#4 Ikkaton

Upcycling CO₂ emissions into valuable materials

Catch the latest VCo2 episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcast.

---

3-min read

👋 Hi, I’m Hugo - founder of VCo2.

Once a week, I spotlight one promising pre-seed/seed climate tech startup you should keep on your radar. Today, we are talking about a carbon capture company upcycling CO₂ emissions into valuable materials.

---

Startup Snapshot (30 sec)

• 🧪 Ikkaton – Carbon capture technology that converts industrial CO₂ emissions into solid, reusable materials (carbon-negative “chalk”)

• 🔗 Website: https://ikkaton.com/

• 📌 HQ: Copenhagen, Denmark

• 🌱 Stage: Seed

• ⚙️ Sector: Carbon Capture & Utilization (CCUS); Circular Materials

• 👩‍💻 TRL: 6

---

---

Problem (30 sec)

• Industrial CO₂ is a major climate problem - Heavy industries (cement, steel, power) pump out billions of tons of CO₂ annually, with few viable mitigation options. Today, only ~0.1% of global CO₂ emissions are captured and stored.

---

Solution and Technology (30 sec)

• Ikkaton mimics a natural process from Greenland’s Ikka Fjord, where CO₂-rich spring water meets seawater and naturally crystallizes CO₂ into limestone towers.

• This phenomenon is a low-energy, self-sustaining way to lock away carbon in solid form. Ikkaton’s patented process replicates these conditions in an industrial setting.

---

---

Proof of concept (30 sec)

• Pilot plant in action: Ikkaton has built a working test plant at the Port of Kalundborg in Denmark, where it’s already converting captured CO₂ into calcium carbonate “chalk” using seawater.

• The pilot demonstrates efficient CO₂ capture and mineralization, yielding high-purity CaCO₃ that can be used to produce materials like plastic, paint, paper, etc.

---

Founders and team (30 sec)

• Dr. Erik Trampe (founder and CEO), a Danish marine biologist/geochemist, whose PhD research observed towering undersea “Ikka” carbonate columns naturally trapping CO₂. Realizing this could be a game-changing climate solution, he set out to replicate it on land.

• Dr. Gabrielle Stockmann (co-founder) – a geochemist and carbon capture specialist who also studied the Ikka Fjord

• Martin Jacobsen (CFO) and Rikke Dræbye Gantzhorn (COO) bring business and operations experience.

---

I found this startup on Climate Marketplace - the platform connecting investors with high-potential climate tech startups actively fundraising. You can register to access curated deals and stay ahead of the curve.

---

Market (30 sec)

• Calcium carbonate is valued at $47.5 B today and projected to be $74 B by 2030.

• Carbon Credit: this market is currently valued at $364B and set to grow at a 40% CAGR until 2030.

---

---

That’s it for today! I hope you enjoyed this post.

Cheers,
👋 Hugo.

---

Subscribe to VCo2:

🔴 YouTube | 🟢 Spotify | 🟣 Apple Podcast