What Project Vesta does

Project Vesta is a private nonprofit climate research organization developing Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering (mERW), a nature-based coastal carbon capture approach. The organization grinds the mineral olivine — which constitutes the majority of Earth's upper mantle — into beach-compatible sand and deploys it in coastal systems, where free wave energy accelerates the mineral's natural dissolution. This process permanently sequesters atmospheric CO2 as bicarbonate and carbonate ions, reduces local ocean acidity, and can be integrated into shoreline protection infrastructure.

The company's core offerings are mERW as a unified climate strategy, Coastal Carbon Capture as the deployment process, and olivine sand as the underlying material input. A proprietary Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system underpins the claim of permanent sequestration. Its primary operations consist of a five-year research program and a single demonstration site at Long Island, NY, where a published case study documents the approach.

Commercially, Project Vesta monetizes through the sale of voluntary carbon removal credits at approximately $35 per tonne of CO2 — priced at less than 10% of competing carbon capture technologies — and through donation-based funding via Donorbox and Donationpay. Its go-to-market is community-led, targeting coastal communities and coastal construction practitioners through direct outreach, published case studies, and Typeform inquiry forms rather than traditional enterprise sales channels.

Name

Project Vesta

Legal name

Project Vesta

Website

https://ProjectVesta.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Project Vesta is a nonprofit climate research organization that deploys olivine sand in coastal systems to permanently sequester CO2 via Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering, serving coastal communities and construction practitioners with carbon removal credits and shoreline protection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Removal and Climate Technology Services

NAICS

Industrial Sand Mining (212322)

SIC

Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean-Based Carbon Removal (Alkalinity Enhancement, Seaweed, Ocean Biomass Sinking) (EUABAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enhanced Weathering (Rock Milling, Distribution & Field Ops) (EUABAFAE), Carbon Removal Credits Trading (DAC, BECCS, Biochar, Mineralization) (EUAGAIAL), Revetments, Groynes & Beach Nourishment (IMAFAJAD)

Keywords

• Carbon capture technology
• Enhanced rock weathering
• Coastal carbon removal
• Carbon sequestration credits
• Olivine mineral processing

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Carbon Sequestration Credits: Revenue is generated through the sale of verified carbon removal credits from permanent CO2 sequestration via Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering. The company operates in the voluntary carbon market, selling sequestration capacity at approximately $35 per tonne.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Project Vesta deploys Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering (mERW), a nature-based climate strategy that distributes olivine sand into coastal systems where free wave energy grinds and dissolves the mineral to permanently sequester carbon dioxide while reducing ocean acidity. The company monetizes the resulting verified CO2 removals as carbon sequestration credits sold at approximately $35 per tonne in the voluntary carbon market, and partners with coastal communities and construction practitioners on shoreline protection pilots such as the Long Island, NY site.

Product overview

Project Vesta offers Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering (mERW) as a unified nature-based climate solution. The core offering combines Coastal Carbon Capture technology with olivine sand material — accelerating the Earth's natural rock weathering process by distributing olivine sand along coastlines where wave energy dissolves the mineral, permanently sequestering CO2 while providing coastal protection and ocean de-acidification benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coastal Carbon Capture (Marine Enhanced Rock Weathering service)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 gigatonne CO2 capture potential with 0.1%-0.25% of shelf seas
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Carbfix: Carbfix dissolves CO2 into basaltic formations for permanent mineral storage, using silicate weathering chemistry closely related to olivine dissolution. It is a relevant analog for the permanence and mineralization pathway of Project Vesta.
• UNDO Carbon: UNDO spreads crushed silicate rock on agricultural and terrestrial land for enhanced weathering-based carbon removal. It is the closest terrestrial analog to Project Vesta's marine enhanced rock weathering, sharing the mineral-based CDR thesis and credit monetization model.
• 44.01: Oman-based 44.01 mineralizes CO2 into peridotite (olivine-rich rock) for permanent ocean-based removal. Operates in the same ocean alkalinity / mineral weathering intersection as Project Vesta's mERW with comparable cost and permanence narrative.

Others

• C-Quest Capital: C-Quest Capital is a carbon project developer and credit originator focused on nature-based and tech-based removal. It is relevant as a channel/aggregator for selling carbon removal credits, comparable to the role Project Vesta aspires to play in voluntary markets.

Broad incumbents

• CarbonCure Technologies: CarbonCure injects CO2 into concrete for mineralization-based permanent storage. It is a broader carbon removal incumbent targeting construction and infrastructure buyers — an adjacent customer segment to Project Vesta's coastal construction outreach.
• Climeworks: Climeworks is the most capitalized direct air capture player selling removal credits to enterprises. While technology differs, it directly competes for the same voluntary corporate CDR demand and pricing benchmarks.
• Heirloom Carbon: Heirloom uses direct air capture with limestone-based mineralization to sell durable carbon removal credits. It competes for the same high-integrity CDR buyer pool but uses DAC rather than enhanced weathering, making it a broader incumbent in permanent CDR.

Emerging players

• Running Tide: Running Tide deploys buoyant kelp and biomass in the open ocean for carbon removal, sharing the ocean-based, nature-inspired permanence thesis with Project Vesta's mERW and competing for ocean CDR buyer mindshare.
• Pacific Biochar Benefit Corporation: Pacific Biochar produces biochar for agricultural soil amendment and carbon removal credits. It competes in the nature-based, soil-adjacent permanent CDR credit market that overlaps with Project Vesta's coastal protection and ecosystem co-benefit positioning.
• Mineral Carbonation International: Australia-based MCI develops mineral carbonation and enhanced weathering pathways to permanently store CO2. Shares the mineral-feedstock CDR thesis and serves a regional beach/shoreline and mining-adjacent use case.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Project Vesta