JULY 14, 2026, LONDON AND EINDHOVEN. Airhive and Carbyon, two pioneers of direct air capture (DAC) technology development in Europe, have combined to create an Anglo-Dutch DAC leader with deep technological and operational expertise and a strengthened position for deploying low-cost DAC at the scale required to mitigate climate change.
The companies will integrate their teams and operate cross-border under Airhive’s name. Early-stage research and development will centre in the Netherlands at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven, where the combined company will develop Airhive’s next-generation “Cascade” technology that targets further DAC cost breakthroughs.
The companies have developed different but complementary approaches to solid-sorbent DAC: methods that rely on reactive minerals to capture carbon dioxide in a closed, monitored, highly engineered system. Airhive’s approach focuses on fluidisation technology adapted from other industries like food and pharmaceuticals, while Carbyon’s centres on a proprietary sorbent with high kinetics that improve capturing capacity.
Airhive and Carbyon have shown notable momentum in the past year, even as market oscillations have underlined the case for consolidation across the carbon removal ecosystem.
Airhive
- Demonstrated its 1,000-tonne-per-year Storm-1 system in Alberta, Canada, achieving a cost breakthrough of sub-$500 per tonne excluding transportation and storage and net of lifecycle emissions
- Opened a pilot plant at Teesside in the northeast of England, where it has based its pilot-scale research and development to date
- Co-developed UnionDAC, a consortium of UK DAC developers and low-carbon project developers who will build a 60,000 tonne-per-year system at Teesside. Mission Zero and Progressive Energy are the other partners in this UK DAC champion
Carbyon
- Introduced Carbyon GO, a successful first-generation technology demonstration
- Made significant improvements on the lifetime and energy use of its solid sorbent, which are major factors for lowering per-tonne DAC costs
- Developed models (involving materials science, machine concepts, and levelised costs) for implementing DAC in the agricultural sector
Rory Brown, founder and CEO of Airhive, said:
“The goal in DAC is achieving low costs at large operational scale. That requires three things: sustained technological innovation, expertise in executing projects, and a wider enabling environment of policy incentives and infrastructure. Leveraging Carbyon’s impressive R&D capabilities will accelerate innovation and help us reach that goal quicker.”
Hans De Neve, founder of Carbyon, said:
“The world needs DAC to work, and this combination brings together exactly what's been missing: Airhive’s execution power and de-risked technology, paired with Carbyon’s fundamental R&D depth and expertise. Under Rory’s leadership the combined company will have what it takes to overcome the market's toughest challenges and drive DAC forward. I'm proud of what we've built to get here, and I’m looking forward to what comes next.”
The enlarged Airhive will focus on both carbon utilisation and carbon storage projects over the next year.
The company is also exploring commercial and research partnerships across Europe and as far afield as Australia.
Strong policy support for DAC in the European Union and United Kingdom supports the rationale for a UK-EU DAC leader. Policy momentum is expected to accelerate through 2030. In the past year:
Airhive is a London-based carbon removal company developing low-cost direct air capture (DAC) technologies. Rooted in years of scientific research, the company has innovated a DAC method based on fluidised beds, high energy efficiency, and modular system design — all of which contribute to a significant, tangible reduction in the cost of producing DAC today. The company sells high-quality carbon credits tied to Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS), as well as CO2 for industrial utilisation. It is co-developer of the three-company UnionDAC consortium, which was announced in June 2026. www.airhive.earth.
Carbyon is an Eindhoven, Netherlands-based carbon removal company whose goal is to create an affordable, scalable direct air capture technology to mitigate climate change. Founded by Hans De Neve in 2019, Carbyon uses a patented, ultra-fast capturing material to remove atmospheric CO2 at industry-leading low costs. The company is a spin-off from the applied Dutch research institute TNO and winner of the $1 million Milestone Award of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal. Its technology is seen as one of the most promising for large-scale carbon removal. www.carbyon.com.
