Kairos Carbon
Kairos Carbon is a UK-based pre-seed climate technology startup that uses proprietary hydrothermal processing to convert high-moisture organic waste (sewage sludge, manure, food waste) into durable carbon removal credits, clean water, circular fertilizers, and minerals, selling to enterprise carbon credit buyers and waste producers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersBath, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kairos Carbon does
Kairos Carbon Limited is a UK-based pre-seed climate technology startup (spun out of Deep Science Ventures in February 2024, headquartered in Bath) that has developed a hydrothermal processing platform for converting high-moisture, contaminated organic waste streams — sewage sludge, livestock manure, food waste, and municipal waste — into four parallel value outputs: durable, verifiable carbon removal credits, clean water, agricultural nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, magnesium) usable as circular fertilizers, and minerals. The process is chemical rather than biological and is fully self-powering, requiring no external energy input, which enables a target credit price of less than $50 per tonne of CO2 removed by crediting co-product revenues against processing costs.
The company serves two primary customer segments on a B2B basis: (1) organic waste producers (water utilities, agriculture, food processors, municipalities) seeking low-cost disposal of wet or polluted feedstocks that cannot be landfilled or incinerated economically, and (2) enterprise carbon removal buyers (corporations with net-zero commitments, airlines, climate funds) seeking permanent CO2 sequestration. A secondary segment comprises agricultural fertilizer buyers interested in circular phosphorus and other recovered nutrients. Notable recognition includes selection for the Milkywire Climate Transformation Fund 2025 pre-purchase program (1 of 15 from 280 applicants), the IAGi Accelerator, Remove Accelerator Cohort 6 and Leap phases, an Innovate UK Net Zero grant, and a £1M Defra Farming Innovation Programme grant.
Kairos is currently building its first commercial implementation of the technology and operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct enterprise sales with accelerator-driven buyer introductions and pre-purchase agreements via climate platforms such as Milkywire. The company holds no patents of record in the input data and is not yet generating disclosed revenue. As of mid-2025 the company reports 1-10 employees and remains privately held, with pre-seed funding led by Zero Carbon Capital and participation from the Grantham Foundation and Deep Science Ventures.
Kairos Carbon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kairos Carbon
- Legal name
- Kairos Carbon Limited
- Website
- https://kairoscarbon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kairos Carbon is a UK-based pre-seed climate technology startup that uses proprietary hydrothermal processing to convert high-moisture organic waste (sewage sludge, manure, food waste) into durable carbon removal credits, clean water, circular fertilizers, and minerals, selling to enterprise carbon credit buyers and waste producers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kairos Carbon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Carbon Removal Technology
- NAICS
- Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing (325180), Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (32512)
- SIC
- Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Carbon Removal Project Development, Financing & Offtake (Developers, Aggregators, Buyers Clubs) (EUABAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage (BECCS/Bioenergy with CO₂ Capture) (EUABAFAB), Carbon Removal Credits Trading (DAC, BECCS, Biochar, Mineralization) (EUAGAIAL)
Keywords
Where Kairos Carbon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bath
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Kairos Carbon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Carbon Removal Credits: Sale of durable, measurable, and verifiable carbon removal credits produced by converting biomass CO2 and storing it underground for thousands of years. Target price of less than $50 per tonne of CO2 removed.
- Circular Phosphorus and Nutrient Fertilizers: Recovery and sale of valuable nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium from waste streams, enabling circular reuse in agriculture as non-leaching fertilizers.
- Clean Water Recovery: Recovery of clean water from waste processing - a growing value stream as droughts become increasingly common.
- Mineral Recovery: Sale of recovered minerals from organic waste processing for various industrial and agricultural applications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Carbon Removal Credits - Target price point |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Kairos Carbon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kairos Carbon deploys a hydrothermal processing technology that uses extreme heat and pressure to convert high-moisture organic waste (sewage sludge, animal manure, food waste, municipal waste) into three commercial outputs: durable, verifiable carbon removal credits stored underground; clean water; and recovered nutrients and minerals sold for circular agricultural and industrial use. The reaction is fully self-powering with no external energy input required, and the company monetises the carbon credits at a target price below $50 per tonne of CO2 removed, subsidised by co-product revenue streams.
Product overview
Kairos Carbon offers a single unified carbon removal technology service based on hydrothermal processing. Their core process converts challenging organic wastes (sewage sludge, animal manure, food waste, municipal waste) into three value streams: durable carbon removal credits, clean water, and agricultural nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium) for circular fertilizers. The company monetizes carbon credits at sub-$100 (targeting sub-$50) per tonne by leveraging co-product revenue. No modular product structure or named individual products are identified in the source material.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kairos Carbon Removal Credits Durable, measurable and verifiable carbon dioxide removal credits generated by converting biomass-derived CO2 and storing it underground for thousands of years, sold to enterprise buyers with net-zero commitments at a target price below $50 per tonne of CO2 removed.
- Circular Phosphorus and Nutrient Fertilizers (NURSE) Circular, non-leaching fertiliser products containing recovered phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium produced via the NURSE (Nutrient Utilization and Recovery Through Supercritical Extraction) process from livestock manure and other organic waste, offered to agricultural buyers as an alternative to conventional fertilisers.
- Clean Water Recovery Clean water recovered as a co-product from Kairos' hydrothermal processing of organic waste, offered to water-stressed buyers as a growing value stream alongside carbon removal credits and nutrient recovery.
- Recovered Minerals Recovered minerals extracted from organic waste streams during Kairos' hydrothermal processing, sold for various industrial and agricultural applications as an additional co-product revenue stream.
- Captured Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Captured CO2 recovered from hydrothermal processing of organic waste, available for purchase by industrial buyers seeking carbon dioxide as an input or for further utilisation and sequestration.
Quantifiable outcome
- Target credit price: <$50 per tonne CO2 removed
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kairos Carbon
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kairos Carbon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Kairos Carbon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NURSE Project CoalitioncoreKairos leads the NURSE (Nutrient Utilization and Recovery Through Supercritical Extraction) research project alongside Cranfield University, Royal Agricultural University, and UK Agri-Tech Centre. The project converts livestock manure into non-leaching fertilizer while capturing CO2.
- Cranfield UniversitycoreResearch partner in the £1M Defra/Innovate UK funded project for nutrient recovery from agricultural feedstocks. Cranfield brings expertise in environmental and agricultural technology to validate Kairos' nutrient recovery technology.
- Royal Agricultural UniversitycoreResearch partner in the £1M Defra/Innovate UK funded project. The partnership aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of fertilizers derived from waste and support circular nutrient use in agriculture.
- UK Agri-Tech CentrecoreResearch partner in the nutrient management innovation project. UK Agri-Tech Centre supports innovation in agricultural technology to advance sustainable farming practices.
- MilkywirecoreKairos was selected for a pre-purchase of carbon removal credits from the Milkywire Climate Transformation Fund. Milkywire is one of the world's most respected climate funding platforms, and this partnership validates Kairos' novel approach to carbon removal while accelerating deployment. Of 280 applicants, 15 were selected including Kairos.
- International Airlines Group (IAG)coreKairos was accepted into the IAGi Accelerator (formerly Hangar 51), IAG's innovation programme. Through the Discover track, Kairos will work closely with major airlines to understand how their technology can support a sustainable future for aviation. IAG has committed to reaching net zero by 2050.
- Remove AcceleratorcoreEurope's premier CDR-focused accelerator. Kairos was accepted into Cohort 6 and later advanced to the Leap phase. The program provides coaching, connections to industry experts, buyers, and investors, plus €5,000 (Foundations) and €45,000 (Leap) in non-dilutive funding.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kairos Carbon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CarbonOrO: UK-based biochar carbon removal producer. Operates in the same UK/European voluntary CDR market as Kairos with comparable enterprise buyer targets, though using a different (pyrolysis) technology pathway.
- Climeworks: Global DAC leader operating commercial plants (including Mammoth in Iceland) and selling carbon removal credits to enterprise buyers. Competes directly with Kairos in the voluntary CDR market and for partnerships with aviation/corporate offtakers.
- Carbfix: Icelandic carbon mineralization specialist that dissolves captured CO2 in water and stores it permanently in basalt rock. A leading durable CDR competitor with established commercial operations and similar enterprise buyer relationships.
- CarbonCapture Inc. US-based direct air capture company developing Mega-scale DAC plants partnered with major industrial emitters. Competes with Kairos for enterprise CDR procurement budgets from the same set of net-zero-committed corporate buyers.
- Genifuel: Genifuel uses hydrothermal processing to convert wet biomass (algae, sewage sludge, manure) into renewable fuels and biocrude. It is the most direct technical peer to Kairos in hydrothermal carbon removal, sharing both feedstock focus and processing approach.
- Eion Carbon: US-based enhanced rock weathering company that spreads olivine on farmland for permanent CO2 removal. Sells CDR credits to enterprise buyers (e.g., Shopify, Stripe) and competes with Kairos for the voluntary durable CDR procurement pool.
- 44.01: Oman-based carbon mineralization company that mineralizes captured CO2 into peridotite rock for permanent storage. Competes with Kairos for enterprise CDR procurement and uses a comparable offtake-driven business model.
- Heirloom Carbon Technologies: Heirloom uses limestone-based DAC technology to capture CO2 and permanently mineralize it. A direct competitor in the voluntary durable CDR market, attracting similar enterprise buyers (e.g., Microsoft, Shopify).
Emerging players
- Captura: US-based ocean-based CDR company using electrochemical processes to extract CO2 from seawater. Competes for the same pool of voluntary CDR enterprise buyers, particularly in the West Coast tech sector.
- Aemetis: US renewable fuels and chemicals company using biomass conversion (including hydrothermal and gasification pathways) to produce low-carbon fuels and biochemicals. Overlaps with Kairos in biomass/wet-waste processing expertise and circular bioeconomy positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kairos Carbon social profiles
Digital presenceKairos Carbon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kairos Carbon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Kairos Carbon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kairos Carbon 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 Kairos Carbon
What does Kairos Carbon do?
Kairos Carbon deploys a hydrothermal processing technology that uses extreme heat and pressure to convert high-moisture organic waste (sewage sludge, animal manure, food waste, municipal waste) into three commercial outputs: durable, verifiable carbon removal credits stored underground; clean water; and recovered nutrients and minerals sold for circular agricultural and industrial use. The reaction is fully self-powering with no external energy input required, and the company monetises the carbon credits at a target price below $50 per tonne of CO2 removed, subsidised by co-product revenue streams.
Is Kairos Carbon a public or private company?
Kairos Carbon is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Kairos Carbon founded?
Kairos Carbon was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kairos Carbon based?
Kairos Carbon is headquartered in Bath, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Kairos Carbon make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Carbon Removal Credits are the primary driver. The others are circular Phosphorus and Nutrient Fertilizers, clean Water Recovery and mineral Recovery.
Who are Kairos Carbon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CarbonOrO, Climeworks, Carbfix, CarbonCapture Inc., Genifuel, Eion Carbon, 44.01 and Heirloom Carbon Technologies. Emerging players are Captura and Aemetis.
Does Kairos Carbon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kairos Carbon.
What industry is Kairos Carbon in?
Kairos Carbon's product category is Carbon Removal Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABAFAL, Carbon Removal Project Development, Financing & Offtake (Developers, Aggregators, Buyers Clubs), with a secondary code of EUABAFAB, Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage (BECCS/Bioenergy with CO₂ Capture). Its NAICS code is 325180 and its SIC code is 2800.