Innovation at CO2RE

Accelerating breakthrough carbon removal technologies from lab to market

CO2RE’s Innovation Platform provides hands-on technical, commercial, and strategic support to early-stage carbon removal companies, bridging the gap between promising science and gigatonne-scale impact.

• 14+ companies supported
• 5 carbon removal pathways
• £500K+ innovation investment
• UK government-backed via Innovate UK

Beyond Capital

Most climate technologies don’t fail from lack of good ideas. They fail in the messy middle, between proof of concept and commercial scale.

Early-stage carbon removal companies face unique barriers: unproven markets, nascent regulatory frameworks, limited testing infrastructure, and investors who need de-risked pathways before committing capital.

CO2RE bridges this gap. Through our partnership with Undaunted, the UK’s climate innovation hub at Imperial College London, we provide comprehensive climate tech programmatic infrastructure that combines the best of established accelerator frameworks with specialised greenhouse gas removal expertise. Our team works directly with founders to validate technology roadmaps, refine commercial strategies, and prepare companies for the investment and partnerships needed to scale.

Built on Undaunted infrastructure – enhanced with bespoke GGR insights

Our GGR Accelerator operates within Undaunted’s proven programmatic infrastructure that has delivered world class support to 195 companies that have raised collectively >$1bn in funding. This gives GGR startups access to established modules on customer discovery, product development, commercial models, defensibility, team-building, climate impact and fundraising. This, combined with bespoke GGR support in crucial areas like monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV), policy and certifications, insurance, capital stack and techno-economic analysis (TEA), makes our programme a comprehensive offering to accelerate the GGR startups of tomorrow.

How we support innovation

Technical validation and de-risking

We help companies design robust pilot programmes, navigate the myriad certification pathways, and build credible MRV frameworks. Whether it’s ocean alkalinity enhancement or novel sorbent chemistry, we ensure technology roadmaps can withstand investor and regulatory scrutiny.

Market positioning and commercial strategy

Carbon removal spans multiple markets: compliance buyers, voluntary credits and emerging government procurement. We conduct competitive landscape analysis, identify differentiation opportunities and help founders articulate clear value propositions for each buyer segment.

Investment Readiness

From pitch deck refinement to detailed investor mapping across venture capital, impact funds, and government grants, we prepare companies for successful fundraising. Our cohort companies benefit from introductions to aligned capital sources and due diligence preparation that accelerates deal closure.

Specialised workshops and expert networks

Through partnerships with leading organisations in the carbon removal ecosystem, we deliver bespoke workshops addressing the specific challenges GGR companies face. We work with the following partners:

• Kita: carbon insurance strategies – demystifying this nascent field and how it de-risks both supply and demand sides while enabling bank financing.
• ClimeFi: climate finance structures and investment vehicles specific to carbon removal markets.
• Green Finance Institute: capital stack optimisation, catalytic capital structures and revenue-based financing models.
• Recursion Works: techno-economic analysis (TEA) frameworks tailored to different carbon removal pathways.
• Grantham Institute: policy and regulatory landscape across Europe and internationally; certification frameworks.

Our programmes

GGR Accelerator

An intensive UK government-funded programme supporting GGR companies based in the UK. Selected through our Innovation Day competition judged by industry leaders from Undaunted, Supercritical, Oxford Seed Fund and Innovate UK, companies receive in-kind contributions to accelerate their technical, commercial and regulatory workstreams.

The programme runs for five months, combining Undaunted’s core curriculum with GGR-specific modules on carbon insurance, digital MRV (dMRV), capital stack strategies, TEA, policy and regulation. Each cohort culminates in a Founders Retreat and ongoing networking with leading academics in Bristol, Oxford and at Imperial College, as well as with CDR marketplace representatives.

Greenhouse cohorts (Undaunted partnership)

Part of Undaunted’s flagship climate accelerator at Imperial College London, these cohorts bring together broader climate tech innovations including carbon removal, with access to Imperial’s research infrastructure and London’s climate finance ecosystem. GGR-focused companies in these cohorts receive additional support through CO2RE’s specialised programming. The companies we support here also have access to tailored GGR insights, workshops and experts within CO2RE and wider networks.

Our portfolio approach

The companies removing carbon at scale

Our portfolio spans direct air capture, carbon capture and utilisation, biochar, mineralisation, novel materials, N₂O removal and multiple marine CDR approaches. Each one is tackling the climate crisis with breakthrough innovation. From ocean alkalinity to agricultural emissions, these companies represent the diverse toolkit needed to achieve net zero and go beyond it.

This diversity is intentional, not accidental. It reflects our strategy of taking as many shots on goal as possible across different GGR methods, technology readiness levels and market segments. We support both core carbon removal technologies and enabling platforms that help scale the entire ecosystem.

Through this intentional portfolio-building, CO2RE and Undaunted are positioning the UK as a global leader in GGR innovation across the full technology landscape needed to achieve gigatonne-scale impact. The companies below have each participated in CO2RE’s GGR Accelerator or Undaunted’s Greenhouse (Cohorts 6–9), receiving hands-on innovation support to accelerate their journey from promising technology to investable venture.

Ocean-based solutions

 Harnessing marine systems for permanent carbon sequestration.

Mineralisation and geochemistry

Converting CO₂ into permanent mineral storage.

Biomass and biochar

Permanent carbon storage through plant systems and pyrolysis.

Direct capture and novel sorbents

Engineered systems for CO₂ capture and storage.

Agricultural and soil systems

Addressing emissions at their source.

Novel materials and enabling technologies

Breakthrough materials and platforms supporting the carbon removal ecosystem.

Photo by Nik on Unsplash.