AirMiners - CDR Accelerator Interview

What Is Airminers?

Tito Jankowski - AirMiners vision is a stable climate and thriving human civilization. Our current mission is removing a billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2030. Inspired by that, of course we have an accelerator, community, and investment fund. I also have a weekly newsletter on what I’m seeing at the forefront of carbon removal, join up here.

‍Success Stories

What is the typical profile of a company that goes through the AirMiners accelerator program, and can you share some success stories?”

Tito Jankowski - We’ve graduated 166 startups across biochar, oceans, rocks, direct air capture, and even rivers. They’ve raised $110M and counting! For example, Thor, the founder of Belgian DAC startup Sirona Technologies, got started in our “6-week sprint to rapidly learn carbon removal” class called AirMiners Boot Up. That’s where he got the idea to start a direct air capture company, and then went on to start Sirona, graduate from our AirMiners Launchpad accelerator program, and raise $7M for building a direct air capture system deploying in Kenya. We work with lots of teams like this with big dreams across many methods of carbon removal.

Your Advice‍

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in starting a company in carbon removal?

Tito Jankowski - Use the August 15 Launchpad deadline to make as much progress as you can. Thinking about an idea? Fill out the application and use the questions to develop your concept. Have multiple ideas? Pick one and run with it for a week and then fill out the application about what you found. Looking for a co-founder? Post on AirMiners Slack and LinkedIn and say you want to talk to 50 co-founder candidates before Launchpad starts. Have a shitty idea you really don’t like: do all of the above. We need more shitty first drafts for carbon removal so just get out there and try it.

Biggest Challenges

What's the biggest challenge facing CDR’s nature-based/ science-based solutions, and what is required to scale and solve them in 2024.

Tito Jankowski - It’s time we stopped acting like carbon removal is optional, it’s not. From COP28 to Davos, from the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal, carbon removal is treated as an optional part of the climate strategy. Imagine a world where carbon removal and decarbonization are properly funded, that’s a world where carbon removal becomes the next trillion dollar industry, driving economic growth, jobs, a stable climate, and a thriving human civilization. 

‍

Opportunities Ahead

What are some of the biggest opportunities AirMiners sees in the future of the carbon credit market?

Tito Jankowski - At Carbon Unbound New York we hosted a “Buy a ton” session where people bought single tons of carbon, paid in cash or Venmo. We’ve seen the impact that even a single ton can have on an early stage startup. In 2021 venture fund Piva purchased $4,800 of credits from Charm, $1,849 from Neustark, $2,419 from Running Tide, and $2,688 from CarboCulture. These early purchases have an outsized impact on a startup’s early momentum.

You can probably afford at least one ton. I’ve done that at least five times now buying first tons from Seaweed Generation, Tau Carbon, Cedar Carbon, Woodcache, and TerraFixing, usually paying over Venmo to the startup founder. You can also buy carbon credit greeting cards for your friends from Thanks a Ton and subscriptions at Wren or newly launched Climate Karen. (Note: if you have tons to sell in 2024 email me)