Avnos Lands $80M+ Backing from Energy Giants as Carbon Capture Innovation Inches Closer to Mass Deployment

Three industry powerhouses bet big on Avnos’ game-changing approach to removing CO2 from the air

Los Angeles-based climate tech startup Avnos has just inked a major investment round exceeding $80 million, bringing ConocoPhillips, JetBlue Ventures, and Shell Ventures to the table as strategic partners. The capital influx marks a significant validation of Avnos’ proprietary Hybrid Direct Air Capture (HDAC™) technology, with the company aiming to have commercial-ready units operational by end-of-2025.

Why Avnos’ technology stands out in a crowded DAC field

The core innovation lies in Avnos’ moisture-responsive approach. Unlike conventional Direct Air Capture (DAC) solutions that guzzle water—consuming several tons per ton of CO2 captured—Avnos flips the script. The system actually produces five to ten tons of water while extracting CO2, then uses that captured moisture to power the carbon removal process itself. This elegant design cuts energy requirements to less than half what competing technologies demand, addressing the biggest pain point holding back DAC scale-up: unsustainable energy consumption.

Strategic partnerships reflect market urgency

The consortium of backers isn’t coincidental. ConocoPhillips sees Avnos’ water-positive model as aligned with its decarbonization roadmap. JetBlue Ventures views the technology as critical infrastructure for sustainable e-fuels production, while Shell Ventures emphasizes the energy-efficiency breakthrough. Each brings not just capital but operational expertise and distribution networks—resources that historically determine success in the industrial tech space.

The market context: CDR is no longer optional

Global CO2 emissions hit record highs in 2021 with no reversal in sight absent aggressive intervention. Climate models universally point to the same conclusion: Direct Air Capture must scale from experimental to billions of tons annually. Avnos’ breakthrough in cost reduction and operational efficiency could be the missing piece that makes this transition economically viable.

The company has already won multi-million-dollar grants from the U.S. Department of Energy for field demonstrations and from the Office of Naval Research for CO2-to-e-fuels pilot work, signaling government-level confidence in the technology’s potential. With $80M+ now in the war chest and three blue-chip partners aligned behind it, Avnos is positioned to accelerate the timeline for commercial deployment and prove that carbon removal doesn’t have to be a financial dead-end.