In the relentless pursuit of innovative solutions to combat climate change, an inspiring startup, Cella, founded by Jackson alum Corey Pattison, is pioneering a groundbreaking technique to permanently store carbon by transforming it into rock.
As the severity of the climate crisis escalates, necessitating urgent measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Cella’s inventive approach addresses the challenge of securely storing carbon in the Earth’s crust. Corey Pattison, MA ’13, co-founded Cella with a mission to make a significant impact on climate change by contributing to the removal and permanent storage of billions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere.
Established in 2022, Cella has already garnered over $3 million in seed funding, with tech giants Shopify and Stripe purchasing carbon removal credits. The startup has embarked on a pilot program in Kenya, collaborating with geologists and engineers to validate the science behind its carbon mineralization process. Furthermore, Cella is partnering with Octavia Carbon to establish the first direct air capture plant in the Southern Hemisphere, projecting to trap and store 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Caitlin Wale, principal at the London-based carbon removal venture capital fund Counteract, commended Cella, stating, “Cella has developed a technology with the potential to lock gigatons of carbon underground safely and permanently.” Wale emphasizes the company’s commitment to a circular economy, efficient use of waste resources, and community engagement as key elements in addressing the climate crisis.
Corey Pattison, a Jackson alum, traces his commitment to impactful work back to his time at Yale, crediting mentorship from figures like Emma Sky and Sati Rasuanto. His journey from Yale to the United Nations and ultimately founding Cella reflects a dedication to making a meaningful difference in the world.
Cella’s approach involves converting captured carbon into rock by injecting it deep into the ground, where it binds to calcium and magnesium in basalt, a volcanic rock. While this natural process typically takes thousands of years, Cella’s technique achieves the same result in just a few years. The abundance of basalt globally positions Cella to scale its operations rapidly.
Intriguingly, Cella’s pilot program in Kenya aligns with the country’s commitment to sustainability, leveraging its renewable energy resources and geological features. Corey Pattison emphasizes that Cella’s technology not only offers a more permanent and safer solution to carbon emissions but also opens up opportunities for global carbon storage on a vast scale.
As Cella navigates its early stages, Corey Pattison expresses hope for the transformative potential of carbon removal, envisioning it as a trillion-dollar industry. While challenges lie ahead, including the need for rapid growth to demonstrate cost-effectiveness, Cella’s commitment to aligning with values that combat climate change instills confidence in its trajectory.
As Pattison aptly puts it, “Carbon removal could become a trillion-dollar industry. We’re in the early days, and it’s going to have to grow extremely rapidly to demonstrate that it can be a cost-effective tool as the world tries to meet its climate goals.”
In the grand endeavor to address climate change, Cella stands as a beacon of innovation and hope, showcasing the power of visionary startups in shaping a sustainable future.
