The Ocean's Billion-Ton Carbon Removal Opportunity | Gigablue

What if the cheapest, largest carbon removal machine on Earth isn't a factory, but phytoplankton in the ocean?

Company bio:

Gigablue is building MCFS (Microalgae Carbon Fixation and Sinking), a marine carbon removal method that uses phytoplankton and carbon carrier pods to capture and store carbon in ocean sediment. They recently raised a $20M Series A to scale their work. 

Speaker bio:

Ori Shaashua is the co-founder of Gigablue and a serial technology entrepreneur, investor, and executive with a multi-sector track record across artificial intelligence, climate tech, cybersecurity, digital health, and smart mobility.

Five lessons for climate entrepreneurs:

• Build for the real bottleneck, not the obvious one – In carbon removal, the challenge wasn’t just capturing carbon; it was exporting it durably. Great founders identify the true constraint and design around it.
• Trust is part of the product – In a market that depends on verification, transparency, and public credibility, open methodology and measurable outcomes become strategic advantages.
• Use the business model buyers already understand – Gigablue borrowed contract structures from commodity and energy markets, making it easier for large buyers to transact with confidence.
• Scale requires timing, not just ambition – Ori emphasized that the market is moving from experimentation to consolidation, and that entering at the right stage can lower risk for both founders and buyers.
• Tie the mission to durable economics. – A climate solution has to make financial sense, not just scientific sense. The strongest ventures are built where impact and commercial viability reinforce each other.

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