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§ Private Profile · Seattle, WA, USA
Lithos Carbon is a technology company.
Lithos Carbon implements permanent carbon capture by leveraging enhanced rock weathering on agricultural land. The company's core product involves applying finely ground basalt rock to farms, which chemically reacts with atmospheric carbon dioxide, converting it into stable bicarbonate. This method effectively sequesters carbon while also enriching soil health and enhancing crop productivity for growers, positioning farmland as a critical component of global carbon removal infrastructure.
The company was founded by Mary Yap, Dr. Noah Planavsky, and Chris Reinhard. Mary Yap, who serves as CEO, transitioned from a career in consumer software to pursue earth science at Yale, driven by a desire to address climate change. The co-founders recognized the potential to apply naturally occurring geological processes, specifically enhanced rock weathering, within an agricultural context to achieve scalable and durable carbon removal.
Lithos Carbon's solution is designed for agricultural partners who benefit from both carbon removal revenue and improved farm output. The company envisions a future where agricultural practices actively contribute to climate stabilization by integrating robust, verifiable carbon capture methods. Its long-term vision centers on scaling these natural processes to significantly mitigate atmospheric CO2 concentrations globally.
Lithos Carbon has raised $6.0M across 1 funding round.
Lithos Carbon has raised $6.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Lithos Carbon has raised $6.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $6.0M Seed in October 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2022 | $6M Seed | Greylock, Union Square Ventures | Avaana Capital, Foobar.vc, Fractal Growth Partners, Helion Venture Partners, M13, Offline Ventures, Pantera Capital, Sequoia Capital, Wilshire Lane Capital, Amit Gupta, Bain Capital Ventures, Carbon Drawdown Initiative, Carbon Removal Partners, Cavallo Ventures, Fall Line Capital | Announced |
Lithos Carbon is a Seattle-based agtech startup founded in 2022 that develops enhanced rock weathering (ERW) technology to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by spreading crushed basalt rock dust on farmland.[1][5][6] The company serves farmers by improving soil health, boosting crop yields, and replacing costly agricultural lime with nutrient-rich basalt, while selling high-quality carbon removal credits to corporations and sharing revenue with farmers.[1][2][6] Its proprietary software optimizes basalt deployment based on soil chemistry, crop nutrition, and other variables, while providing precise measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) of carbon removal—recently delivering 5,160 registry-certified tons in the largest such issuance to date.[2][8] Lithos has shown strong growth momentum, raising $6.29 million in seed funding shortly after launch from investors like Union Square Ventures, Greylock Partners, and Bain Capital Ventures, capturing over 2,000 tons of carbon in 2022, and aiming for 10,000 tons annually.[3][6][7]
Lithos Carbon was co-founded in 2022 by Mary Yap (CEO, former tech founder with experience deploying software at scale), Dr. Noah Planavsky (associate professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Yale), and Dr. Chris Reinhard (associate professor of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech).[1][4][6] The idea emerged from the geochemists' research into natural rock weathering processes, where they co-invented technologies for precise carbon removal verification in soil and scalable ERW deployment.[1][7] Yap, mentored by Planavsky, recognized the potential to combine this science with software for real-world application after identifying gaps in scalable, high-quality carbon removal markets.[4][7] Early traction came swiftly: launching in March 2022, Lithos secured its $6.29 million seed round within two months, began operations on over 1,000 acres, and sold credits through Stripe-backed Frontier, capturing thousands of tons by year-end.[1][6][7]
Lithos Carbon rides the surging demand for durable carbon removal solutions amid net-zero commitments, where the voluntary carbon credit market is projected to grow from $1 billion to $30 billion by decade's end.[6] Its timing aligns with advancing climate tech, leveraging ERW—a nature-based, gigatonne-scalable method—as governments and corporations seek verified permanence beyond tree-planting or direct air capture.[2][4] Favorable market forces include abundant basalt supply, regulatory pushes for high-integrity credits (e.g., empirical MRV standards), and agtech synergies improving food security.[1][9] By transforming farmland into removal hubs, Lithos influences the ecosystem, bridging science, software, and agriculture to validate ERW commercially and attract investment into mineral-based climate tech.[3][7]
Lithos Carbon is poised to scale removals into the millions of tons annually, expanding U.S. farmland partnerships and international quarrying ties while refining ML-driven MRV for even higher certification volumes.[2][3][9] Trends like tightening credit standards, corporate off-take agreements, and policy incentives for soil carbon will accelerate its growth, potentially positioning it as an ERW leader amid competition from costlier methods.[4][6] Its influence may evolve by standardizing weathering tech, inspiring ag-carbon hybrids, and contributing to global gigatonne targets—turning volcanic legacy into a cornerstone of atmospheric restoration, much like its basalt origins humanize scalable climate action.[1][8]
Lithos Carbon has raised $6.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Lithos Carbon's investors include Greylock, Union Square Ventures, Avaana Capital, foobar.vc, Fractal Growth Partners, Helion Venture Partners, M13, Offline Ventures, Pantera Capital, Sequoia Capital, Wilshire Lane Capital, Amit Gupta.