Everest Carbon

Everest Carbon is a technology firm focused on the carbon removal sector, specifically targeting Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW). Founded in late 2022 by Pascal Michel, Dr. Matthias Ginterseder, and Jonte Boysen, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with a research and development facility in Linz, Austria. Initially operating as an ERW project developer, the company pivoted in early 2024 to commercialize its proprietary measurement technology. This strategic shift was driven by the founders' firsthand frustration with the lack of adequate tools to accurately and affordably measure carbon removal in ERW projects. CEO Pascal Michel, a trained physicist, was motivated to enter the carbon removal space to create a scalable and tangible climate impact.

The core of Everest Carbon's business is its patent-pending, in-field alkalinity sensor designed to overcome the critical bottleneck of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) in ERW. Enhanced Rock Weathering accelerates the Earth's natural carbon cycle by spreading finely ground silicate rock on agricultural land; this process captures atmospheric CO2 and converts it into stable carbonate alkalinity in the soil, storing it for tens of thousands of years. The company's sensor provides a direct, real-time measurement of this process by using a specialized ion exchange resin that selectively absorbs carbonate alkalinity from soil water. This chemical change is then digitized and transmitted to the cloud, creating a transparent and continuous data record. This approach aims to reduce MRV costs by over 90% by eliminating the need for labor-intensive manual soil sampling and subsequent lab analysis.

Everest Carbon's business model is centered on providing this breakthrough MRV technology to ERW project developers. By offering a cost-effective, scalable, and reliable way to quantify CO2 removal, the company enables these developers to build trust with carbon credit buyers and scale their operations. The technology allows for every carbon credit to be traced back to its specific origin in time and location, a level of transparency intended to bolster the credibility of the voluntary carbon market. In December 2024, the company secured $3 million in a seed funding round led by Carbon Removal Partners, with participation from Ponderosa Ventures and Carbon Drawdown Initiative, to commercialize and deploy its sensor technology.

Keywords: Enhanced Rock Weathering, ERW, carbon removal measurement, MRV technology, soil alkalinity sensor, carbon capture, climate tech, CO2 removal, carbon credits, environmental monitoring, soil health, permanent carbon removal, geochemical carbon cycle, in-field sensor, agricultural technology, decarbonization, climate justice, venture capital, Pascal Michel