Industrial facilities often emit flue gases with CO₂ concentrations of 4% to 15%. Capturing carbon from these sources was not cost-effective. ARK Capture Solutions aims to cut capture costs by half, making it easier for industries to lower their carbon footprint.
The company’s solution is powered by renewable energy and integrated downstream of a point source emission, producing high-purity CO₂ available for further utilization or storage. Its forward-thinking design is autonomous, modular, HSE-friendly, and all-electric, making it compatible with existing transport and storage infrastructures.
To advance its innovative, cost-effective carbon capture technology, in a significant step towards combating climate change, ARK Capture Solutions raised over €2.2M in pre-seed funding, led by Aperam Ventures and Seeder Fund, with additional support from Climate Club, BeAngels, Lune Ventures, InvestBW, Noshaq, and Wallonie Entreprendre.
This funding round, just nine months after the company’s founding, underscores growing confidence in ARK’s mission. The fresh capital will advance its innovative carbon capture technology targeting low-concentration CO₂ emissions. With the global push for carbon neutrality by 2050, innovative solutions like ARK’s are essential for industries seeking viable ways to reduce emissions.
ARK Founders with a vision for carbon capture solutions
ARK Capture Solutions was founded in Belgium by Samuel Thiry and Aurélien Vantomme, who bring over 30 years of combined expertise in clean technologies development. Thiry, the CEO, holds a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from École Polytechnique de Louvain (Belgium) and has 14+ years of industry experience, including roles at TotalEnergies, COO at Memoco, and Vice-President in the Hydrogen division at John Cockerill. Vantomme, the R&D Director, holds a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from Université de Namur and has extensive experience developing clean technologies.
The two founders met while working at TotalEnergies and quickly recognised a major gap in carbon capture solutions. Inspired by the urgent need for scalable and cost-effective technologies to address low-concentration CO₂ emissions, they launched ARK.
The timing of this breakthrough is crucial. Europe’s Emission Trading System (ETS) will phase out free CO₂ quotas by 2034. Consequently, industrial polluters will face dramatically higher costs. Taxes on emissions could increase sixfold compared to 2024, making cost-effective solutions urgent. ARK’s hybrid carbon capture technology meets this challenge head-on. Moreover, it enables industries to mitigate rising costs while significantly reducing their environmental impact.
Pioneering a new approach to carbon capture
Unlike competitors such as Carbon Clean Solutions and Climeworks that target higher CO₂ concentrations, ARK distinguishes itself by addressing this unaddressed market segment with affordable and scalable solutions. The company filed its first patent in the summer of 2024, demonstrating rapid technological progress.
ARK’s proprietary hybrid technology offers a fresh approach to CO₂ capture, focusing on low-concentration emissions (4-15%), which account for about 50% of global Tier 2 emissions. This segment is largely underserved by current technologies, positioning ARK as a key player in industrial decarbonization.
“We are proud to offer a solution able to unlock an unaddressed market segment, representing 50% of the world’s emissions,” said Thiry and Vantomme.
Scaling up for industrial adoption
With the new funding, ARK plans to upscale its technology, expand its team, and accelerate product development. A prototype capable of capturing 2 tons of CO₂ annually is already operational. The company is now scaling up to a 40-ton-per-year pilot and developing an industrial demonstration unit capable of capturing between 400 and 1,000 tons annually in collaboration with three top-ranked industrial partners.
ARK’s team has grown rapidly since its founding; recent hires include Fanni (PhD in Chemistry from Berlin), who brings expertise in CO₂ conversion, and François Harvengt as Chief Engineering/Technical Officer, accelerating proprietary technology development.
ARK is exploring new business models such as “Capture as a Service,” allowing industries to implement carbon capture solutions without upfront capital investment. For customers who view CO₂ capture as non-core business operations, ARK offers long-term service agreements or equipment sales paired with maintenance services.
Thorsten Zimmermann, Head of Aperam Ventures, highlighted the importance of the partnership: “We are delighted to partner with the ARK Capture Solutions team. Their innovative solution aligns perfectly with our carbon neutrality goals by effectively addressing flue gases with low CO₂ concentrations across our industrial process. As a lead industrial investor, we are eager to implement and test their demonstration unit at Aperam Châtelet.”
Standing out in a competitive landscape
While the carbon capture market includes established players such as Carbon Clean Solutions and Climeworks, ARK distinguishes itself by addressing an underserved segment: low-concentration CO₂ emissions. ARK may become a key enabler of industrial decarbonisation by focusing on affordability, scalability, and ease of integration.
ARK Capture Solutions is poised to impact global efforts to reduce carbon emissions as it advances technology and expands its operations. The company’s mission is to fight climate change by unlocking carbon capture technology and preventing the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at point-source emissions.
