Swiss startup Arrhenius AG closed a seed funding round to scale its microalgae-based Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) technology. The company grows microalgae in outdoor photobioreactors using wastewater and sunlight, then buries the dried carbon-dense biomass in former gravel pits or underground mines for long term storage. Investors include CTA Ltd. and Young Ventures AG, who will also provide strategic guidance. The funds will go toward building a 500 m2 pilot plant that combines carbon removal with wastewater treatment. Arrhenius says the dried biomass is more than 50% CO2 by weight. The pilot is meant to validate the process under real conditions and prepare for a first commercial plant abroad. The approach falls under the BiCRS category, which Puro.earth recently recognized with a new microalgae methodology.
