Revolutionizing Decarbonization with Natural Microorganisms
Newlight Technologies, Inc., a cutting-edge player in decarbonization technology, has taken an innovative approach to combat climate change. By harnessing the power of natural microorganisms found in California, the company aims to convert greenhouse gas into high-performance materials.
Unleashing the Potential of PHB and AirCarbon®
To achieve its goal, Newlight utilizes these remarkable microorganisms that consume greenhouse gas as their primary food source. Inside the cells of these organisms, a remarkable molecule called PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate) is produced. PHB is ubiquitous in life on Earth and serves as a biological energy and carbon storage vehicle for living organisms. Once purified, PHB transforms into a meltable and moldable substance, offering a broad range of functionality within the materials market.
The result of this process is AirCarbon®, a revolutionary material that consists of approximately 40% oxygen derived from the air and 60% carbon obtained from greenhouse gas. Not only is this solution highly sustainable and eco-friendly, but it also has the potential to be a game-changer in the fight against climate change by effectively decarbonizing materials production.
Impact
One of the profound impacts of this technology is its potential to contribute to the restoration of healthy oceans. By producing biomaterials and moving away from synthetic plastics, we can effectively combat the accumulation of harmful plastic waste in our marine ecosystems.
Moreover, the application of these biomaterials holds the key to stabilizing our climate. By capturing and utilizing carbon from the air to create valuable products, we can prevent the release of excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, significantly contributing to the fight against climate change.
Furthermore, the company has taken its commitment to transparency and environmental accountability to the next level. In collaboration with IBM, they have developed the world’s first blockchain-based carbon tracking system. This pioneering system allows consumers to trace the exact carbon impact of their AirCarbon products, along with independent third-party certification.
What’s New: Completing the US$125 Million Equity Investment Round
Newlight Technologies recently secured $125 million in an equity investment round led by GenZero, a decarbonization-focused investment platform owned by Temasek. The funding also involved participation from Oxy Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV), a subsidiary of Occidental (Oxy) dedicated to advancing low-carbon technologies, Charter Next Generation (CNG), a prominent North American producer of specialty films, a global luxury goods manufacturer, and other shareholders.
Expanding the Reach: Towards a Global Scale of Decarbonized Materials
Newlight previously partnered with Nike in 2021 to explore the use of AirCarbon in creating more sustainable products. With the newly acquired financing, Newlight aims to expand its manufacturing platform and work towards achieving a global scale for utilizing greenhouse gas as a valuable resource for producing decarbonized materials.
Newlight is currently delivering AirCarbon-based products and materials to over 5,000 locations across the world, including to customers and partners in the fashion, entertainment, food service, hotel, and automotive industries. This investment will enable Newlight to expand its AirCarbon manufacturing platform towards the company’s goal of using greenhouse gas as a resource to manufacture decarbonized materials at a global scale.
“This capital round represents an inflection point for Newlight, where we have the opportunity to build on 20 years of research, development, and commercialization, and expand biological decarbonization at large scale. It is an important milestone for Newlight, and we are tremendously excited about the path ahead.”
Mark Herrema, CEO of Newlight