Sucking up CO2Upcycling carbon into fuels and chemicals.
Big Picture
Even in a future of 100% clean electricity, many industries, from international air travel to chemical manufacturing, will very likely continue emitting vast amounts of carbon dioxide for decades to come. Government incentives will help capture some CO2, but we believe scale lies in the incredible commercial value of CO2 for industrial processes and the markets that will result.
How it Works
Twelve builds devices that bolt onto any source of CO₂, and with only water and electricity as inputs, transforms it into some of the world’s most critical chemical products. It’s like industrial photosynthesis. Today their focus is on the production of carbon monoxide (CO), a $4 billion market. Their CO is indistinguishable from what the chemical industry makes with fossil fuels.
Unfair Advantage
Their innovation is in the architecture of the membrane electrode assembly. It enables a drop-in technology that converts commercially produced hardware into a CO2-splitting machine capable of making at least 16 chemicals that form the building blocks of countless consumer goods, building materials, and jet fuel. So at once, Twelve can decarbonize industries while making high-margin products.
16
Different chemicals
converted from captured CO2
NICHOLAS FLANDERS CEO & CO-FOUNDER
Nicholas worked in McKinsey’s Cleantech practice and was CFO/COO at Levo. He has a MS/MBA from Stanford.
ETOSHA CAVE CSO & CO-FOUNDER
Etosha received her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Prior to Stanford, she worked at the McMurdo Research Station in Antarctica.
KENDRA KUHL CTO & CO-FOUNDER
Kendra received her PhD in chemical engineering from Stanford University, where she focused on developing catalysts for electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals.
Watt It Takes: The Founder-Engineer Turning CO2 Into Fuels and Materials
Greentech Media
Opus 12: A Profitable Solution to Carbon Emissions
TechStars
CO₂ as a commodity, not waste: turning emissions into cost-competitive chemicals
The Chemical Engineer
Putting CO₂ Emissions to Work: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Opus 12
Biofuels Digest
Opus 12 is one startup on a mission to convert CO2 into useful products
GreenBiz