From sustainable forestry to ocean restoration, pHathom is building a climate solution that captures CO₂ at scale—while protecting the ecosystems we rely on.

Covering over 70% of the Earth’s surface, the global ocean plays a vital role in regulating our climate—and with Canada bordered by the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic, our marine ecosystems are on the frontlines of climate change. The ocean has absorbed about 25% of all human-made CO2 emissions since the Industrial Revolution, but we are emitting more than it can handle. 

Rising ocean acidity—a direct consequence of our atmospheric CO₂overload—is increasingly damaging marine life and threatening coastal communities. 

Enter pHathom Technologies, a 2025 Atlantic Canada Cleantech Award winner. Based in Nova Scotia, this startup is developing a scalable, permanent carbon removal solution that works with the ocean, not against it. By combining carbon capture, environmental science, and engineering, they’re tackling the carbon crisis at its source—and restoring ecosystem balance in the process.

Foresight’s Stacey Armstrong, Sr. Manager, Digital Marketing, recently visited pHathom in Halifax to learn more about the urgent need for ocean protection and their groundbreaking solution. In the Q&A below, the pHathom team shares what drives their work, how the technology works, and why climate solutions must repair ecosystems—not just reduce emissions.

Q: What inspired the founding of pHathom Technologies, and what climate problem are you aiming to solve?

A: We founded pHathom because we have deep concerns about the lack of meaningful action on climate change. Our goal was to develop technology that could go to market quickly, capture massive amounts of carbon, store it securely, and  provide co-benefits to marine life.   

From the beginning, we’ve focused on two of the most urgent but under-addressed climate challenges: the need for permanent carbon dioxide removal and the need to address CO2’s growing impact on oceans. We knew that existing solutions couldn’t scale fast enough without new infrastructure or access to inland storage sites. Our approach turns sustainably harvested biomass into a powerful climate tool—closing the loop with sustainable forestry, clean energy, permanent carbon storage, and ocean health.

Q: Your technology offers a novel pathway for coastal regions to participate in carbon removal—how did this specific approach emerge?

A: It emerged from a simple observation: coastal forests are abundant, but there often isn’t a viable pathway to use them for durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Our approach builds on the ocean’s natural carbon cycle—we use limestone and seawater to safely reduce CO2 that’s built up in the atmosphere over the last century. We see an opportunity to combine clean combustion with safe, scalable ocean storage—right where biomass resources and energy infrastructure already exist.

Q: In simple terms, how does your mineral-based carbon capture technology work?

A: In nature, when raindrops fall through the air, they capture CO₂ that's in the atmosphere, making them slightly acidic. When acidic raindrops fall on limestone, the limestone dissolves, neutralizing the acid to create bicarbonate that flows into the ocean. This is part of the Earth's natural carbon cycle. However, since the Industrial Revolution, we have been producing CO₂ much faster than limestone can neutralize it, making the ocean more acidic. Quite simply, we’re accelerating this process (weathering of limestone), making sure that the CO₂ is captured and neutralized before it enters the ocean.

More specifically, we capture CO₂ from sustainably sourced biomass at energy plants, dissolve it into seawater, and neutralize it with ground limestone. This creates stable carbonates that store carbon for thousands of years in the ocean—mimicking natural processes, but on an accelerated timeline.

Q: What makes your process different from traditional carbon capture and storage (CCS) methods?

A: There are many differences between our process and traditional CCS. First, we use seawater to store the bicarbonate, which is already naturally-occurring and abundant in the ocean. This means that we can save energy by not having to extract carbon from the water. We also don’t have to compress it, build pipelines to transport it, or drill wells to store it. It’s all built into our system. This allows us to reduce costs, but more importantly, we can capture, neutralize, and store the carbon anywhere near the ocean or a river that flows into the ocean.

Q: Why is biomass combustion such a promising path for CDR?

A: Because sustainably harvested biomass is already a renewable resource, capturing the carbon released during combustion can further enhance its sustainability. Enhanced sustainability means we can further reduce CO₂ emissions and generate carbon credits. The value of those credits can fuel our business growth and help pay for the extra cost of measuring, tracing and verifying the entire process—from forests to the ocean.

Q: What’s one surprising technical challenge you’ve had to solve while developing your system?

A: Balancing ocean chemistry in real time. Small changes in seawater properties can affect how much CO₂ you can durably store. We had to build smart systems that adjust the process dynamically—keeping it safe, efficient, and verifiable.

Q: It’s clear that pHathom’s approach isn’t just about reducing emissions—it also supports sustainable forestry and addresses ocean acidification. Why are these outcomes so central to your mission?

A: Solving climate change can’t come at the expense of ecosystems. We built pHathom to heal the carbon cycle and the natural systems we all depend on. By paying for verified, sustainably sourced biomass, we incentivize ecological forestry—especially from family-owned forests. And by returning carbonate- and bicarbonate-rich water to the ocean, we’re not just storing carbon—we’re actively helping repair the damage caused by acidification, restoring the building blocks marine life depends on.

Q: You’ve spoken about values and complementary expertise—can you tell us how your team’s background and mindset shape your innovation approach?

A: We’re a mission-driven team of scientists, engineers, and forestry experts brought together by a shared drive to make a meaningful impact on the climate crisis. We care deeply about passing a healthy world to the next generation, and we are old enough to know it will take hard work and tenacity. Every person on our team brings deep expertise, but also a willingness to roll up their sleeves and tackle whatever challenge matters most that day. Frankly, I feel extraordinarily lucky to have this team.

We value humility, rigor, and collaboration—principles that have shaped a shared set of values we decided on together:

• Science-led: Our team brings decades of experience in geochemistry, engineering, carbon dioxide removal, and carbon markets. 

• Transparent/open: We work with independent biologists, marine scientists, and geochemists to verify safety and co-benefits.

• Independently verified: Independent measurement and verification organizations confirm the efficiency and durability of our approach.

• Inclusive: We actively collaborate with First Nations, fisheries, community leaders, policymakers, and regulators, inviting their input early and at each stage of our journey. 

• Mission-driven: We’re here because we have a stake in the future. This work is hard, but future generations are calling on us to do the hard things that truly make a difference. And that’s exactly what we will do.

Q: You’re working with large emitters, biomass producers, and carbon credit buyers—can you share more about how these partnerships are helping validate and scale your technology?

A: These partners are essential. Biomass producers help ensure the feedstock is traceable and sustainable. High-efficiency wood energy plants provide the combustion infrastructure. And carbon credit buyers demand high-integrity removal. Together, they form a full chain—from carbon source to permanent storage—proving that this can work at scale.

Q: Is there a specific partner or collaboration that has been especially important to your journey so far?

A: Our partnership with ACFOR has been transformative. They’ve helped unlock traceable, sustainable biomass at scale, enabling us to build a supply chain that supports both removals and resilient rural economies.

Q: What did you take away from your experience participating in Foresight’s carbonNEXT program?

A: carbonNEXT connected us with a cohort of innovators facing similar technical and market challenges. It pushed us to sharpen our pitch, refine our go-to-market strategy, and articulate the full impact of our solution—not just as a tech innovation, but as a systems change.

Q: As a startup building complex climate tech, what’s key to gaining real-world adoption?

A: Trust is everything. You need to prove that your tech works—not just in the lab, but in the real world. That means being transparent, independent in your validation, and honest about what you're still learning. People support what they understand and believe in.

Q: What milestones are you most excited about as you look toward commercializing by 2030?

A: We’re excited to deploy our first commercial demonstration project—capturing, neutralizing, and storing CO₂ from a coastal biomass plant and selling our first verified carbon credits within the next two years. That will be the moment we show the world: this works, and it’s ready to grow.

Q: What advice would you give to other climate-driven founders?

A: Be authentic and let your passion drive real progress. Build for complexity but communicate with clarity. Let the science lead, but don’t be afraid to move fast. And remember: climate solutions don’t live in slides—they live in the soil, the sea, and the systems we help transform.