When Dr. Priya Sharma and Dr. Marcus Okonkwo left their positions at a major research university to commercialize their novel carbon capture technology, they had $50,000 in savings, a provisional patent, and no business experience.
Three years later, their company Atmosphera has raised over $2 billion in funding, operates pilot facilities on three continents, and holds contracts with several Fortune 500 companies seeking to offset their carbon emissions.
The core technology, which uses engineered enzymes to capture carbon dioxide from ambient air at a fraction of the energy cost of existing methods, originated from research into how certain deep-sea microorganisms process dissolved carbon.
Their journey reflects a broader trend in the startup ecosystem: the growing recognition that deep technology companies addressing fundamental challenges like climate change can generate returns competitive with software businesses.
Both founders emphasize that their success required not just scientific breakthroughs but also the willingness to learn entirely new disciplines including manufacturing, sales, regulatory affairs, and organizational management.
