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§ Private Profile · London, United Kingdom
Carbon capture company using algae to sequester CO2 from seawater, selling carbon credits for net-zero targets.
London-based Brilliant Planet develops algae-based systems to capture and sequester carbon dioxide from seawater in coastal desert environments. The company utilizes deep seawater and empty desert land to cultivate biomass, offering permanent carbon storage with over 1,000 years of sequestration capability to generate verifiable carbon credits priced around $50 per tonne. Operating a three-hectare research facility in Morocco, the organization is currently developing a 30-hectare commercial demonstration site with the theoretical potential to sequester 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually at full global scale. Brilliant Planet has grown its workforce to 45 employees after securing $12 million in Series A funding from a syndicate of venture investors including Union Square Ventures, Toyota Ventures, S2G Ventures, and Future Positive Capital. The carbon capture enterprise was founded in 2013 by Raffael Jovine and Keith Coleman.
Brilliant Planet has raised $12.0M across 1 funding round.
Brilliant Planet has raised $12.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Brilliant Planet has raised $12.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $12.0M Series A in April 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2022 | $12M Series A | Toyota Ventures, Union Square Ventures | Astanor Ventures, Rexhep Dollaku, FJ Labs, Future Positive Capital, GE Ventures, JetBlue Technology Ventures, Molten Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners, Playground Global, True Ventures, Visionaire Ventures, Jeffrey Wilke, RAJ Gollamudi, AiiM Partners, Hatch, Pegasus Tech Ventures, S2G Ventures | Announced |
Brilliant Planet is a climate technology company founded in 2013 that develops algae-based systems for permanent, nature-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR).[1][2][4] It grows microalgae in open-air ponds on coastal desert land using seawater—no freshwater required—to sequester carbon at scale while de-acidifying ocean water, serving carbon markets, corporations like Block and Schneider Electric, and global climate goals.[2][3] The company has raised $12 million in Series A funding (its only round to date), employs about 35 people, and generates $27.1 million in revenue, with momentum from partnerships like Mott MacDonald for a 30-hectare demonstration facility in Morocco and sales through platforms like Watershed Marketplace.[1][2][3]
After four years of trials at a 3-hectare research site in Morocco, Brilliant Planet is scaling toward gigaton-level CDR, claiming up to 30 times more carbon sequestration per unit area than rainforests by creating "new" biomass from underutilized resources.[2]
Brilliant Planet was founded in 2013 in London, United Kingdom, by a team including chief scientist and co-founder Raffael Jovine, who drives the science behind its algae cultivation.[1][2] The idea emerged from recognizing algae's potential for exponential growth and carbon drawdown, leveraging solar power, seawater, and desert land to address ocean acidification and atmospheric CO2 without competing for arable resources.[2][3]
Early traction came from R&D at a 3-hectare facility in Morocco starting around 2018, proving the process's viability after four years of trials.[2] Pivotal moments include the 2022 $12M Series A led by Union Square Ventures and Toyota Ventures, enabling commercial demonstration plans, and recent partnerships like the 2023 Mott MacDonald deal for Morocco expansion and Block's large-scale purchase via Watershed.[1][2][3]
Brilliant Planet rides the direct air capture and nature-based CDR trend, accelerated by corporate net-zero pledges and carbon markets demanding verifiable, permanent removal beyond emissions cuts.[3] Timing aligns with 2020s climate urgency—post-COP26/27—where algae tech fills gaps in scalability and cost versus tree-planting or mechanical DAC, using abundant deserts (e.g., Morocco) amid rising CO2 levels.[2][3]
Market forces favor it: Growing demand from buyers like Block, Schneider Electric, and FootPrint Coalition; policy support for CDR in energy transitions; and investor interest from VCs like Toyota Ventures betting on bio-solutions.[1][2][3] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering low-cost, dual-benefit (air + ocean) removal, validating desert-based biotech for competitors and pushing standards for transparency in carbon credits.[3]
Brilliant Planet is poised to break ground on its 30-hectare Morocco facility, expanding R&D in London while targeting gigascale operations that could draw down 2 billion tonnes of CO2 annually at maturity.[2][3] Trends like maturing carbon markets, CDR buyer mandates, and algae biotech advances will propel growth, potentially evolving its role from pioneer to market leader in permanent, ocean-positive removal. As corporate purchases scale, expect more hyperscaler deals and policy integrations, amplifying its edge in the race to gigatons—turning desert algae into a climate cornerstone.[3]
Brilliant Planet has raised $12.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Brilliant Planet's investors include Toyota Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Astanor Ventures, Rexhep Dollaku, FJ Labs, Future Positive Capital, GE Ventures, JetBlue Technology Ventures, Molten Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners, Playground Global, True Ventures.