A private investment firm run by Risto Siilasmaa and Kim Groop. Grounded in a deeply held set of values around entrepreneurship, trust, integrity and helping solve the world’s problems. We partner with strong and ambitious technology entrepreneurs driven by a mission to fix or build something important in the world.

First Fellow Partners

See portfolio http://www.walerud.com/portfolio IN THE TRENCHES We join at the very early stages, often from just an idea and a couple of people. We spend a day a week with you to help set up the early team, strategy and sales. We'll join you in packing boxes, (wo)man the booth at trade shows, and as CxO as necessary. Since we work so closely with our startups we only take on a few at a time. Therefore, we make sure to select projects that make our hearts sing.  LONG & CURRENT EXPERIENCE Of the 18 companies we have been heavily involved in, four have become world class successes (Klarna, Tobii, Lensway, Bluetail) and another ten had good and profitable exits or are growing nicely. We've also coached hundreds of startups and work very hard to make our startups successful.  DEEP TECH We are techie and curious, and will understand your product. We've started companies in areas including AI, 3D, solar cells, fintech, telecom and biotech and have worked in tech for a long time: Jane was once a teaching assistant for  a programming course at Stanford, Bengt is a top multivariate statistical analyst, and Caroline studied natural sciences at Cambridge. We like companies with sustainable competitive advantages and entry barriers.  WHAT WE LOOK FOR Fantastic founders with full focus on ONE product that solves a problem that HURTS. Selling to a growing market with high margins. A brilliant, hard working, self motivated, open team with complementary skills and integrity.  Since we work hard with you, we want to be close: within commuting distance from Stockholm. We speak Swedish and English.  INVESTMENT We are on the entrepreneur's side. We want a painless investment process so we can get on with building the company with you. Therefore we do standard, simple and fair contracts (eg startupdocs.se) want the founders to own the lion's share of the company. We invest 1-10M SEK and take a board seat.

Walerud Ventures

Grantham Foundation seeks to protect and improve the health of global environmental issues and supports individuals and organizations. It also supports communication and collaboration in environmental protection, with an emphasis on climate change. The foundation focuses on communications to enable the general public to understand that climate change represents the world’s primary environmental threat today and that mitigating and adapting to a changing climate will lead to a more sustainable and prosperous future. Grantham Foundation was founded in 1997 by Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham and is based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Grantham Foundation

Pale Blue Dot is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups addressing global challenges with innovative and sustainable solutions. Pale Blue Dot invests in pre-seed, seed, and early-stage companies that are working on innovative solutions to combat climate change. Their investments span various sectors, including energy, food and agriculture, transportation, and materials.

Pale blue dot

2050 is an investment fund that combines performance and company alignment and is set out to craft a fertile future. It empowers those who are building a fertile future, a world aligned with economic, social and ecological challenges. The firm was founded in 2020 by Marie Ekeland in Paris, France.

2050

Paebbl

Paebbl is a carbon storage company that sells carbon-negative building materials. It captures carbon from industrial facilities or from the air itself to create a carbon-negative material for construction, which accounts for 38% of global carbon emissions. Pol Knops, Jane Walerud, Marta Sjögren, and Andreas Saari founded Paebbl in 2021.

Paebbl is a Sweden-based startup that has developed a patented technology to convert CO2 into a solid, carbon-negative material through an accelerated mineralization process. The company captures CO2 emissions from industrial facilities or directly from the air and combines it with water and ground silicate rock to produce a silica-enriched magnesium carbonate powder. This powder can be used as an inert filler in various applications, including construction materials, paper production, paints, and polymers.

Clear the air on carbon capture, reuse, and storage

Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS)

Paebbl Raises €22.8M in Series A Funding

Paebbl is a Sweden-based startup that has developed a patented technology to convert CO2 into a solid, carbon-negative material through an accelerated mineralization process. The company captures CO2 emissions from industrial facilities or directly from the air and combines it with water and ground silicate rock to produce a silica-enriched magnesium carbonate powder. This powder can be used as an inert filler in various applications, including construction materials, paper production, paints, and polymers.By incorporating Paebbl's carbon-negative filler into concrete mixes, the company claims that the CO2 footprint of concrete can be reduced by up to 70%. In December 2023, Paebbl commissioned a new 500-liter batch production unit called “Obelix,” which increased the company's CO2 processing capacity by 100x, enabling the production of up to 100 tons of carbon-storing materials annually. The company’s existing hubs are operational in Helsinki, Rotterdam, and Stockholm and plans to open a new hub in the UK.Key customers and partnershipsIn June 2024, Paebbl announced the mineralization of its first ton of CO2 removal at its pilot plant, converting CO2 into carbon-negative raw materials for the construction industry.

Prometheus follows a next-gen electro-chemical-based approach to convert CO2 into carbon-neutral fuel using renewable energy and carbon nanotubes. Industrial fans suck ambient air and blow it across a waterfall that absorbs CO2 and additional water. The electricity “charges” and “energizes” captured carbon with hydrogen molecules from water to create long-chain alcohols. Alcohols are then harvested using a special type of membrane called the Maxwell Core. Its pores are carbon nanotubes, which allow alcohol through while rejecting water. A final catalyst step combines the alcohols and recovers water. The company claims that it is the only one in the world that can separate alcohol from water economically. This step can be customized to produce gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel.In <a href="https://prometheusfuels.com/news/our-finished-commercial-scale-stack-design-unlocks-lowest-cost-fuel">October 2022</a>, Prometheus completed the design of the commercial-scale cell and stack Titan Fuel Forge.Key customers and partnershipsIn June 2019, Prometheus partnered with Boom Supersonic (a company building the world’s fastest supersonic airliner) to supply carbon-neutral fuel for the flight test program of one of its demonstrator aircraft scheduled for 2021. In July 2021, the company entered into a purchase agreement with American Airlines to supply 10 million gallons of carbon-neutral jet fuel.Funding and financialsIn September 2021, Prometheus raised an undisclosed amount in a Series B funding round led by Maersk, Metaplanet, and BMW i Ventures. In June 2020, BMW i Ventures also announced an investment of USD 12.5 million into Prometheus.

Prometheus Fuels

UK-based Storegga Geotechnologies (Storegga) provides carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions for energy-intensive sectors such as petrochemicals, agriculture, and airlines. In July 2020, Storegga acquired Pale Blue Dot Energy (PBDE), through which the company became the lead developer of the Acorn CCS Project (the UK’s first large-scale carbon capture project). In August 2022, Storegga launched a new entity <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/11990">“Storegga Americas” </a>to explore clean fuel opportunities and to scale up its operations across the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean.Key customers and partnershipsIn June 2021, Storegga partnered with Carbon Engineering, a Canadian direct air capture (DAC) startup, to initiate engineering and designing a new facility in North East Scotland, which could remove between 500,000 and one million metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually. The project was backed by a UK government grant of GBP 249,000 received in May 2021. In July 2021, Acorn CCS signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SEGAL and FUKA gas terminals to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from its operations. The two gas terminals will become the first customers for Acorn CCS. In August 2021, Storegga signed an MoU with Virgin Atlantic to secure the airline as an early customer.&nbsp;In March 2022, Storegga <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9378">partnered</a> with Mitsui to commercialize its proprietary DAC technology. In June 2022, the company signed an MoU with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/11230">Aker Carbon Capture</a> to deploy CCS projects in the UK. Other partners include Sval Energi, Talos Energy, Freeport LNG and <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10230">ScottishPower</a>.In August 2023, Storegga together with Sval Energi, a Norwegian energy provider, and Neptune Energy, a UK-based oil and gas explorer, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21191">secured</a> their <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16698">previously applied</a> CO2 storage license to develop the Trudvang CCS project in the Norwegian North Sea. In October 2023, the company signed an MOU with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22815">Svante</a> to develop CCUS projects by combining Svante's carbon capture and removal filter technology and Storegga's CO2 transportation and storage expertise. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32814">August 2024</a>, the company partnered with PETRONAS and ADNOC to evaluate offshore CO2 storage capabilities in Malaysia.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Funding and financialsStoregga’s <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10468">most recent </a>funding round was in May 2022, when it raised GBP 51.3 million (USD 63.9 million) in its third funding round, led by Snam. In March 2021, Storegga raised an undisclosed amount from a funding round led by GIC, Mitsui &amp; Co, and Macquarie Group to deploy a DAC facility in the UK.

Storegga Geotechnologies

Carbfix is an Icelandic carbon sequestration company that stores captured carbon dioxide (CO2) permanently underground. During the pilot phase of Carbfix, findings revealed that over 95% of the injected carbon dioxide mineralized within two years, in contrast to the previous understanding that it would take several hundred or thousands of years. Carbfix began as an academic-industrial research project in 2007 and was established as a subsidiary of Reykjavik Energy (OR), an Icelandic geothermal company, in 2019. Carbfix was spun out of OR in January 2020.As the technology requires vast amounts of water to dissolve carbon dioxide, in June 2021, Carbfix’s technology was validated to be used with seawater—applicable in regions where fresh water is scarce. The use of seawater with Carbfix’s technology is experimental, with a field pilot project scheduled in Iceland for 2022.Key customers and partnershipsIn August 2020, Climeworks, a Swiss company specializing in direct air capture (DAC) technology, along with ON Power, a Swiss geothermal energy provider, signed an agreement with Carbfix to scale up CO2 removal and storage. From September 2021, the new facility, located in Iceland, is expected to remove 4,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere per year. In 2017, Climeworks and Carbfix also partnered to operate a small-scale DAC and storage facility of 900 metric tons per year, also in Iceland.In July 2021, Aker Carbon Capture, a Norwegian carbon capture company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Carbfix to collaborate on cost-efficient carbon capture and storage solutions. Elkem, a Norwegian environmentally responsible manufacturer of materials, has also partnered with Carbfix to reduce emissions of its alloys plant in Grundartangi, Iceland.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21311">August 2023</a>, the company partnered with the University of Edinburgh (UoE) and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre to evaluate CO2 mineralization in Iceland. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23535">November 2023</a>, Carbfix injected dissolved CO2 in seawater underground in partnership with the universities of Geneva and Switzerland, Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR), and University College London.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28975">April 2024</a>, Carbfix partnered with Deep Sky, a Canadian carbon removal project developer to explore potential CO2 mineral storage options in Canada.Funding and financialsIn July 2022, Carbfix was awarded a grant of ISK 16 billion (USD 117 million) from the EU Innovation Fund for the deployment of its Code Terminal project (a CO2 transport and storage hub) to capture 3,000,000 tons of CO2 per annum by 2031.

Carbfix

Global Thermostat specializes in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. The company employs a proprietary process using amine-based adsorbents to capture CO2, which is then concentrated for various applications, including storage and conversion into fuels, chemicals, and other products. This technology aims to transform CO2 from a climate liability into a valuable resource, contributing to a circular carbon economy​In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/29707">May 2024</a>, the company was acquired by Zero Carbon Systems, a developer of CO2 removal technologies, for an undisclosed sum.Key customers and partnershipsAs of August 2021, Global Thermostat had two pilot facilities in California and Alabama, each with the capacity to remove 3,000–4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Since 2019, Global Thermostat has been in a partnership with ExxonMobil to scale commercially.In April 2023, Global Thermostat unveiled one of the world’s largest DAC units that permanently captures CO2 from the atmosphere. The unit had been under trial since the end of 2022, capturing 1,000 tons of CO2 per annum at the company’s US headquarters in Commerce City, Colorado. The DAC unit launched was a commercial-scale demonstration, with the company taking on pre-orders for DAC systems.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26251">February 2024</a>, the company commissioned its first containerized T-Series system for the multi-ton scale DAC, with two microalgae producers, MicroBio Engineering Inc and Cyanotech Corporation, using this system to improve the production of microalgae biomass for renewable fuels in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.Funding and financialsMost recently in May 2023, the company received an undisclosed investment from Sumitomo Corporation, via its US-based venture arm Presidio Ventures. The two companies had also signed a letter of intent (LoI) to identify and develop CCS projects globally.

Global Thermostat

Remora’s devices capture carbon emissions directly from truck tailpipes. They can be fitted onto tailpipes of existing trucks to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) for 600–1,200 miles before an offload. Remora’s solution was initially funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and tested at the agency’s National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Lab.The company’s technology has a capture efficiency of 80% and can offload the captured CO2 while refueling—to be sold to concrete producers and other end users. The proceeds from the sale of CO2 are expected to be shared across fleet owners and customers once commercialized. Funding and financialsIn February 2024, the company raised an undisclosed amount in a Series A funding round led by Voyager Ventures.&nbsp; Key competitors: None comparable (Remora is the only startup that captures carbon from truck tailpipes)

Remora

Solutions that capture CO2 from flue-gas stacks including both industrial stacks and vehicle tailpipes.

Solutions that capture CO2 from ambient air, including from indoor spaces.

Solutions that “recycle” captured CO2 to produce commercial products other than sustainable fuel, such as proteins, plastics, building materials, etc.

Solutions that permanently store captured CO2 underground.

Solutions that “recycle” captured CO2 to produce sustainable fuels

Recycles captured CO2 emissions to produce sustainable fuels and other products

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

<div>
 Paebbl, a company focused on building materials utilizing CO2, has successfully raised EUR 22.8 million (USD 25 million) in a recent Series A funding round. This funding was led by VC Capnamic, alongside investments from Amazon's The Climate Pledge Fund, Holcim, 2050, Pale Blue Dot, and a number of family offices. This funding round has brought Paebbl's total acquired funding to USD 33 million.
 The funds procured will be dedicated to launching a demonstration plant in the first half of 2025. The goal for this plant is to enhance production capacity to three tons of product and manage to sequester up to one ton of CO2 daily. Paebbl has plans for expansion of its current hubs situated in Helsinki, Rotterdam, and Stockholm. There is also a plan to inaugurate a new hub in the UK. Paebbl is targeting the construction of a full-scale commercial plant by 2027.
 
</div> Analyst QuickTake: 
 In <a href="https: 
//carbonherald.com/paebbl-announces-first-removed-ton-of-co2/"> June 2024 </a> , the company mineralized its first full ton of sequestered CO2 in building materials at its pilot plant. Over the past two years, Paebbl has moved from gram-scale lab tests to bench-scale trials to a fully operational pilot plant producing 250 kilograms of CO2-storing building material per day and has signed a pre-purchase agreement.

Paebbl

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