The Carbon Curve

• CO280 is turning pulp and paper mills into carbon removal factories

  Episode 56 is with Jonathan Rhone and Natalie Khtikian, co-founders of CO280.In this episode, Na’im speaks with Jonathan and Natalie about their groundbreaking work in large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects, specifically in partnership with pulp and paper companies. They discuss their innovative approach to carbon removal by partnering with pulp and paper companies. They highlight the importance of leveraging existing industrial frameworks to scale effectively. The episode delves into their successful partnerships with major companies like JP Morgan and Microsoft, and the critical role of government policies in facilitating large-scale carbon removal projects.In this episode, Na’im, Jonathan, and Natalie discuss: * Their journey into carbon removal and founding CO280;* The challenges and opportunities of integrating carbon removal technology with the pulp and paper industry* CO280's business model and project financing strategies* Recent high-profile agreements with companies like Frontier, Microsoft, and Frontier;* Technical and logistical aspects of CDR project development;* The importance of regulatory and policy certainties for supporting the CDR market; and* The outlook and future plans for CO280.Relevant Links:* CO280 - Website* CO280 and Frontier’s offtake agreement - Article* Why Microsoft is buying carbon credits from a pulp and paper mill - Article by Trellis* CO280 and JPMorgan’s offtake agreement - NewsAbout JonJonathan Rhone is a serial cleantech entrepreneur with extensive experience commercializing hard-tech, developing large-scale projects, and partnering with industrials to solve tough energy and environmental problems. As co-founder and CEO of Axine Water, he led commercialization of a disruptive technology and hardware-as-a-service model for the pharmaceutical and other industrial markets.​Jonathan is also co-founder and director of Evok Innovations, where he helped launch one of Canada’s largest and most successful cleantech venture funds. As founder and CEO of Nexterra Systems, he created a global supplier of bioenergy heat and power systems for industrial and institutional customers. Prior to Nexterra, he held leadership positions with a NASDAQ-listed cleantech company, and the Delphi Group. He began his career in oil and gas with Amoco Canada (now BP).About NatalieNatalie Khtikian is a commercialization and sales leader with experience spanning software, advertising, and hard-tech. She is cofounder and chief commercial officer atPrior to joining CO280, Natalie was Climeworks' first employee in North America, before pivoting to climate tech, Natalie was part of two teams that were acquired by Google, Wildfire Interactive and Waze. There, she worked with Fortune 50 clients and opened new markets and verticals. Natalie also was VP of Sales for Yondr, a hardware team focused on removing cellphone distraction from shows, events, and spaces.About CO280CO280 is a developer of large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects. In partnership with pulp and paper companies, CO280 develops, finances, owns, and operates carbon removal projects that deliver a new standard of permanent, verifiable, and affordable CDR credits to customers in the carbon market.  They have more than 10m tonnes per year of CDR under development in the US and Canada.  They have had recent public CDR customer announcements with JPMorgan, Microsoft, and Frontier.This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.Na’im Merchant is the co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, a policy initiative focused on scaling carbon removal in Canada. He is on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. Every two weeks, Na’im will release a short interview with individuals advancing the policies, technologies, and collective action needed to scale up carbon removal around the world.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

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• Has Avnos flipped the script on DAC?

  Episode 55 is with Will Kain, Founder & CEO of AvnosIn this episode, Na’im speaks with Will Kain about the advancement and commercialization of hybrid direct air capture (HDAC) technology at Avnos. The conversation also covers Will’s journey into the climate tech space, the unique hybrid DAC approach and the resource-efficient and cost-effective benefits of HDAC, as well as the challenges of scaling DAC technologies and the role of supportive policy regimes.In this episode, Na’im and Will discuss: * Will’s journey in carbon removal* Avnos’ approach to Direct Air Capture Technology* Avnos’ latest project, Brighton, and future plans* The importance of partnership and policy support* Challenges and opportunities in scaling DACRelevant Links:Avnos - WebsiteAvnos HDAC Technology - Explainer - YoutubeAvnos’ Demonstration Unit in Bridgewater, NJ - News About Will Kain: Will is the Founder & CEO of Avnos, bringing nearly a decade of leadership experience across early-stage cleantech companies. He previously launched Rusheen Capital Management and served as VP of Corporate Development at NanoH2O, a global desalination tech company. Will began his career at UBS Investment Bank and holds a BA in Economics and Government from the University of Virginia.About Avnos: Avnos is commercializing a unique approach to direct air capture – Hybrid Direct Air Capture (HDAC™) – which removes CO2 from the air, while producing water and requiring no external heat. The result is a resource-efficient, geographically flexible, and cost-effective approach to DAC. Avnos’ approach has been awarded multi-million-dollar projects from the U.S. Department of Energy and has backing from the U.S. Office of Naval Research to pilot DAC-sourced CO2 for e-fuels production.This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.Na’im Merchant is the co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, a policy initiative focused on scaling carbon removal in Canada. He is on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. Every two weeks, Na’im will release a short interview with individuals advancing the policies, technologies, and collective action needed to scale up carbon removal around the world.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

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• Mati Carbon's $50M leap forward

  Episode 54 is with Shantanu Agrawal, Founder and CEO of Mati Carbon and Nikki Batchelor, Executive Director for the $100M Carbon Removal XPRIZE.In this episode, Na’im delves into the groundbreaking achievements in carbon removal led by Mati Carbon and the XPRIZE Carbon Dioxide Removal Competition. Shantanu Aggarwal, CEO of Mati Carbon, discusses winning the $50 million grand prize of the XPRIZE competition. Nikki Bachelor from XPRIZE highlights the competition’s impact in catalyzing the carbon removal market, with insights into scaling solutions and responsible deployment. The conversation covers the intersection of carbon removal, economic development, and global collaboration to combat climate change.In this episode, Na’im, Nikki, and Shantanu discuss: * The journey and development of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Prize; * The catalytic impact of XPRIZE on the carbon removal industry; * The significant achievements and challenges faced by the finalist teams; * Mati Carbon’s strategy and successes, specifically their work with small holder farmers; * The importance of maintaining high standards for carbon removal verification and community engagement; * The ambitious goals and global development impact driven by Mati Carbon's enhanced rock weathering approach; and* Future directions and initiatives for XPRIZE.Relevant Links:* XPRIZE Carbon Removal - Website* XPRIZE Carbon Removal Winners - Article* Meet the Winners - Video* Mati Carbon - WebsiteAbout Shantanu:Shantanu Agrawal is a serial entrepreneur with over 22 years of experience in the energy and sustainability sectors. He holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a Schmidt Innovation Fellow and a Henry Fellow, recognized for his work in advancing scalable climate solutions in the Global South. As the Founder & CEO of Mati Carbon, he directs strategy,fundraising and leads cross functional teams to deliver large-scale carbon-removal initiatives that strengthen climate resilience for smallholder farmers. Prior to founding Mati Carbon, Shantanu co-founded Sustaera, a Direct Air Capture company. He has also led investments in a number of energy and industrial tech startups in the past as a general partner in a venture capital fund.About Nikki:Nikki Batchelor is the Executive Director for the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal, a competition supported by the Musk Foundation to drive innovation, market adoption, and responsible deployment of carbon removal solutions. In this capacity she oversees program operations, develops partnerships, and leads strategic initiatives on topics such as environmental justice and investor engagement, including the Circular Carbon Network that provides market insights for the growing carbon tech and carbon removal sectors. Nikki also supports XPRIZE’s work across the Energy & Climate Domain and previously managed operations and impact programs for the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE from 2015-2021. She also serves on the Carbon Business Council Board of Directors and Puro.Earth Advisory Board.Background on Mati:Mati Carbon does durable carbon removal through Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) with smallholder farmers of the Global South. The company partners with smallholder farmers to apply finely ground basalt to croplands, accelerating the natural geochemical process of rock weathering that permanently removes atmospheric CO₂ while restoring soil fertility and increasing crop yields.Mati Carbon is the winner of the $50M XPRIZE Carbon Removal Grand Prize, and its high-quality carbon credits are purchased by marquee buyers including Stripe, Shopify, H&M, and Siemens. By the end of 2025, the company is on track to engage 30,000 Background on XPRIZE:XPRIZE is an established global leader in designing, launching, and executing large scale competitions to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. The XPRIZE unique model democratizes innovation by incentivizing crowd-sourced, scientifically viable solutions to create a more equitable and abundant future for all. This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.Na’im Merchant is the co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, a policy initiative focused on scaling carbon removal in Canada. He is on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. Every two weeks, Na’im will release a short interview with individuals advancing the policies, technologies, and collective action needed to scale up carbon removal around the world.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

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• Special Episode: Canada's Carbon Edge

  Episode 53 is a Special Episode with Ed Whittingham of Advance Climate Solutions and Grégoire Baillargeon, President of BMO Québec and Vice Chair of BMO Capital Markets.In this special live episode of The Carbon Curve, Na’im is joined by Ed Whittingham of Advance Climate Solutions and host of the Energy vs. Climate podcast and Grégoire Baillargeon, President of BMO Quebec, Vice Chair of BMO Capital Markets, and Board Member of Carbon Removal Canada. Recorded at the Climate Solutions Prize Festival, the “multi-host” panel discusses the potential of Canada to scale carbon removal technologies and seize a leadership role in this burgeoning field. Key topics include the integration of policy, markets, and innovation, the economic and job creation potential of carbon removal in Canada, and the role of the government and private sector in supporting this sector. The conversation also highlights existing challenges and the need for concerted action to realize Canada's carbon removal ambitions.This episode was cross-published on the Energy vs. Climate podcast.Na’im Merchant is the co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, a policy initiative focused on scaling carbon removal in Canada. He was a policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. This post represents his personal views and not those of Carbon Removal Canada. You can get in touch with him on LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

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• Special Episode by Plan Sea and The Carbon Curve: Insights from the Carbon to Sea 2025 Annual Convening

  Episode 52 is a special joint episode with Plan Sea host Anna Madlener and Lennart Bach, Associate Professor and ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) scientist at the University of Tasmania.In this episode, Na’im joins Anna Madlener for a special co-hosted episode between Plan Sea and The Carbon Curve, recorded live at the Carbon to Sea 2025 Annual Convening. Anna and Na’im speak with Lennart Bach, to share insights and key takeaways from this year’s convening.Last month, Carbon to Sea hosted its third Annual Convening in Washington, D.C., bringing together scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to share recent progress and discuss a path forward for OAE. Building on the conversations started during the convening, Na’im and Bach highlight the importance of aligning on MRV approaches, cross-sector partnerships, increased community and policymaker engagement, and new funding pathways as key avenues to explore. Na’im Merchant is the co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, a policy initiative focused on scaling carbon removal in Canada. He was a policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. This post represents his personal views and not those of Carbon Removal Canada. You can get in touch with him on LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

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