CarbonClear
CarbonClear (Copenhagen) builds the Carbon Engine, a deterministic digital MRV infrastructure that converts raw field-device energy data into verified carbon credits. It serves programme operators, carbon registries, and enterprise credit buyers across Africa, Latin America, and a 21-country multilateral programme.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCopenhagen, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CarbonClear does
CarbonClear ApS (formerly Solstroem) is a Copenhagen-based, privately held digital measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) and carbon credit issuance infrastructure provider founded in 2017. The company's core product is the Carbon Engine, a proprietary computation and data integrity layer that ingests raw energy data from connected field devices (solar home systems, mini-grids, clean cooking, and on-grid devices) and converts it into verified carbon credits via a fixed, deterministic calculation protocol called the Digital Carbon Protocol. Issuing standards, starting with the Global Carbon Council, access Programme Monitoring Reports through a dedicated engine interface, reviewing unit provenance and approving credits directly without a validation and verification body in the chain.
CarbonClear operates its own Programme of Activities across Africa and Latin America, having generated 168,159 tCO₂e of issued credits and 44,658 tCO₂e retired (123,501 tCO₂e available) through 12 channel partners including iluméxico, Sun King, ENGIE Energy Access, and KOOLBOKS, with independent verification by DNV. Uber Mexico is the anchor enterprise buyer, retiring 11,632 tCO₂e from the iluméxico programme since 2023, with every retirement publicly verifiable on the CarbonClear Explorer. The Carbon Engine runs as a single codebase across three deployment models — Commercial (hosted), Co-governed (shared institutional), and Sovereign (self-hosted, open-source) — and is embedded in a 21-country multilateral programme since 2024.
The firm monetises through a commercial Marketplace for credit buyers, a Verification-as-a-Service API for external programme operators, and issuance transaction fees from the Programme of Activities pipeline. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company is venture-backed, with disclosed support from Persistent, All On, Innovationsfonden, and EIFO, and operates with a 1-10 employee team.
CarbonClear firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CarbonClear
- Legal name
- CarbonClear ApS
- Website
- https://carbonclear.earth
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CarbonClear (Copenhagen) builds the Carbon Engine, a deterministic digital MRV infrastructure that converts raw field-device energy data into verified carbon credits. It serves programme operators, carbon registries, and enterprise credit buyers across Africa, Latin America, and a 21-country multilateral programme.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CarbonClear industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Carbon Market Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Carbon Registries & Issuance Platforms (Project/credit lifecycle, serials, issuance, retirement) (EUABAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Credit Issuance, Serialisation & Retirement Assurance (Registry Integrity Checks) (EUABACAM), Tokenization, Digital MRV-Linked Credits & On-Chain Carbon Infrastructure (Digital assets, provenance) (EUABAAAE)
Keywords
Where CarbonClear is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Copenhagen
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CarbonClear business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Commercial Marketplace: A commercial marketplace built directly on the Carbon Engine where buyers compose portfolios across projects and geographies at the granularity of individual credits. Every credit carries a complete audit trail from field device measurement to serial number to buyer.
- Verification-as-a-Service (VaaS): API access to CarbonClear's commercial engine for external programme operators. Provides audit-grade Programme Monitoring Reports and issuance by high integrity carbon standards without requiring a dedicated engine instance.
- Carbon Credit Issuance: Revenue generated from the issuance pipeline managing measurement, verification, and credit issuance from device data to credited carbon through the Programme of Activities model.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
CarbonClear product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CarbonClear operates the Carbon Engine, a computation and data integrity layer that ingests raw energy data from field devices, applies a deterministic calculation protocol (the Digital Carbon Protocol), and generates Programme Monitoring Reports for verified carbon credit issuance. The company operates a Programme of Activities across Africa and Latin America that registers solar, mini-grid, and clean cooking partners and manages the full measurement, verification, and issuance pipeline. Surrounding the engine, CarbonClear offers a commercial Marketplace where buyers compose portfolios across projects at individual credit granularity, and a Verification-as-a-Service API providing audit-grade Programme Monitoring Reports to external programme operators without requiring a dedicated engine instance.
Product overview
CarbonClear offers a platform-plus-modules architecture built around its core Carbon Engine computation layer. The Carbon Engine is a data integrity infrastructure that sits between field device energy data and verified carbon credits, applying the company-authored Digital Carbon Protocol for deterministic calculation. Additional modules include Verification-as-a-Service (API access for external programme operators) and a commercial Marketplace for credit trading — both built on the Carbon Engine. The company also operates its own integrated Programme of Activities generating real-world credits through the same infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Carbon Engine: Computation and data integrity layer that sits between raw energy data from field devices and verified carbon credits ready for issuance. Runs across Commercial, Co-governed, and Sovereign deployment models.
- Digital Carbon Protocol
- CarbonClear Marketplace
- Verification-as-a-Service
Products and services
- Carbon Engine A computation and data integrity layer that sits between raw energy data from field devices and verified carbon credits. It ingests real data from any connected device, applies the Digital Carbon Protocol calculation standard, and generates Programme Monitoring Reports. Standards access PMRs through a dedicated engine interface, reviewing unit provenance, approving, and downloading credits directly with no VVB in the chain. Available as Commercial, Co-governed, or Sovereign deployment instances.
- Verification-as-a-Service (VaaS) API access to CarbonClear's commercial Carbon Engine for external programme operators. Provides audit-grade Programme Monitoring Reports and issuance by high integrity carbon standards without requiring the operator to deploy a dedicated engine instance.
- CarbonClear Marketplace A commercial marketplace built directly on the Carbon Engine where buyers compose portfolios across projects and geographies at the granularity of individual credits. Every credit carries a complete audit trail from field device measurement to serial number to buyer.
- Programme of Activities A fully digital carbon programme grouping distributed clean energy projects under a single Programme Design Document with an embedded digital MRV system. Solar partners, mini-grid operators, clean cooking providers, and on-grid device operators register to the programme, and CarbonClear manages the measurement, verification, and issuance pipeline from device data to credited carbon. Partners include ilumexico, Sun King, ENGIE Energy Access, PAY-N-PUMP, SOLUNA energía, KOOLBOKS, Angaza, Paygee, INNOVEX, and Victron Energy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 168,159 tCO₂e issued through integrated digital MRV system operating at scale since 2021
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CarbonClear
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CarbonClear technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CarbonClear partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Global Carbon CouncilcoreFirst crediting programme to accept D-MRV issuance conformant with the Digital Carbon Protocol. The Carbon Engine interfaces with GCC for PMR access, unit provenance review, approval, and serial block mapping.
- DNVcoreIndependent verification body for CarbonClear's carbon credits. DNV verified credits include Uber Mexico retirement certificates, demonstrating high-integrity verification standards.
- iluméxicocoreMexican off-grid solar company serving 100,000+ people across 2,000 remote communities. Partner in CarbonClear's Programme of Activities with 11,988 tCO₂e issued under CDM-AMS-I.L methodology since 2023.
- Sun KingcoreSolar partner registered to CarbonClear's Programme of Activities, contributing to the carbon credit issuance pipeline through field-deployed solar home systems.
- ENGIE Energy AccesscoreSolar partner registered to CarbonClear's Programme of Activities, contributing to the carbon credit issuance pipeline through field-deployed clean energy devices.
- KOOLBOKSminorClean cooking partner registered to CarbonClear's Programme of Activities.
- SOLUNA energíaminorSolar energy partner registered to CarbonClear's Programme of Activities.
- PAY-N-PUMPminorEnergy access partner registered to CarbonClear's Programme of Activities.
- INNOVEXminorInnovation partner registered to CarbonClear's Programme of Activities.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CarbonClear competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Verra: Verra operates the world's largest voluntary carbon crediting programme (VCS) and registry. It is comparable to CarbonClear as the incumbent infrastructure that CarbonClear's Digital Carbon Protocol and Carbon Engine must interoperate with or displace; both sit at the standard/issuance layer between projects and buyers.
- Gold Standard: Gold Standard is a major carbon crediting standard and registry focused on sustainable development outcomes. It is a comparable crediting programme whose acceptance or rejection of D-MRV issuance directly affects CarbonClear's addressable issuance volume.
- South Pole: South Pole is a large carbon project developer and advisory firm developing and selling voluntary carbon credits across many methodologies. It is comparable as a project-side counterparty that could either partner with or compete against CarbonClear's PoA model in distributed clean energy credits.
Direct peers
- Pachama: Pachama is a digital carbon marketplace and MRV platform using remote sensing and AI to verify forest and nature-based carbon credits. It is a direct peer because both compete in digital MRV plus marketplace infrastructure for verified credits, addressing the same integrity problem CarbonClear targets.
- Cloverly: Cloverly operates a carbon credits API and marketplace for businesses, similar to CarbonClear's Verification-as-a-Service and Marketplace. Both package carbon infrastructure for enterprise and developer buyers on a programmatic basis.
- Patch: Patch provides API-based access to carbon credits and emission reduction purchasing for technology platforms and enterprises. It is a comparable programmatic carbon infrastructure peer to CarbonClear's marketplace and VaaS offerings.
Emerging players
- Sylvera: Sylvera provides independent ratings, analytics, and monitoring for carbon credits using satellite data and ML. It is a comparable MRV/data integrity provider in the voluntary carbon market, addressing the same buyer-side transparency need as CarbonClear's CarbonClear Explorer.
- Renoster: Renoster provides remote-sensing-based verification and project data for nature-based carbon projects. It overlaps with CarbonClear on the digital MRV side, focused on bringing transparency and data integrity to carbon credit issuance.
- KlimaDAO: KlimaDAO is a decentralized carbon infrastructure protocol focused on tokenized carbon credits and on-chain trading. It is comparable to CarbonClear's stated tokenization and digital MRV-linked credits roadmap, representing an alternative approach to programmatic carbon infrastructure.
- NCX (Natural Capital Exchange): NCX is a digital marketplace and MRV platform for nature-based carbon credits, leveraging remote sensing and field data. It is comparable to CarbonClear in combining a digital MRV layer with credit issuance infrastructure for distributed field assets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CarbonClear social profiles
Digital presenceCarbonClear financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CarbonClear leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CarbonClear funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CarbonClear M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CarbonClear
What does CarbonClear do?
CarbonClear operates the Carbon Engine, a computation and data integrity layer that ingests raw energy data from field devices, applies a deterministic calculation protocol (the Digital Carbon Protocol), and generates Programme Monitoring Reports for verified carbon credit issuance. The company operates a Programme of Activities across Africa and Latin America that registers solar, mini-grid, and clean cooking partners and manages the full measurement, verification, and issuance pipeline. Surrounding the engine, CarbonClear offers a commercial Marketplace where buyers compose portfolios across projects at individual credit granularity, and a Verification-as-a-Service API providing audit-grade Programme Monitoring Reports to external programme operators without requiring a dedicated engine instance.
Is CarbonClear a public or private company?
CarbonClear is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was CarbonClear founded?
CarbonClear was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CarbonClear based?
CarbonClear is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does CarbonClear make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Commercial Marketplace is the primary driver. The others are verification-as-a-Service (VaaS) and carbon Credit Issuance.
Who are CarbonClear's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Verra, Gold Standard and South Pole. Direct peers are Pachama, Cloverly and Patch. Emerging players are Sylvera, Renoster, KlimaDAO and NCX (Natural Capital Exchange).
Does CarbonClear have an API?
Yes. CarbonClear offers Verification-as-a-Service providing API access to its commercial Carbon Engine for external programme operators. Issuing standards access Programme Monitoring Reports (PMRs) through a dedicated engine interface — reviewing unit provenance, approving, and downloading directly, with no validation and verification body in the chain. No manual auditors. No interpretation. Deterministic computation that any independent party can verify.
What industry is CarbonClear in?
CarbonClear's product category is Carbon Market Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAAAA, Carbon Registries & Issuance Platforms (Project/credit lifecycle, serials, issuance, retirement), with a secondary code of EUABACAM, Credit Issuance, Serialisation & Retirement Assurance (Registry Integrity Checks). Its NAICS code is 541620.