remove's Accelerator Program
remove is a non-profit Carbon Dioxide Removal accelerator running two-stage Foundations and Leap programs across Europe, India, Africa, and Latin America, supporting 120+ CDR startups with coaching, a €15,000 purchase agreement, and an 800+ member community without taking equity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What remove's Accelerator Program does
remove's Accelerator Program is a non-profit Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) accelerator operated by Stichting Carbon Removal Foundation, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The organization runs a two-stage accelerator consisting of Foundations, a 10-week regional program covering CDR markets, policy, MRV, buyer perspectives, and value proposition refinement, and Leap, a 20-week global cohort program. remove does not take equity from participating startups; instead, it offers a €15,000 purchase agreement to Leap-stage startups to demonstrate commercial traction, with recoverable grants available for ecosystem enablers. The program is delivered regionally across Europe, India, Africa (via the ACRA partnership), and Latin America (launching 2026), supported by an 800+ member CDR community on Slack and a content library called the CDR Hub.
The core product is program-based accelerator services combined with ecosystem convening, not proprietary technology. remove does not develop its own CDR technology; instead, it supports startups working across biochar, direct air capture (DAC), enhanced rock weathering (ERW), ocean-based CDR, mineral carbonation, and biomass-based removal pathways. Its underlying technology stack consists of operational SaaS tools (HubSpot for CRM, Airtable/Notion/Dropbox/Google Drive for data management, Slack for community, Google Analytics for web traffic), with no proprietary AI or ML systems. Research outputs are co-created with academic partners, notably three CDR reports with ETH Zurich sus.lab covering startup challenges, business models, and fundraising.
The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial. remove is funded by founding partners Grantham Foundation, Carbon Removal Partners, and DOEN Foundation, with additional support from VP Capital, Carbonfix, and Catalyst for Impact. Strategic partners include Milkywire (which pre-purchased 12,500+ tonnes from 14 alumni), ETH Zurich sus.lab, Carbon Gap, BMW Foundation, IIT Bombay, CEEW, CRIA, Spectrum Impact, and Deep Sky. The organization has supported 120+ startups and operates with a small core team of 1-10 employees led by co-founders Marian Krüger and Hans Westerhof.
remove's Accelerator Program firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- remove's Accelerator Program
- Legal name
- Stichting Carbon Removal Foundation
- Website
- https://remove.global
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- remove is a non-profit Carbon Dioxide Removal accelerator running two-stage Foundations and Leap programs across Europe, India, Africa, and Latin America, supporting 120+ CDR startups with coaching, a €15,000 purchase agreement, and an 800+ member community without taking equity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
remove's Accelerator Program industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Climate Tech Accelerator
- akta.pro primary industry
- Carbon Removal Project Development, Financing & Offtake (Developers, Aggregators, Buyers Clubs) (EUABAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
Keywords
Where remove's Accelerator Program is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
remove's Accelerator Program business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Non-profit Accelerator Operations: remove is a non-profit run by the Carbon Removal Foundation. They do not take equity from startups. They offer a €15,000 purchase agreement to startups selected for the Leap stage to help demonstrate commercial traction. For enablers, they offer a recoverable grant instead.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Accelerator Program Participation (Foundations & Leap stages) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
remove's Accelerator Program product offering
Product offeringCore offering
remove's Accelerator Program is a non-profit accelerator exclusively focused on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) startups. It runs a two-stage 8-month program — a 10-week regional Foundations stage and a 20-week global Leap cohort — providing coaching, expert sessions, connections to CDR buyers, funders, and verification bodies. Leap-stage startups receive a €15,000 purchase agreement to demonstrate commercial traction. The program takes no equity from participating startups.
Product overview
remove is a non-profit Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Accelerator that operates regional accelerator programs across Europe, India, Africa, and Latin America. The organization runs a two-stage accelerator program consisting of Foundations (a 10-week regional program focused on CDR markets, policy, buyer's perspective, MRV, and value proposition) and Leap (a 20-week global cohort program with €15,000 purchase agreement for startups). The offering includes coaching, expert sessions, connections to CDR buyers, funders, and verification bodies, access to an 800+ member CDR community on Slack, and a CDR Hub providing reports, resources, and community news. remove does not take equity from startups.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CDR Accelerator Program A two-staged 8-month accelerator program focused solely on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) startups, comprising a 10-week regional Foundations stage and a 20-week global Leap cohort. Includes coaching, expert sessions, connections to CDR buyers, funders, and verification bodies, and a €15,000 purchase agreement for Leap-stage startups.
- Europe Accelerator Program The premier European accelerator program focused solely on CDR, helping European startups address CDR-specific issues and deliver maximum climate impact. Startups apply and are selected for the Foundations regional stage, with top performers advancing to the global Leap cohort.
- India Accelerator Program A regional accelerator program supporting India's Carbon Dioxide Removal start-ups with local needs in mind, expanding remove's European track record of impact to India. Includes Foundations and Leap stages tailored to the Indian CDR ecosystem.
- Africa Accelerator Program A regional accelerator program supporting Carbon Dioxide Removal start-ups in Africa, run in partnership with ACRA (Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator). Delivers Foundations and Leap stages tailored to the African CDR ecosystem.
- LatAm Accelerator Program A regional accelerator program supporting Carbon Dioxide Removal start-ups in Latin America, launching in 2026 with Foundations and Leap stages tailored to the LatAm CDR ecosystem.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supported 120+ CDR startups
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use remove's Accelerator Program
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
remove's Accelerator Program technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
remove's Accelerator Program partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core, ecosystem and minor.
- MilkywirestrategicStrategic partner that has completed pre-purchases of 12,500+ tonnes of carbon removal from 14 remove alumni including InPlanet, Kairos Carbon, Norma, Takachar, Ucaneo, and others. They also support 5+ remove alumni annually.
- ETH Zurich sus.labcoreAcademic partner that co-created multiple CDR reports with remove covering startup challenges, business models, and fundraising. Produced CDR Startup Challenges Report, Business Models Report, and Fundraising Report.
- IIT BombayecosystemEcosystem partner providing connections to Indian CDR ecosystem and startup pipeline.
- CEEW (Council on Energy, Environment and Water)ecosystemEcosystem partner in India providing expertise in energy, environment, and water sectors related to CDR.
- CRIA (Climate Resilient Innovation Alliance)ecosystemEcosystem partner supporting climate innovation initiatives.
- Spectrum ImpactecosystemEcosystem partner focused on impact measurement and climate solutions.
- Carbon GapcoreCollaboration partner for quarterly EU Policy Updates covering the latest CDR-focused EU Policy developments. Also developed the Carbon Removal Policy Tracker.
- BMW FoundationcoreCo-created the CDR Report 'From Awareness to Action: The Six Building Blocks for Purchasing Carbon Removal' with remove and sus.lab.
- Deep SkyminorPartnered with three remove alumni Direct Air Capture (DAC) startups to validate their technologies for commercial deployment as part of Deep Sky's mission to develop Canada into a world-leading hub for carbon removal.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
remove's Accelerator Program competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Climate-KIC: European climate innovation accelerator and community supported by EIT, running regional programs and accelerators for climate-focused startups — closely mirrors remove's Europe-based, cohort-driven model for climate ventures.
- Greentown Labs: North America's largest climatetech incubator providing lab space, programming, and connections to cleantech startups, comparable to remove as a sector-specific accelerator/incubator serving early-stage climate ventures.
- Antler: Global early-stage VC and accelerator running regional cohorts worldwide, including climate-focused tracks; comparable in cohort structure and global footprint, though broader in sector focus than remove.
- Creative Destruction Lab: Seed-stage program for science- and technology-based startups with objective-based mentorship cohorts; comparable in structure and scale of ambition, though focused on a much broader technology base than CDR.
- Elemental Excelerator: Climate-focused accelerator based in Hawaii that invests in and supports startups across climate solutions, with comparable cohort-based program structure and mission alignment to remove, though broader than CDR-only.
- ACRA (Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator): Regional CDR accelerator for African startups operated in partnership with remove; comparable cohort-based accelerator model and CDR focus, but focused exclusively on the African market.
Broad incumbents
- Y Combinator: The dominant global tech accelerator running twice-yearly cohorts with a large alumni network; comparable accelerator/venture-support model but covers all sectors and does not specialize in CDR.
- Techstars: Large global accelerator network running numerous industry-specific programs including sustainability/cleantech cohorts; comparable accelerator format but operates at much larger scale and across many verticals.
- SOSV (HAX / IndieBio): Global accelerator network operating vertical-specific programs including HAX (hardware) and IndieBio (biology/climate biotech), providing cohort-based support and seed funding to climate-relevant startups at a larger scale than remove.
Emerging players
- Carbon180: CDR-focused non-profit building the policy, community, and narrative infrastructure for carbon removal in the US; complementary rather than directly competitive, but operates in the same CDR niche remove serves globally.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
remove's Accelerator Program social profiles
Digital presenceremove's Accelerator Program compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
remove's Accelerator Program financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
remove's Accelerator Program leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
remove's Accelerator Program funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
remove's Accelerator Program M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments10 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about remove's Accelerator Program
What does remove's Accelerator Program do?
remove's Accelerator Program is a non-profit accelerator exclusively focused on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) startups. It runs a two-stage 8-month program — a 10-week regional Foundations stage and a 20-week global Leap cohort — providing coaching, expert sessions, connections to CDR buyers, funders, and verification bodies. Leap-stage startups receive a €15,000 purchase agreement to demonstrate commercial traction. The program takes no equity from participating startups.
Is remove's Accelerator Program a public or private company?
remove's Accelerator Program is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was remove's Accelerator Program founded?
remove's Accelerator Program was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is remove's Accelerator Program based?
remove's Accelerator Program is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does remove's Accelerator Program make money?
One revenue line is on record: non-profit Accelerator Operations.
Who are remove's Accelerator Program's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Climate-KIC, Greentown Labs, Antler, Creative Destruction Lab, Elemental Excelerator and ACRA (Africa Carbon Removal Accelerator). Broad incumbents are Y Combinator, Techstars and SOSV (HAX / IndieBio). Carbon180 is listed as an emerging player.
Does remove's Accelerator Program have an API?
No public API is recorded for remove's Accelerator Program.
What industry is remove's Accelerator Program in?
remove's Accelerator Program's product category is Climate Tech Accelerator. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAFAL, Carbon Removal Project Development, Financing & Offtake (Developers, Aggregators, Buyers Clubs), with a secondary code of FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs.