In a landmark move for climate technology, the Danish startup Again has announced a $10 million seed financing round, backed by Silicon Valley's ACME Capital and GV, along with Berlin-based Atlantic Labs. This significant funding supports the company's innovative approach to carbon utilization, as evidenced by the launch of its unique carbon utilization plant in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Emerging from the Danish Technical University in 2021, Again is transforming a decade of research into industrial-scale applications. The company's pioneering method utilizes natural bacteria that consume gas to convert waste carbon dioxide (CO₂) into a variety of sustainable chemical products, presenting a novel solution in the global fight against carbon emissions.

The launch of their Copenhagen plant represents a major step in Again's mission to establish sustainable industrial value chains. The plant's ability to capture up to 1 ton of CO₂ per day and convert it into acetate and acetic acid is a noteworthy achievement in the realm of sustainable chemical production. These chemicals are key components in the manufacture of products such as adhesives, solvents, plastics, textiles, and cosmetics, which usually carry a high emission footprint. Again's process is particularly efficient, preventing up to three tons of emissions for each ton of product produced, a significant leap in the production of carbon-negative chemicals.

“In a global market where emissions are measured in gigatons, we’ve created a simple, energy-efficient process that creates the chemical products demanded by industry without the negative environmental impact and at competitive prices,” explains Dr. Torbjørn Ølshøj Jensen, co-founder and CEO of Again. “With our biomanufacturing plant online, we are leading the global transition to producing chemicals directly from CO₂ through biology. We have proven demand from customers who are eager to defossilize their value chains using our products.”

Again’s technology is a significant departure from previous CO₂ utilization methods, which were often prohibitively energy-intensive and expensive. “Again is the world’s most affordable and flexible carbon capture solution," said Max Kufner, co-founder and COO of Again. “We are building a solution that has no operating costs for our clients."

The company's modular, flexible production process reduces emissions and offers the potential to re-shore chemical production to regions seeking alternatives to fossil-based options. This approach aligns with international climate goals and supports sustainable economic development.

The recent funding will enable Again to expand its operations and invest in R&D to broaden its product range. “ACME, GV, and Atlantic Labs recognized the potential of biomanufacturing in fighting climate change and have been strong supporters of Again working simultaneously towards a positive environmental impact and a profitable business case,” Kufner noted.

Christian Tang-Jespersen, Partner at ACME, highlighted the significance of Again’s technology in the battle against climate change: “Again is building a critical solution for our fight against climate change. There is huge demand from the industry for carbon-negative chemicals. Again’s novel biomanufacturing process is primed to unlock this massive market. Just as important, the industry is looking for resilient supply and Again has the potential to become a global supplier.”

In addition to venture capital, Again has also secured public funding, including a €43M grant from the European Union’s Horizon program for the PyroCO₂ project, which is centered around Again’s technology.

Founded in 2021 and based in Copenhagen and Berlin, Again combines ancient bacteria with advanced biotechnology in its gas fermentation process, turning CO₂ and hydrogen into emission-free chemical products. Co-founder and CEO Dr. Torbjørn Jensen, with a background in molecular biology, leads the company alongside experienced startup founder and venture capitalist Max Kufner. The company's first products, acetate and acetic acid, are just the beginning of its continuous R&D efforts in CO₂-based chemical production.