Reactor Podcast
Reactor – The Podcast for Deeptech & Climate Tech Mission-Driven Founders
Reactor is where ambitious founders and industry leaders share the real stories behind scaling deeptech & climate tech impact-driven companies. Hosted by Jérôme Gilleron, this podcast dives deep into the challenges, strategies, and breakthroughs that drive profitable and cashflow-positive growth in climate tech, deeptech, and sustainability.
Through candid interviews with startup founders, scale-up executives, and industry experts, we explore:
✅ How to scale mission-driven businesses without burning out
✅ Fundraising, sales, and growth strategies for impact startups
✅ Lessons from leaders who’ve built and scaled industry-defining companies
Whether you're a founder, investor, or operator in the climate tech and deeptech space, Reactor brings you actionable insights to fuel your growth.
🎧 Subscribe now and turn your vision into reality!
👉 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and your favorite podcast platforms.
Reactor Podcast
How Direct Air Capture Companies Make Money - 2/3
Hello everyone! This is the second episode of series about Direct Air Capture describing Technology & Timing, Business Model & Scability (2nd post here) and finally the players (coming soon)
- Sponsor this newsletter or one of my LinkedIn posts.
- Be a guest on my podcast, book me for a conference, or something else? Work with Reactor.
- Listen to the podcast, watch the YouTube channel, the TikTok and the Instagram
- Join the free Reactor community on WhatsApp: deep tech and climate-tech entrepreneurs, events, and discussions.
- Follow me on LinkedIn
Capturing carbon from thin air costs $600–$1,000 per ton. So… how do direct air capture companies stay alive? In this upbeat explainer we unpack the surprisingly clever “money stack” behind DAC: corporate offtakes, U.S. tax credits (45Q), California fuel credits (LCFS), and a sprinkle of product sales. We also break down unit economics with simple math, profile the leading players, and get honest about risks (policy, power, MRV, capex).
If you’ve ever wondered who actually pays for carbon removal—and why smart companies like Microsoft or Amazon sign giant contracts—this one’s for you.
What you’ll learn
- Why DAC costs $600–$1,000/t today—and who bridges the gap
- The revenue stack: corporate offtakes, 45Q tax credits, LCFS, products
- Quick math: $700/t cost – $180 (45Q) = $520/t to cover
- The main business archetypes (Climeworks, 1PointFive/Occidental, Heirloom, CarbonCapture)
- Real risks: policy swings, clean power access, MRV trust, big capex
- How early buyers overpay on purpose to push costs down—like early solar & wind
Mentioned / Resources
- Climeworks technology & credits → https://climeworks.com/direct-air-capture
- 1PointFive / Occidental STRATOS overview → https://www.1pointfive.com/
- Heirloom mineral looping explainer → https://www.heirloomcarbon.com/
- CarbonCapture modular approach / Project Bison → https://www.carboncapture.com/
- U.S. 45Q (IRS/DOE overview) → https://carboncapturecoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/45Q-primer-Carbon-Capture-Coalition.pdf
- California LCFS (program info) → https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/6308#:~:text=California's%20Low%20Carbon%20Fuel%20Standard,in%20the%20state%20through%202030.
- Frontier advanced market commitments (Stripe coalition) → https://frontierclimate.com/
Key takeaways
- DAC firms stack revenues (offtakes + policy + sometimes products).
- Early credits sell at $500–$800/t to fund learning curves.
- Same skeleton, different strategies: brand, integration, minerals, modular.
- Watch the contracts, costs, and kilowatts—that’s where winners emerge.