This startup is cleaning water, removing CO2 from the atmosphere and saving money

Amid escalating drought conditions globally, innovative solutions are emerging to purify and recycle water. Investors are increasingly recognizing the financial potential of these advancements. Water treatment can be a costly endeavor, often requiring significant energy and resulting in waste disposal expenses. Berkeley-based startup Capture6 claims to have developed a transformative approach that not only purifies water but also reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide. CEO Ethan Cohen-Cole, who co-founded Capture6 in 2021, highlights their unique combination of water treatment, brine management, and carbon capture as a key differentiator, promising lower energy costs in the process. The technology begins with waste generated from water treatment processes. After removing solids, the remaining brine—composed of leftover water and concentrated sodium chloride—typically incurs disposal fees. However, Capture6 innovatively extracts fresh water from this brine and separates the salt into sodium and chlorine, the latter of which is converted into lye. This lye possesses the unique ability to bond with CO2 when exposed to air, effectively capturing carbon emissions. This dual functionality is particularly beneficial in regions struggling for clean water, with Capture6 actively operating in Western Australia, South Korea, and drought-impacted California, specifically collaborating with the Palmdale Water District near Los Angeles. While the district is still assessing the technology, initial projections indicate significant savings in brine management costs, with estimates of 10% reductions in capital expenses and 20-40% in operational costs, according to assistant general manager Scott Rogers. Furthermore, the technology is expected to recover between 94% to 98% of water that would otherwise be wasted. Rogers anticipates that as more facilities adopt this technology, it will pave the way for a circular economy that positively impacts the environment. Capture6 has secured $27.5 million in funding from notable investors including Tetrad Corporation, Hyundai Motors, Energy Capital Ventures, Elemental Impact, and Triple Impact Capital. Cohen-Cole asserts that their entire process could be powered by renewable energy, ensuring that the CO2 captured results in a net negative emission, thus benefiting the environment. This positions the company to generate additional revenue through the sale of carbon credits. Capture6 is part of an expanding sector focused on carbon capture and sequestration, which includes methods such as direct air capture and underground carbon burial. Despite recent cuts to $3.7 billion in funding for new carbon capture technologies by the Trump Administration, Capture6 has received backing from the U.S. Department of Energy and various state-level initiatives in California, which remain secure for now.