Open Climate Solutions

What Open Climate Solutions does

Open Climate Solutions is a Swiss tax-exempt non-profit association (UID CHE-227.476.744), based in Baar, Switzerland, and founded in 2023. The organization develops and demonstrates nature-based carbon removal systems that integrate regenerative aquaculture (integrated polyculture seaweed farming in Scottish coastal waters) with regenerative agriculture (seaweed-derived organic fertilizer, biostimulants, and biochar applied to farmland). The technical pipeline consists of three linked components: an Aquaculture module that cultivates seaweed using polyculture methods to sequester carbon and excess nutrients while supporting biodiversity; a Biorefinery module that converts harvested seaweed into nutrient-rich agricultural inputs and pyrolyzes residues into biochar for permanent carbon storage; and an Agriculture module that deploys these inputs on farms to regenerate soils, improve crop yields, and reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers. All procedures, designs, calculations, and learnings are openly published on GitHub to accelerate replication by others.

The organization is led by a 3-person core team: Bojan Martin (President, Tech + Data), Mátyás Csiky (Vice-President, Sustainability + Finance), and Daniel Prost (Project Architect + Experimentation), supported by a Board of Science Advisors drawn from ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), and the University of Hohenheim. Operational partners include b-char (distributed pyrolysis reactors), HofLabor (on-farm regenerative innovation), and The Kilchoan Melfort Trust. The organization is a member of Carbon Removal Switzerland, Air Miners, North Sea Farmers, EU4Algae, the Safe Seaweed Coalition, Agricultura Regeneratio, and RootCamp.

Open Climate Solutions does not sell products or services. Its revenue model is donations, which are tax-deductible in Switzerland, supplemented by non-dilutive funding (a 2024-11-25 RootCamp event is listed in funding data). The go-to-market motion is community-led: the organization uses open-source knowledge distribution, a website, direct email engagement, and academic/industry partnerships to attract donors, collaborators, and replicators rather than to capture commercial customers. Target beneficiaries are terrestrial farmers, ocean/coastal farmers, and climate-conscious donors, with operating geographies in Switzerland, the UK (Scotland), Germany, and the rest of Europe.

Name

Open Climate Solutions

Legal name

Open Climate Solutions

Website

https://openclimatesolutions.earth

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Open Climate Solutions is a Swiss non-profit that develops and open-sources an integrated seaweed-to-biochar carbon removal system, linking regenerative aquaculture in Scotland with regenerative agriculture to produce organic fertilizer, biostimulants, and permanent carbon storage for farmers and coastal communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature-based Carbon Removal and Regenerative Agriculture

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251), Aquaculture (1125), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ocean-Based Carbon Removal (Alkalinity Enhancement, Seaweed, Ocean Biomass Sinking) (EUABAFAF), Regenerative Agriculture (Soil Carbon, Cover Crops, Reduced/No-Till) (AFAGAMAA), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Climate-Smart Farming & GHG Reduction (Emissions Accounting, Methane/N2O Reduction Practices) (AFAGAMAH)

Keywords

• Regenerative aquaculture
• Carbon removal solutions
• Biochar production
• Seaweed farming
• Regenerative agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Baar

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Open Climate Solutions operates as a charitable, tax-exempt Swiss association (UID CHE-227.476.744) that relies on donations as its primary revenue stream. Donations are tax-deductible in Switzerland and can be made via Swiss QR payment or bank transfer.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Open Climate Solutions is a Swiss non-profit that develops and demonstrates an integrated nature-based carbon removal system linking regenerative aquaculture with regenerative agriculture. The organization cultivates macroalgae via integrated polyculture seaweed farming in Scottish coastal waters, processes the harvest through a biorefinery into organic fertiliser, biostimulants, and biochar, and applies these outputs to farmland to regenerate soils and sequester carbon. All procedures, designs, calculations, and learnings are openly shared on GitHub, and the organization is funded through tax-deductible donations and grants.

Product overview

Open Climate Solutions is a Swiss non-profit offering an integrated nature-based carbon removal system comprising three core components: Aquaculture (seaweed farming in Scotland), Biorefinery (processing seaweed into organic fertiliser, biostimulant, and biochar), and Agriculture (applying these products to farms). The system links regenerative aquaculture with regenerative agriculture to rebuild coastal ecosystems, improve soil health, and permanently sequester carbon. All procedures, designs, and knowledge are open sourced via GitHub for public use and collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquaculture (Integrated Polyculture Seaweed Farming)
• Biorefinery (Seaweed-to-Products Processing)
• Agriculture (Seaweed-Based Products and Biochar Application)

Quantifiable outcome

• Seaweed sequesters significant amounts of CO₂ while promoting biodiversity without the use of fertile land, freshwater, or synthetic fertilisers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ETH Zurich (Prof. Dr. Jaboury Ghazoul)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard of Science Advisors providing expertise in Ecology and Ecosystem Services. Prof. Dr. Jaboury Ghazoul from ETH Zurich contributes scientific guidance on ecosystem considerations for regenerative climate solutions.
• Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL (Dr. Rienk Smittenberg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard of Science Advisors providing expertise in Biogeochemical Cycles and Carbon Fluxes. Dr. Rienk Smittenberg contributes scientific validation of carbon sequestration methodologies.
• Scottish Association for Marine Science SAMS (Dr. Adrian Macleod)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard of Science Advisors providing expertise in Macroalgae Farming and Marine Biology. Dr. Adrian Macleod supports seaweed cultivation operations in Scotland with scientific guidance.
• University of Hohenheim (Dr. sc. agr. Markus Weinmann)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard of Science Advisors providing expertise in Nutritional Crop Physiology. Dr. sc. agr. Markus Weinmann contributes to understanding of seaweed-based products for agricultural applications.
• The Kilchoan Melfort TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on rewilding, preservation, education and spirituality. Collaborates on holistic approaches to environmental regeneration.
• b-charminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing distributed pyrolysis reactors for biochar production. Supports the biorefinery component of the climate solution by enabling end-to-end carbon-negative biochar production.
• HofLaborminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner focused on on-farm innovation for regenerative mosaic farming. Supports agricultural application of seaweed-based products and regenerative practices.
• Carbon Removal SwitzerlandminorOthersListed as a proud member organization, demonstrating affiliation with the Swiss carbon removal community.
• Air MinersminorOthersListed as a proud member organization in the carbon removal/air mining space.
• North Sea FarmersminorOthersListed as a proud member organization supporting seaweed farming and marine ecosystem restoration in the North Sea region.
• EU4AlgaeminorOthersListed as a proud member organization under the EU Blue Economy and Fisheries maritime forum.
• Safe Seaweed CoalitionminorOthersListed as a proud member organization supporting safe and sustainable seaweed practices globally.
• Agricultura RegeneratiominorOthersListed as a proud member organization focused on regenerative agriculture practices.
• Root CampminorOthersListed as a proud member organization supporting agricultural innovation and regeneration.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Running Tide: US-based carbon removal company using macroalgae cultivation and ocean biomass sinking for nature-based removal — directly comparable to OCS's seaweed farming pillar, though operating as a venture-backed for-profit rather than a non-profit.
• Kelp Blue: Cultivates giant kelp for carbon sequestration and regenerative ocean products with offshore farming operations; directly comparable seaweed-based carbon removal model targeting co-products for agriculture and other uses.
• SeaForest: Australian company cultivating seaweed (Asparagopsis) for livestock feed methane reduction and carbon credit generation — comparable business model at the intersection of marine cultivation, agricultural application, and carbon markets.
• b-char: Provides distributed pyrolysis reactors for biochar production — directly comparable as OCS's named partner and one of the few entities operating in the same niche of small-scale biochar production with carbon removal claims.

Emerging players

• Cella Mineral Storage: Carbon removal startup operating in the nature-based/ocean-based removal space with similar focus on durable storage; comparable as a fellow early-stage player in the carbon removal portfolio where OCS is also active.
• Klim: German-based regenerative agriculture platform connecting farmers to food companies and carbon inset programs; comparable as a European regen-ag ecosystem player that OCS could partner with or compete against for farmer mindshare.
• Soil Capital: European regenerative agriculture advisory and carbon credit issuer; comparable as a regen-ag value chain participant in the same geography, with overlapping farmer and corporate offtaker customer base.
• Carbofex: Finnish biochar producer using pyrolysis for carbon removal and agricultural soil applications; comparable on the biochar/soil carbon value chain segment of OCS's integrated model.

Broad incumbents

• Indigo Ag: Largest commercial player in regenerative agriculture with carbon credit programs for farmers; broadly comparable on the terrestrial/agricultural side of OCS's value chain though operating at vastly greater scale.

Others

• Carbon Removal Switzerland: Swiss industry association for carbon removal organizations, of which OCS is a member; included as an ecosystem peer relevant to OCS's positioning and potential partnership/funding access.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/openclimatesolutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Open Climate Solutions