Arctic Capture launches 🧪 Genetically engineering bacteria for carbon capture

By
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February 9, 2026

Arctic Capture recently launched!

Launch YC: Arctic Capture 🧪 Genetically engineering bacteria for carbon capture

"Addressing the world's largest problem, at its smallest scale."

Artic Capture uses CRISPR, bacteria, and robots to fight climate change at scale!


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‍‍Founded by Ankit Singhal, Vignesh Karthik, and Connor Lee

‍tl;dr

They are using CRISPR-cas12a technology on bacteria - along with advanced robotic systems to grow it autonomously - so that they can take in tons (literally) of CO2 and help reverse climate change!
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Problem 1: Zero isn’t enough.

We can’t just go to zero emissions—don’t get them wrong, that’s critical. But we need to start taking in CO2 and eventually go net-negative to meet our climate targets and reverse some damage. We need to take in CO2 fast.
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Problem 2: Biological carbon sequestration currently isn’t scalable enough to meet global demands.

Reforestation/afforestation projects, waste biomass removal projects, and blue carbon projects, while all necessary, lack the scalability needed to remove Gt/year. Whether they are issues of planetary space, secondary markets, or verifiability/additionality, these are all secondary as a means of taking in CO2 compared to Direct Air Capture.
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Problem 3: DAC is too expensive.

Self-explanatory—these solutions cost $800-1300/ton. Ouch. The best solution we have but the economics just don’t work.

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Solution: Exponential growth and robots 🤓
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Image Credits: Arctic Capture


Arctic Capture is creating the first direct biological analog of DAC by editing bacteria to do the work for us - the same bacteria that ushered in the Great Oxidation Event about 2bn years ago. They use robots to harvest the bacteria autonomously to provide low-cost credits of the same quality as DAC (they also engage in the entire air → storage pipeline) but much lower in the cost curve and much closer to the $100/ton global goal. At scale, Arctic Capture thinks they can do it at ~$50/ton.

The  team is excited to build! If you want to help, they'd love to talk to:

  • Robotics people
  • Genetic engineers
  • Anyone interested in offsetting their carbon emissions.


Learn More‍

🌐 Visit www.arcticcapture.com to learn more

👥 If you or someone you know can help, reach out via email!
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🎉 Follow Arctic Capture on
LinkedIn