Lithos Carbon

Lithos Carbon is a Seattle-based startup founded in March 2022 that aims to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using enhanced rock weathering. The company spreads finely crushed basalt, a volcanic rock, on agricultural fields where it reacts with rainwater and CO2 to form bicarbonate, permanently sequestering the carbon. Lithos uses software to optimize basalt application for each field based on factors like soil chemistry and crop type. This process not only captures carbon but also provides nutrients to crops, potentially increasing yields by 5-47%.

Lithos claims its approach is more cost-effective and scalable than other carbon removal methods, costing about one-fifth the price of direct air capture. The company aims to capture carbon much faster than natural weathering, achieving in 2-3 years what would normally take 15-50 years. As of late 2023, Lithos was operating across over 1,000 acres in the Midwest and East Coast of the US, with plans to expand further. The company reported capturing over 2,000 tons of CO2 in 2022 and aimed to remove 10,000 tons in 2023.

Key customers and partnerships

Lithos has partnered with several major companies and organizations in the carbon removal space. The startup is one of five inaugural suppliers for Frontier, a USD 1 billion advance market commitment led by Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, Meta, and McKinsey Sustainability. Lithos was Frontier's largest supplier of carbon credits in its first cycle, providing 640 tons. The company has also partnered with Yara International's Agoro Carbon Alliance to deploy its technology across US farmland.

Lithos sells carbon credits directly to corporate buyers, with Frontier Climate being one of its publicly announced customers. The company works with farmers across the US, providing them with basalt dust at no cost and sharing proceeds from carbon credit sales. As of early 2023, Lithos reported having a waitlist of farmers interested in participating in its program.