In the Netherlands, Amsterdam-based climate tech startup Brineworks has secured €6.8 million in new funding to accelerate commercialization of its ultra-low-cost Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. The round was led by SeaX Ventures, with participation from Pale Blue Dot, First Momentum, AiiM Partners, Energie360°, and Katapult. Brineworks has also been awarded a €1.8 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, the EU’s flagship program for breakthrough innovations, to further advance R&D and pilot deployment.
At the heart of Brineworks’ breakthrough is a patented electrolyzer that drives ultra low-cost Direct Air Capture (DAC) while co-producing significant amounts of hydrogen (H₂). Together, these two outputs provide the critical building blocks for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and e-methanol for shipping — industries urgently in need of scalable, carbon-neutral alternatives. Aviation alone accounts for 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions — and demand is still rising — while shipping contributes over 3%. Without breakthroughs like Brineworks’, these sectors have no clear path to decarbonization.