Electrochemical climate tech company BlueShift announced that it has secured $2.1 million in a recent pre-seed funding round.
For this initial funding, the Boston-based company garnered support from ConocoPhillips Company, Ridgeline, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), which will be channeled towards the construction of BlueShift’s pilot facility in Boston Harbor.
Operating out of Greentown Labs, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit catalyzing climate solutions, BlueShift is developing a technology that addresses two environmental issues at once: the sourcing of critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs), as well as mitigating ocean acidification by removing carbon dioxide from seawater.
The company’s system uses a proprietary membrane-free technology, developed with the help of the University of Michigan and Harvard and backed by the DOE’s ARPA-E agency.
By combining this innovation with additive manufacturing elements and existing infrastructures like the ones found in desalination and power plants, BlueShift is able to process alkaline industrial waste and seawater, isolating critical minerals from these streams.
Its cost- and energy-efficient technologies also extract CO2 directly from seawater as limestone, helping combat the problem of ocean acidification.
When combined with ocean water, BlueShift’s modular electrochemical units are said to be up to 10 times more energy efficient than competing solutions.
As explained by the company, BlueShift has managed to significantly reduce capital expenditures around its operations by avoiding the use of previous materials or bipolar membranes.
In their carbon dioxide removal role, these systems again offer a low-cost and low-energy option for tackling the acidification of the global ocean.
In this regard, BlueShift is confident that within 14 months of the deployment of the pilot facility in Boston Harbor, the site will be able to deliver a 30x increase in total carbon dioxide removed annually.
On behalf of funding round participant Ridgeline, Co-Founder & Managing Partner Ryan Clinton commented, “BlueShift raises the bar for sustainable industrial innovation—advancing domestic critical-mineral production while capturing carbon from seawater. At Ridgeline, we’re proud to back a team proving we can unlock vital resources and build a more resilient future.”
Read more: CREW Carbon Raises $5.3M Seed Round To Capture Carbon At Wastewater Treatment Facilities
