Former Tesla engineer teams up with CERN alumni and carbon capture scientists to raise $1 million for climate tech startup Sirona Technologies
Key Takeaways:
• Team of Tesla and CERN alumni
• Tackling problem of removing CO2 from the air
• Rapid prototyping and significant CO2 capture
• Strong backing from leading investors with AFI Ventures as lead investor
• Committed to the global fight against climate change
• First of its kind in Belgium’s tech landscape
Former Tesla engineer leads high tech team to remove CO2 from the air
Former Tesla engineer, Thoralf Gutierrez, has joined forces with a team of accomplished CERN alum and carbon capture scientists to establish Sirona Technologies. They are tackling the ambitious challenge of removing CO2 from the air to mitigate hard-to-abate and historical emissions. Their ambitious mission is driven by a culture of fast product iteration and intense mission focus, inspired by the practices at Tesla. This unique blend of expertise and passion is setting a new standard in the emerging field of Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology.
Making rapid progress on prototypes towards large scale deployments
Sirona Technologies has made significant strides in developing their DAC technology in a very short amount of time. The team took only two months to build their first prototype and now, six months later, are already testing the third generation of their design. Their latest machine already captures 100 times more CO2 than its initial version, a testament to their fast product iteration culture, and paving the way for the large-scale deployments necessary to make a substantial impact on global carbon levels.
Backed by top investors and entrepreneurs
Sirona Technologies' vision and potential have attracted substantial support from a distinguished group of investors and entrepreneurs. This includes experienced engineers from Tesla and SpaceX, and notable figures and firms such as AFI Ventures (early stage impact fund from Ventech), XAnge, VOYAGERS Climate-Tech Fund (led by David Rowan, founding editor of Wired UK), Cowboy’s Adrien Roose, Aerospacelab’s Benoit Deper, Eventbrite co-founder Renaud Visage, and eFounders’ Thibaud Elziere, among other industry leaders. Following their commitment, Sirona Technologies successfully closed its pre-seed fundraising round in the first half of the year, bringing in $1 million. This strong financial backing is a testament to the confidence in Sirona Technologies' pragmatic and execution-focused approach to direct air capture and its potential to lead the charge in the climate tech industry.
Quote: The value of an exceptional and mission-driven driven team
"I am incredibly excited to unveil Sirona Technologies to the world," states Thoralf Gutierrez, CEO and co-founder. "Climate change is the most important problem of our era. It demands that we make bold and ambitious bets. My experience at Tesla showed me what you can do when you assemble a team of exceptional, mission-driven engineers. That’s exactly what we’re doing, and it will be crucial to scaling our impact on climate change as quickly as possible.”
Quote: A piece of the puzzle in our fight against climate change
Direct Air Capture is an essential piece in the intricate puzzle of combating climate change," says Gauthier Limpens, co-Founder and CTO of Sirona Technologies. "During my tenure in the field, I've come to realize the urgent need to scale up this technology right now, for it to be available tomorrow. It's not a question of choosing one solution over another as they will all be needed; rather, it's about integrating DAC into our broader strategy to effectively and rapidly reduce atmospheric CO2 levels in a post fossil-energy era. At Sirona Technologies, we are committed to advancing this technology to make a meaningful impact in our collective fight against climate change.”
