursuing durable, nature-mimicking carbon storage pathways.

Broad incumbents

• Puro.earth: Carbon removal registry and marketplace. Comparable as the infrastructure layer through which Liquid Trees' OIF and photobioreactor credits could be issued, priced, and sold to corporate buyers.
• Climeworks: Largest-scale direct air capture operator. Comparable as the established CDR incumbent competing for the same voluntary carbon market and corporate offtake demand that Liquid Trees' OIF credits would target.
• Isometric: Carbon removal registry built by a team of leading climate scientists. Comparable as a high-integrity registry that could ultimately certify Liquid Trees' ocean and freshwater removal credits.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Liquid Trees