Carbonwave (d/b/a C-Combinator) develops ultra-regenerative advanced biomaterials from Sargassum seaweed using a cascading biorefinery model. Its proprietary technologies upcycle oversupplied Sargassum into high‑value biomaterials while removing toxic and reef‑damaging substances and sequestering greenhouse gases. The company positions its products as replacements for petroleum‑based products and other harmful industrial inputs, aiming to support coastal ecosystem resilience. Carbonwave says its operations create employment, foster eco‑tourism, and support marine protected areas while improving coastal community health and safety. Management intends to grow new product lines and expand into new geographies with investor support. The company received an investment of up to $6 million to support scaling of its biorefinery; no revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article. Carbonwave collects and processes sargassum to produce a liquid fertilizer, a seaweed-based emulsifier for cosmetics, and pulp for faux leather. It uses a proprietary extraction process that presses the seaweed and removes arsenic, yielding a liquid fertilizer and leftover pulp for other products. The company says its sargassum fertilizer reduces the need for nitrogen fertilizer. Carbonwave has already sold half a ton of its emulsifier and plans to scale production. The startup recently raised $5 million to help scale emulsifier production and said it may top up the Series A later. To date it has secured at least $12 million and is backed by ESG-focused and ocean-focused investors. C-Combinator removes rotting, methane-emitting seaweed from Caribbean beaches and turns it into sustainable products. The company has primarily financed operations through convertible notes from family offices and angel investors, with individual checks typically between $50,000 and $250,000. Chapin says those notes have amounted to almost $4 million raised to date. Crowdfunding constitutes roughly 5% of the company’s funding and is used partly to build a base of global supporters around the brand. One of C-Combinator’s largest backers is the venture arm of a family office, Baruch Future Ventures. The founder bypassed traditional VC partly because he felt few VCs were well positioned to back the mission and to avoid surrendering substantial equity.

Total raised

$15M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jun 2023