Catalyzing carbon removal solutions with biologicals, phytoplankton, and seaweed
This update was made possible by everyone who contributed to the Wren Climate Collective fundraiser: Catalyze carbon removal with high-impact donations. We appreciate your support!
Last year, we launched a special Wren Slingshot fundraiser to catalyze carbon removal. Wren supporters helped us surpass our $100,000 goal.
Together, we provided grant funding to three startups with innovative solutions to remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere: HyveGeo, Lillianah Technologies, and Samudra Oceans. Today, we’re excited to share how your generosity is making a difference in the fight against climate change.
Biochar trials are underway
HyveGeo greens the desert using biochar to remove carbon and improve food security in the Middle East and Northern Africa. They charge biochar with biologicals into a synergistic formulation specifically designed to improve fertility of arid soil. Your support for this project comes at an exciting time—HyveGeo recently received a grant to develop a Technology Readiness Level 4 bioreactor with Exeter University, enabling the next phase of producing the biologicals that charge their biochar.
Since the Wren Slingshot, HyveGeo has secured pilots with the United Arab Emirates' leading agritech and food security company Silal and Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority. They have also welcomed a new microbiologist to the team, who is focused on isolating and cultivating local microbes to activate and enhance the biochar. This has helped in production and testing of different biochar blends, which are being studied in growth chamber pot trials ongoing through early September. After these initial trials, the most promising formulations will move on to field tests.
The construction of their new biochar demonstration unit is now 85% complete, on track to install the pyrolysis equipment by the end of July. This will unlock up to 600 kg of biochar production per day.
“Wren’s grant was instrumental in enabling us to purchase and set up our first demonstration site in the region. This is the foundation for showcasing what it truly means to Terraform Earth, deploying advanced biochar in arid environments to restore land and lock away CO₂ for thousands of years.”
—Abdulaziz Bin Redha, HyveGeo Founder
Moving forward, HyveGeo plans to implement a robust digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification process for carbon credits. They anticipate delivering it by late 2026.
Solving waterway pollution with carbon capture
Lillianah Technologies cultivates and releases phytoplankton into polluted marine environments, where they consume carbon and store it as sediment on the ocean floor. This helps reverse damage from acidification and pollution, both accelerated by climate change. Since the fundraiser, Lillianah has:
Completed the plant build in Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Received an amended Letter of Advice from Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which greenlit the first two phases of their phytoplankton dispersal program
Finalized the monitoring and validation approach with Cape Breton University
The Bras d'Or Lakes area is unique, semi-enclosed, and ideal for testing Lillianah’s biological carbon capture technology. The team is on pace to complete a large-scale dispersal test by summer to early fall 2025. Eventually, this solution could scale globally as a nature-based method of carbon removal and water cleanup, potentially removing two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.
Mega scale seaweed carbon capture
Samudra Oceans develops technology and farms to remove carbon with seaweed, which is later converted into biochar for long-term storage. This regenerative, nature-based solution enhances biodiversity and doesn’t compete with land use or freshwater.
Since the Wren Slingshot fundraiser, Samudra has harvested 1 tonne of sugar kelp from its Scottish farm, capturing approximately 0.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) despite damage from Storm Eowyn—the most powerful and severe storm to hit Ireland since 1961.
Samudra's modular, pre-fabricated seaweed farming system (also known as the "Flat-Pack”) has progressed from conceptual design to experimental proof-of-concept. By the end of September 2025, Samudra hopes the system will progress to environmental testing, with a target of 20 Flat-Packs deployed in pilot farms within the next couple of months.
We’ve also seen global expansion pilots from the Samudra team in India, St. Helena, Canada, and Jamaica. They have established local partnerships with governments and other climate start-ups to scale seaweed cultivation. We’re excited to see the adaptability of Samudra’s solution in different ocean conditions, advancing both carbon removal and biodiversity improvement.
The Wren Climate Collective's mission is to accelerate carbon removal technologies. These fundraiser updates prove that collective efforts are critical to protecting the planet, and we couldn’t have done this work without you.