Renewable Energy Jobs at Charm Industrial
Charm Industrial
Company Overview
Charm Industrial
San Francisco, CA, United States
2018
Approximately 60 employees (source: contrary.com). Revenue figures are not publicly available, but the company has secured $100 million in total known funding as of June 2023 (source: contrary.com).
What They Do
Charm Industrial specializes in carbon removal technology, focusing on the fast pyrolysis of biomass waste. This innovative process involves heating various organic materials, such as corn stover, rice straw, and timber slash, to around 500°C in oxygen-free environments. The result is a viscous bio-oil and biochar, which not only helps in carbon sequestration but also serves as a soil amendment (source: contrary.com). The primary service offered by Charm is the permanent removal of carbon dioxide by injecting this bio-oil into deep abandoned oil wells, where it can sequester CO₂ for over 10,000 years, leveraging existing oil infrastructure for scalability (source: lowercarbon.com). Additionally, the company is exploring secondary applications of bio-oil, including its conversion into renewable hydrogen fuel and its use as a cleaner ingredient in zero-carbon steel production (source: time.com). Charm targets corporate buyers of carbon removal services, particularly in the tech, finance, and retail sectors, and sources biomass from farmers and forestry operations to address waste from wildfires and harvests (source: mcj.vc).
Projects & Track Record
Charm Industrial has made significant strides in carbon removal, completing its first injection of bio-oil within just 10 months of pivoting to this technology in 2020. By 2021, the company had successfully delivered over 5,000 tons of carbon removals to early customers, including notable clients like Stripe, Shopify, and Microsoft (source: charmindustrial.com). Ongoing projects include the front-end engineering for its first demonstration fast pyrolysis plant, which is set to be site-specific in 2024, and field trials for purpose-grown crops in Louisiana (source: contrary.com). The company has also secured key contracts, such as a $53 million deal with Frontier for 112,000 tons of CO₂ removal from 2024 to 2030, and a separate agreement with JP Morgan for over 28,000 tons (source: time.com). Charm's geographic presence spans its San Francisco headquarters, operations in Colorado, and scaling efforts in the corn belt, with ambitions to dominate the U.S. heartland for biomass sourcing (source: lowercarbon.com).
Recent Developments
In recent years, Charm Industrial has secured a $53 million offtake agreement with Frontier in May 2023, aimed at achieving 112,000 tons of CO₂ removal by 2030, alongside a separate contract with JP Morgan for over 28,000 tons (source: contrary.com). The company also closed a $100 million Series B funding round in June 2023, which is intended to enhance its injection wells, pyrolysis capacity, and workforce (source: time.com). Media recognition has been significant, with TIME featuring Charm as a leader in the carbon capture race in 2023, and Bloomberg covering the Frontier deal, highlighting the company's innovative approach to carbon removal (source: weforum.org).
Working There
Charm Industrial offers a variety of roles aimed at building a new industry, with open positions emphasizing engineering, operations, research, and geology. Key departments include Engineering, led by Dillon Card, who has a background at SpaceX, and Research, led by Ed Young, a PhD from Princeton (source: charmindustrial.com). The company is primarily hiring in its San Francisco headquarters and Colorado for pyrolysis and injection operations, with plans to expand into the corn belt (source: contrary.com). Charm's culture emphasizes principles such as "First, Do No Harm" and "Gigatons or Bust," reflecting a commitment to safety, health, and ambitious growth targets (source: time.com).
Contact
Last updated on 2026-02-14 | Report an issue
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