AirCarbon

Name

AirCarbon

Legal name

Newlight Technologies, Inc.

Website

https://aircarbon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Biomaterials / Bioplastics

NAICS

Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519), All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (325199), Chemical Manufacturing (325)

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 industry

Bio-based Platform & Commodity Chemicals (e.g., bio-ethylene, bio-propylene, bio-BTX, bio-methanol) (EUAAAIAA)

Keywords

• Carbon-negative biomaterials
• Bioplastics manufacturing
• PHB polymer production
• Compostable foodware products
• Sustainable materials science

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntington Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biomaterial Sales: Aircarbon sells its biomaterial pellets and Aircarbon Alloys to enterprise customers (Nike, Shake Shack, Sumitomo, etc.) for use in their products. Materials are sold directly to B2B customers for integration into fashion, foodware, automotive, furniture, textiles, and packaging applications.
2. Foodware Products: Aircarbon foodware products including straws, cutlery, cups, and containers are sold directly to restaurant chains (e.g., Shake Shack launched in 2021) and hotels (e.g., Marriott Anaheim), and through retail channels (e.g., Gelson's supermarkets).
3. Technology Licensing / Co-development: Joint development projects with partners like Sumitomo Chemical for automotive components, where Aircarbon technology is combined with partner technologies to create decarbonized products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AirCarbon produces a carbon-negative PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate) biomaterial from air and greenhouse gases using naturally occurring microorganisms at its Eagle 3 commercial-scale production facility in Huntington Beach, CA. The company sells raw Aircarbon pellets, Aircarbon Alloys (blended with other materials), and finished foodware products (straws, cutlery, cups, containers) to enterprise customers in fashion, food service, automotive, and packaging. Its materials are FDA food contact approved, carbon-negative, and certified compostable across multiple environments.

Product overview

AirCarbon is a biomaterial technology company that produces a carbon-negative material made from air and greenhouse gas through a biological process using microorganisms. The core offering consists of the Eagle 3 production system (the world's first commercial-scale system for converting greenhouse gas into Aircarbon), the raw Aircarbon material (also known as PHB), and Aircarbon Alloys (combinations of Aircarbon with other materials for specific applications). The company sells two main product lines: (1) Aircarbon Materials for industrial/manufacturing use across fashion, automotive, textiles, packaging, furniture, and foodware sectors, and (2) Aircarbon Alliance Foodware products including straws, cutlery, cups, and containers for foodservice. Aircarbon is produced in Huntington Beach, CA and can be used by itself or in combination with other materials to create a range of decarbonization solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aircarbon Alloys: Materials created by combining Aircarbon with plant-based PHAs and other materials to create high-performance products for various applications including foodware, films, and materials.
• Aircarbon Alliance

Products and services

• Eagle 3 Production System The world's first commercial-scale production system that converts air and greenhouse gas into Aircarbon pellets, located in Huntington Beach, CA. Uses a 5-step biological process: microorganisms in salt water are fed greenhouse gas to produce Aircarbon inside their cells, which is then isolated, purified, filtered, tested for quality, and extruded into pellets. The facility is GMP and ISO-9001 certified and produces FDA food contact approved material.
• Aircarbon Materials (PHB Biomaterial) A carbon-negative biomaterial made from air and greenhouse gas by microorganisms found in California, also known as PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate). It is a naturally-occurring molecule made by most life on Earth as an energy storage material. When purified, Aircarbon becomes meltable and moldable, available as powder or pellets for use by itself or in combination with other materials. FDA food contact approved, certified carbon-negative by Carbon Trust, and compostable across multiple environments.
• Aircarbon Alloys Materials created by combining Aircarbon with other materials (such as plant-based PHAs) to create high-performance alloys. Available in a variety of grades with third-party certifications, used to make decarbonized solid parts, fibers, films, and leather-like products across fashion, automotive, furniture, and packaging applications.
• Aircarbon Alliance Foodware The first foodware products made from greenhouse gas, designed to fight climate change. Made with Aircarbon Alloys (blended with Alliance PHA) to drive performance and carbon reduction at scale. Product line includes straws, cutlery, cups, and containers with multiple third-party certifications including home-compostable, commercially compostable, freshwater degradable, soil compostable, and industrial compostable.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon-negative production: more CO2e diverted from the air than emitted, independently verified by ECG Global Solutions and The Carbon Trust
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Amazon DevicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2025Aircarbon (Newlight) was selected as an inaugural member of the Amazon Devices Climate Tech Accelerator program. The program supports companies creating technologies to reduce the carbon impact of Amazon devices. Aircarbon was among three participants from the 2025 inaugural cohort advancing to product development evaluation for potential integration with Amazon devices.
• Charter Next Generation (CNG)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2024Charter Next Generation showcased Aircarbon materials at Pack Expo 2024, driving sustainability and operational excellence in packaging solutions. CNG is incorporating Aircarbon into their advanced materials for packaging applications.
• Rudholm GroupsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2024Rudholm Group and CNG unveiled new packaging solutions incorporating materials made with greenhouse gas (Aircarbon) to reduce the carbon footprint of e-commerce shipping.
• Marriott AnaheimsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Marriott Anaheim began using foodware made with Aircarbon as part of their sustainability initiatives, replacing conventional plastic cutlery and straws.
• Sumitomo ChemicalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2022Sumitomo Chemical and Newlight Technologies announced a joint development project to create decarbonized automotive components using Aircarbon materials. Sumitomo creates high-performance automotive parts and aims to contribute to a carbon neutral society by combining their technologies with Aircarbon.
• NikecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2021Nike partnered with Newlight Technologies/Aircarbon to reduce Nike's carbon footprint by incorporating Aircarbon biomaterial into Nike products. Materials account for 70% of Nike's carbon footprint, making this a significant strategic partnership for decarbonization. Nike's Chief Sustainability Officer Noel Kinder noted the urgency of working together to create solutions in the race against climate change.
• Shake ShackcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2021Shake Shack was the first national restaurant chain to launch AirCarbon products in their stores in 2021, replacing cutlery and straws with carbon-negative AirCarbon. The partnership supports Shake Shack's 'Standing for Something Good' sustainability mission.
• IBMsecondaryTechnology or Integration · 12 September 2019IBM and Newlight Technologies partnered on blockchain-backed technology. IBM documented Newlight's use of IBM LinuxONE and blockchain for supply chain traceability of Aircarbon materials.
• SonysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSony is creating products with greenhouse gas through the Aircarbon partnership, using the biomaterial in their product lines.
• Four Seasons Hotels & ResortssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner customer of Aircarbon, using Aircarbon foodware products.
• Loews HotelssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner customer of Aircarbon, using Aircarbon foodware products.
• SyscosecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner customer of Aircarbon.
• VinmarsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner customer of Aircarbon.
• Ben & Jerry'ssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner customer of Aircarbon.
• Gelson's SupermarketssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAirCarbon utensils became available at Gelson's Supermarkets for consumer retail purchase (Wall Street Journal, November 2022).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Danimer Scientific: Danimer Scientific produces Nodax PHA biopolymers for food service, packaging, and consumer goods applications. It competes head-to-head with AirCarbon in the compostable bioplastics resins market and is a key direct comparable for PHB/PHA commercialization at scale.
• NatureWorks: NatureWorks is the world's largest PLA biopolymer producer (Ingeo), selling bio-based, compostable resins into packaging, foodware, fibers, and 3D printing. It is the closest direct peer to AirCarbon in the bioplastics resins space serving food service, fashion, and consumer goods with compostable materials.
• Kaneka: Kaneka produces PHBH (polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) under the Kaneka Biodegradable Polymer brand, a PHB-family copolymer used in food service and packaging. It is one of the few direct PHB/PHA peer producers competing in similar end-use applications as AirCarbon.
• TotalEnergies Corbion: TotalEnergies Corbion produces Luminy PLA bioplastics for food packaging, single-use items, and fibers. It is a direct competitor in compostable foodware and bio-based resins sold to B2B brands and converters.
• CJ BIO (CJ CheilJedang): CJ BIO is one of the largest PHA producers globally, marketing amorphous PHA for films and single-use applications. It directly competes with AirCarbon's PHA-based Aircarbon Alloys in the foodware and packaging categories.

Emerging players

• Loop Industries: Loop Industries depolymerizes waste PET into virgin-quality resin marketed as a sustainable alternative for packaging and textiles. It competes with AirCarbon for the same sustainability-driven brand customers (e.g., fashion and packaging companies) seeking low-carbon material substitutes for fossil-based plastics.
• RWDC Industries: RWDC Industries produces polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers for single-use foodware, straws, cutlery, and packaging — directly overlapping with AirCarbon Alliance Foodware's straw and cutlery SKUs sold into restaurants like Shake Shack.
• LanzaTech: LanzaTech uses gas fermentation (carbon-capture microbes) to convert waste gases into fuels and chemicals, including a planned PHB/bioplastics pathway. It shares AirCarbon's feedstock-to-bioproduct positioning and overlapping decarbonization narrative, though focused primarily on fuels today.

Broad incumbents

• Braskem: Braskem is a global petrochemical incumbent that produces bio-based PE from sugarcane (I'm Green) and is investing in bio-based PP and other renewables. It competes in the broader bio-based plastics market and is increasingly a competitor for low-carbon material offtake deals with the same brand customers AirCarbon targets.
• Mitsubishi Chemical Group: Mitsubishi Chemical is a diversified chemicals incumbent with a bio-based and biodegradable plastics portfolio (e.g., BioPBS) used in foodware, packaging, and agricultural films. It competes for the same food service and packaging customers that AirCarbon Alliance Foodware serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aircarbonofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/aircarbon

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 AirCarbon