What Carbonauten does

Carbonauten GmbH (formerly associated with Carbuna AG; founded 2017 by Torsten Becker and Christoph Hiemer) is a German industrial carbonization company headquartered in Giengen an der Brenz that converts woody biomass residues into CO2-negative biocarbon materials sold under the NET Materials® brand. Its proprietary Directly Heated Batch Retort runs slow pyrolysis between 400°C and 700°C, has no moving parts, and is designed to operate 8,000+ hours per year, producing biocarbons (each ton binding up to 3.67 tons CO2 equivalent), pyrolysis oils, and synthesis gas from a single feedstock input. The company is organized around five go-to-market verticals — carbonauten agriculture (bio stimulant and soil activator), carbonauten polymers (compounds and masterbatches with 40–50% biocarbon content), carbonauten construction (cement, concrete, masonry, asphalt, insulation), carbonauten chemistry (platform chemicals from pyrolysis oils), and carbonauten energy (heat, electricity, and green hydrogen) — plus a carbon removal certificate line through the carbonauten carbon removal fund priced at €0–50 per certificate.

The business is structured around decentralized 'minus CO2 factory' production sites deployed near biomass sources, with factory 001 in Eberswalde commissioned in 2023 as both an industrial and R&D site, and factory 002 in Chibi, Hubei (China) under construction since November 2023 with planned annual output of 65,000 tons biocarbons, 65,000 tons pyrolysis oils and 300,000 MWh of renewable energy from 200,000 tons of waste bamboo. Revenue is generated through enterprise B2B sales of NET Materials® (compounds, masterbatches, raw biocarbons to plastics, automotive, construction and chemical customers), by-product energy sales (€40/MWh thermal and above), pyrolysis oil sales to chemical companies, CO2 removal certificates, and — in principle — future technology licensing. Named enterprise customers and partners include Deutsche Bahn (flagship reference for CO2-negative ICE interior parts at 33% biocarbon), Daimler (Mercedes-Benz trunk tray), Gardena (garden fittings), Formcase (high-tech protective cases with 25% biocarbon), Volvo Construction Equipment, and Montemeão as a Tier-1 OEM fabricator.

The company is private (German GmbH) with disclosed capital of approximately €3.6 million of equity from Climate Carbon/ForestFinance Capital (2021) plus a €1 million Baden-Württemberg research grant (2021), a 5% strategic stake acquired by industrial group HUEHOCO in January 2022, and accelerator participation in MassChallenge (2020). Two working spin-offs — carbonauten agriculture and carbonauten polymers (plus a construction entity) — are managed as adjacent subsidiaries, with a planned formal restructuring into separate GmbH & Co. KGs (80% Carbonauten / 20% sector managers) intended to enable vertical-specific investor entry. Geographic expansion is explicitly staged into Spain, USA, the Balkans, and Indonesia on the path to a stated 2040 ambition of one gigatonne of CO2 avoidance per year.

Name

Carbonauten

Legal name

carbonauten GmbH

Website

https://carbonauten.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carbonauten GmbH is a German industrial carbonization company producing CO2-negative biocarbon-based NET Materials® (compounds, masterbatches, soil activators, platform chemicals and energy) via decentralized pyrolytic 'minus CO2 factories' for plastics, agriculture, construction, chemical and carbon-removal customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial biocarbon materials

NAICS

Basic Chemical Manufacturing (3251), Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991), Petrochemical Manufacturing (32511)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-based Carbon Products & Advanced Bioproducts (Biochar, activated carbon, carbon black alternatives) (EUAAAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biochar Carbon Projects (Biomass to Biochar & Soil Application) (EUABABAH), CO₂‑to‑Polymers & Plastics (polycarbonates, polyols, polyurethane intermediates, specialty polymers) (EUABAIAD), Biofuels & Renewable Fuels Switching (Biomethane/RNG, Bio-oils, Sustainable Biomass) (EUABAJAD), Carbon Removal Credits Trading (DAC, BECCS, Biochar, Mineralization) (EUAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Biocarbon materials
• Pyrolytic carbonization
• CO2 removal technology
• Polymer compounds
• Renewable energy

Headquarters

HQ city

Giengen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. NET Materials® Sales: Sales of biocarbon-based materials including compounds, masterbatches, and raw biocarbons to industrial customers in plastics, chemical, agricultural, and construction industries.
2. CO2 Certificates: Sale of carbon removal certificates corresponding to the CO2 permanently bound in biocarbon products. Prices ranging from €0 to €50 per certificate.
3. Energy Sales: Sales of thermal energy, electricity, and hydrogen produced as byproducts of the pyrolysis process.
4. Pyrolysis Oils Sales: Sales of pyrolysis oils (bio-oils) as feedstock for the chemical industry, serving as platform chemicals.
5. Technology Licensing: Potential future licensing revenue from the proprietary carbonization technology to third-party operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carbonauten develops and operates decentralized 'minus CO2 factories' that use proprietary pyrolytic carbonization (slow pyrolysis at 400-700°C) to convert woody biomass residues into biocarbons branded as NET Materials®, pyrolysis oils, and synthesis gas. Each ton of biocarbon permanently binds up to 3.67 tons of CO2 equivalent. The company sells CO2-negative compounds, masterbatches, raw biocarbons, and agricultural soil products to industrial customers in plastics, chemical, agricultural, and construction sectors, alongside CO2 removal certificates and renewable energy byproducts.

Product overview

Carbonauten operates as a decentralized manufacturing company producing CO2-negative industrial materials through proprietary carbonization technology. The core offering is NET Materials® (Negative Emission Technology), processed biocarbons that bind CO2 permanently. The product portfolio is organized into five specialized sub-brands: carbonauten agriculture (bio stimulant and soil activator products for farming), carbonauten polymers (compounds and masterbatches with 40-50% biocarbon content for plastics), carbonauten construction (CO2-negative building materials), carbonauten chemistry (platform chemicals from pyrolysis oils), and carbonauten energy (renewable energy and CO2 certificates). Production occurs in modular 'minus CO2 factories' that carbonize woody biomass residues at 400°-700°C to produce biocarbons, pyrolysis oils, and synthesis gas used for energy. Each factory generates additional revenue streams through energy contracting and carbon removal certificates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NET Materials®: Negative Emission Technology materials - CO2-negative precursors for plastics, chemical, agricultural and construction industries produced from biocarbons
• minus CO2 factory
• carbonauten agriculture
• carbonauten polymers
• carbonauten construction
• carbonauten carbon removal fund

Products and services

• NET Materials® The company's flagship CO2-negative material brand (Negative Emission Technology). Processed biocarbons that permanently physically bind up to 3.67 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of biocarbon. Precursors for plastics, chemical, agricultural and construction industries.
• minus CO2 factories Decentralized production facilities using proprietary carbonization technology to process woody biomass residues into biocarbons, pyrolysis oils, and renewable energy. Modular design with 10,000-50,000 tonnes annual biocarbon capacity per site.
• carbonauten® bio stimulant Environmentally friendly agricultural product that stimulates plant growth, improves soil fertility, and accelerates seed germination. Strengthens plant self-defense against harmful fungi, bacteria, and parasites. Applied by mixing 2-3% with water.
• carbonauten® soil activator Organic soil enhancer mixture of specified biocarbons and carbonauten® bio stimulant. Improves plant productivity and long-term soil fertility, increases yields, and reduces expensive agrochemicals and toxins. Applied using conventional farming machinery.
• carbonauten polymers compounds and masterbatches Ready-to-use CO2-negative compounds and masterbatches with up to 50% biocarbon fill levels (including ABS Tech BioC 40/70/5 IM, HP Tech BioC 50/70/0.3 ET, ICP Tech BioC 50/70/4 IM, and ICP Tech BioC 50/70/6 IM variants). Properties include improved temperature and UV resistance, dimensional stability, stiffness, and reduced weight. Long-term goal of achieving 90% biocarbon fill levels.
• carbonauten construction materials CO2-negative construction materials using technical biocarbons in cement, concrete, masonry, clay, loam, plaster, asphalt, filling and insulation applications. Features high recyclability, natural black color, improved dimensional stability, weight reduction, and high temperature resistance.
• carbonauten chemistry platform chemicals Platform chemicals derived from pyrolysis oils produced during carbonization of woody biomass residues. Used as raw materials for the chemical industry. Medium-term plan to expand into biopolymers at central biorefinery locations.
• carbonauten energy Base-load capable renewable energy (thermal, electrical, and green hydrogen) from carbonization process. Provides up to 1,250°C process heat, 24 GWh heat and 10 GWh electricity per year per plant, or 120-1,000 tonnes green hydrogen. Offered through energy contracting model starting at €40/MWh thermal.
• carbonauten carbon removal fund (CO2 certificates) High-quality CO2 certificates for the voluntary market priced at €0-50 per certificate. Each smallest plant generates 10,000-18,000 certificates annually. Part of revenues finance ecological and social projects plus production sites and investments.
• Biocokes from problematic materials Carbonized products from chemically contaminated damaged wood or old railway sleepers. Burned in blast furnaces to replace brown and black coal.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.67 tons CO2 equivalent permanently bound per ton of biocarbon produced
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• University of HohenheimcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Research partnership for €1 million project funded by Baden-Württemberg. Collaboration focuses on advancing biocarbon applications and scientific validation of carbon sequestration claims.
• Deutsche BahnflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship partnership developing CO2-negative interior components for ICE trains including seat shells and armrests. Represents the company's most prominent commercial reference customer.
• FormcasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on high-tech protective cases incorporating biocarbon materials. Joint product development to demonstrate biocarbon applications in consumer products.
• GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for agricultural applications in Ghana, specifically pineapple cultivation using biocarbon soil amendments.
• MontemeãominorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPortuguese supplier providing components for ICE train interior parts developed with Deutsche Bahn partnership.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Climeworks: Swiss direct air capture (DAC) company and leading high-quality carbon removal provider. Comparable as a competitor for high-quality CO2 removal certificate sales, though operating a fundamentally different capture technology.

Emerging players

• Charm Industrial: US-based carbon removal company converting biomass into bio-oil for underground sequestration. Comparable on the biomass-to-stable-carbon theme and as a competitor in the high-quality voluntary carbon removal market.

Direct peers

• Swiss Biochar: Swiss biochar producer and carbon removal project developer. Comparable to Carbonauten across both biochar material sales and CO2 certificate generation, particularly in the European market.
• CarbonOrO: Biochar producer offering biochar products and CO2 removal certificates. Comparable business model spanning biochar materials and voluntary carbon market sales.
• PYREG GmbH: German developer and manufacturer of pyrolysis systems for biochar production from biomass residues. Closely comparable to Carbonauten on core technology (slow pyrolysis), feedstock type, and target use cases (agriculture, animal husbandry, carbon sinks).
• Novocarbo: German biochar producer and carbon removal project developer operating decentralized pyrolysis plants. Closely comparable to Carbonauten's minus CO2 factory concept and CO2 certificate business model.
• Wakefield Biochar: US-based biochar producer using pyrolysis technology for soil and industrial applications. Comparable as a North American biochar producer targeting agriculture and industrial materials markets.
• Ingelia: Spanish hydrothermal carbonization company producing biocarbon from biomass residues. Directly comparable pyrolysis/carbonization process and end-market focus on soil and industrial materials.
• Carbofex: Finnish biochar producer using pyrolysis to convert woody biomass into biochar for soil applications, animal feed, and carbon removal. Comparable as a dedicated pyrolysis-to-biochar company with similar feedstock and product mix to Carbonauten.

Others

• Carbuna AG: German biochar-based soil additive company and Carbonauten predecessor (Torsten Becker was involved before founding Carbonauten). Comparable product mix in the biochar soil-application niche and a direct heritage link to the founding team.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 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 Carbonauten