Deep Tech & Climate: The Future of Decarbonization and the Race to Net Zero?
The full podcast
Aurélie Gonzalez
People can't seem to see more than 20 or 30 years into the future. My way of stopping myself from thinking about it is to take action and take the reins.
A graduate of École Centrale, Aurélie Gonzalez built her technical expertise over a ten-year period at the Fives Group, where she specialized in decarbonizing heavy industry (steel, cement, aluminum). Driven by a deep concern for the climate crisis and aware of the economic limitations of current carbon markets, she founded Yama in 2023.
Its goal is to deploy a breakthrough technology capable of addressing not only current industrial emissions but, more importantly, the historical stock of CO2 accumulated in the atmosphere.
Program Summary
The Challenge of Direct Air Capture (DAC) and CO2 Storage
Decarbonization cannot be limited to reducing current emissions; it must now address the 2,000 gigatons of CO2 accumulated since the Industrial Revolution.
Direct Air Capture (DAC) acts as an atmospheric purifier, capturing carbon at very low concentrations (0.04%) and concentrating it to 99.9%.
This technology is essential for offsetting unavoidable emissions from aviation and heavy industry by 2050.
Technological Breakthrough: From Thermal Regeneration to Electrochemistry
The first generations of DACs, inspired by the oil industry, rely on energy-intensive thermal regeneration that requires temperatures of up to 900°C.
Yama's disruptive innovation uses membrane electrochemistry to break down CO2 molecules in a targeted manner.
This hybrid process reduces energy consumption by half or two-thirds, drastically lowering the cost per ton captured.
Deep Tech Funding: Crossing the "Valley of Death"
The transition from a laboratory prototype to industrial-scale production requires patient capital, often provided by climate foundations or early-stage funds capable of accepting investment cycles of 10 to 15 years.
The survival of industrial startups depends on their ability to raise between 20 and 30 million euros for their initial prototypes.
This hybrid financing combines private investment, public funding (BPI, EU), and advance purchases of carbon credits.
Carbon markets and new circular economic models
The monetization of captured CO2 rests on two pillars: the voluntary market for high-quality carbon credits (sustainable and measurable) and industrial utilization.
CO2 is becoming a resource for the production of low-carbon concrete, fertilizers, and synthetic aviation fuels (e-SAF).
Ultimately, the model is evolving toward a technology licensing model to enable engineering giants to deploy megaton-scale plants.
The Geopolitics of Innovation and Industrial Attractiveness
The race toward decarbonization is shaped by divergent policies: the European regulatory approach (taxing polluters) contrasts with North American incentive mechanisms.
Countries such as Canada offer tax credits of up to 72% for the construction of carbon capture plants, creating a major draw for tech startups.
Regulatory stability through 2026 will be crucial to keeping Europe’s leading deep tech companies on European soil.
Deep In Tech by Dynergie
Deep in Tech is driven by a core belief: to understand Deeptech, you have to listen to the people who are building it.
Behind every disruptive innovation lie demanding journeys, difficult trade-offs, and successes that often go unrecognized.
The podcast gives a voice to entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and industry leaders at the intersection of science and the market.
At the heart of the Deeptech ecosystem’s challenges, Deep in Tech lifts the veil on the behind-the-scenes of a world as complex as it is strategic. Industrialization, financing, the transition from lab to market…
These journeys, often fraught with obstacles, are recounted candidly by those who experience them firsthand.
The podcast offers an authentic look at the inner workings, tensions, and collaborations that shape both the successes and failures of French Deeptech.
A space to understand the reality on the ground, from the perspective of those involved, far from formulaic narratives.
Florence Caghassi Jouni
With Deep in Tech, I meet the people who are shaping the deep tech landscape every day. They share their journeys, struggles, challenges, and successes with me—unfiltered. I created this podcast to help everyone understand and navigate the complex and exciting ecosystem that is deep tech.
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