LOADING

Type to search

Breakthrough Energy Ventures Leads $25M Series A for Viridos’ Revolutionary and Sustainable Algae Biofuels

Breakthrough Energy Ventures Leads $25M Series A for Viridos’ Revolutionary and Sustainable Algae Biofuels

Viridos’ Algae Biofuels to Decarbonize Jet and Diesel Fuel using Highly Productive, Sustainable, and Scalable Saltwater Algae

Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and United Airlines Ventures Join Viridos Series A

Viridos, Inc., the leading algae biofuel company dedicated to creating sustainable, low-carbon, algae-based jet and diesel fuel, announced that it has raised a $25M Series A equity investment. The Series A was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and joined by Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and United Airlines Ventures. The funding will be used for R&D to further increase algae oil productivity to reach commercially deployable levels.

Globally, diesel and jet fuel account for over a third of the liquid fossil fuel used. The heavy transportation sector comprising aviation, shipping, and long-distance trucking relies on these fuels with demand expected to continue to grow for decades, creating major decarbonization challenges. Viridos aims to solve this challenge by leading the bioengineering of microalgae and has already achieved seven times the oil productivity compared to wild algae. This sets the stage for the scalable and sustainable production of algae oil as the feedstock of choice for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (RD). In fact, SAF and RD made from Viridos algae oil are expected to have a 70% reduced carbon footprint.

See related article: Breakthrough Energy Announces $50 Million Grant to LanzaJet to Produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Viridos’ bioengineering technology consists of genetically engineering algae, combined with optimized production processes and systems to enable large scale production. The company’s unique approach combines several important and unique attributes contributing to scalability and sustainability, including:

  • Surface area oil productivities of Viridos algae far exceed any traditional oil crop, achieving high algae oil output on comparatively small areas
  • Viridos algae are grown in vessels containing seawater. This allows contained deployment in hot and dry locations without taxing scarce freshwater and arable land resources, while eliminating runoff
  • Viridos algae have extremely high oil contents facilitating downstream processing to algae oil
  • Viridos algae oil is a quality plant oil allowing existing bio-refineries to process the oil with high yields

“By establishing production sites to grow Viridos-engineered microalgae in saltwater, we are creating the foundation for a biofuel future that moves away from fossil fuels without competing for precious resources such as fresh water and arable land. We are excited to have the support from BEV, the leading energy transition venture capital fund, Chevron, and United Airlines. Together we can build the ecosystem needed to bring algae biofuels to the market,” said Oliver Fetzer, Viridos Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to bringing our oil-producing algae to commercial readiness and then growing them to produce scalable quantities of SAF and RD.”

“Decarbonizing the heavy transportation industry is critical for addressing climate change and therefore a top priority for BEV,” said Carmichael Roberts, Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “Oliver and his team at Viridos have a promising technology for converting algae into sustainable liquid fuels. The science behind their platform positions them to crack the code on the critical barriers to scale, making Viridos an important addition to BEV’s portfolio.”

“SAF is proven, scalable, and the best tool we have to reduce our carbon emissions from flying, but we face a significant shortage of available feedstock,” said United Airlines Ventures President Mike Leskinen. “As the global aviation leader in SAF production investment, United remains committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions, without relying on traditional carbon offsets by 2050. Viridos’ algae-based biofuel technology has the potential to help solve our supply problem without the need for farmland or other agricultural resources, and marks our inaugural investment in our new cross-industry Sustainable Flight Fund.”

Topics

Related Articles

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

LOADING

Type to search

Blog

Turkey Sets 2030 Target to Cut Aviation Emissions by 5% Using Sustainable Fuel
Green Climate Fund Approves Record $1.225B for Climate Projects
UK Launches First Onshore Wind Strategy to Double Capacity, Unlock 45,000 Jobs
Phlair, Carbon Removal AS Launch Europe’s First Large-Scale DAC and CO₂ Storage Project
ISSB Launches Major Review of SASB Standards to Strengthen Climate and Industry Alignment
IKEA to Cut 1,400 Tons of Plastic Annually with Paper-Based Fitting Bags
Salesforce Launches Agentforce to Automate Sustainability Disclosures and Unlock Emissions Insights
Terra CO2 Secures $124.5M to Accelerate Commercial Rollout of Low-Carbon Cement Alternatives
Allianz Commercial Launches Climate Risk & Resilience Platform for Businesses
EU Commission Proposes Tax Incentives to Accelerate Clean Industrial Transition
J.P. Morgan’s Kinexys Partners with S&P Global to Pilot Blockchain for Carbon Markets
Mars Achieves 1.9% Emissions Cut in 2024, Unveils $250M Sustainability Investment Fund
GRI Opens Public Consultation on Revised Labor Standards for Inclusion, Equal Opportunity
New Coalition Launches to Tax Premium Flyers for Climate Resilience and Fair Transitions
Dexter Energy Secures €23M to Expand AI-Driven Trading for Renewables and Batteries
88% of Companies See Sustainability as a Long-Term Value Driver, Morgan Stanley Report
Climeworks Secures $162M in Largest Carbon Removal Investment of 2025
Zelestra Expands Sustainability-Linked Loan to €770 Million, Backed by 11 Global Banks
EU Sets 2040 Climate Target with 90% Emissions Reduction
Microsoft Secures 1.1M Tonnes of Carbon Removals in 10-Year Deal with Hafslund Celsio
Google Signs Largest Corporate Fusion Energy Deal with Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Eni, Azimut Next Launch €100M Clean Tech Fund to Accelerate Energy Innovation
CAF Approves $5.2B for Sustainable Development
EU to Integrate Carbon Credits Into 2040 Emissions Target
SP Energy Networks Launches £1.4bn Grid Investment to Accelerate UK’s Clean Power 2030 Goals
ESMA Flags Gaps in Sustainability Disclosures, Calls for Tighter Oversight in Investment Sector
Nokia Secures €1.5B Credit Facility Tied to Scope 1–3 Emissions Reduction Targets
Swiss Climate Disclosure Law Put on Hold as EU Finalizes Sustainability Reforms
EU Commission Confirms Green Claims Directive Not Withdrawn
British Airways Signs SAF Deal with EcoCeres to Cut 400,000 Tons of CO₂ Emissions
EU, EIB Unveil €5 Billion Flexible Guarantee to Unlock Global Green and SME Investments
ESG News Week In Review: 23 June - 29 June
DBS, OCBC, and UOB Launch First Report on Nature-Related Financial Risks
Singapore Business Federation Seeks ISSB Climate Reporting Delay for Smaller Firms
Ambienta Raises €500M to Scale Europe’s Small Cap Sustainability Champions
Wolters Kluwer Launches ESG Tools for CBAM Compliance and Sustainable Financial Planning
Slovenia Raises €1B Through First Sustainability-Linked Bond
Tudor Expands Sustainability Program, Reinforces Ethical Watchmaking Goals
Eni and BMW Italia Join Forces to Advance Sustainable Mobility with Biofuels and EV Charging
Meta Secures Nearly 800 MW in New Clean Energy from Invenergy to Power Data Center Expansion
MERLIN Properties and Carbon2Nature Launch 200-Hectare Forest to Capture 160,000 Tons of CO₂
ByteDance Buys 100,000+ High-Integrity Carbon Credits from Rubicon Carbon
GRI Launches Climate and Energy Reporting Standards Aligned with Global Climate Goals
AIIB and Keppel to Mobilize $1.5B for Sustainable Infrastructure Across Asia-Pacific
UK Releases Draft Sustainability, Climate Reporting Standards Aligned with IFRS
FourTwoThree Launches to Unlock $50 Trillion SME Climate Finance Opportunity
UK Unveils Plan to Become Global Hub for Sustainable Finance, Launches Transition Plan Consultations
UK, Kenya, and Singapore Launch Government Coalition to Boost High-Integrity Carbon Markets
Frontier Secures Deal with Wild Assets for 120,000 Tonnes of Permanent Carbon Removals
Microsoft Signs 12-Year Deal with Agoro Carbon for 2.6 Million Soil Carbon Removal Credits
EU Adopts New State Aid Framework to Accelerate Clean Industrial Development Through 2030
Microsoft Signs 10-Year Deal with Anew Climate, Aurora to Secure 4.8M Forest Carbon Removal Credits
JPMorganChase Secures 50,000 Ton Carbon Removal Deal with 1PointFive
Gap, Target, and Houdini Partner with Syre to Drive Global Shift to Circular Polyester
IFRS Foundation Issues New Guidance on Climate Transition Plan Disclosures
Greenbelt Capital Closes First Fund at $1B to Accelerate Energy Transition
EU Council Pushes Major Cutbacks to Sustainability Reporting and Due Diligence Rules
L’Oréal Launches €100M Innovation Accelerator to Scale Sustainable Beauty Solutions
LEGO Marks Three Years of Near-Zero Waste to Landfill in Global Manufacturing
EFRAG Targets 50% Cut in ESRS Reporting Burden in Progress Update to EU Commission
UK Launches $3.56 B Industrial Plan to Drive Clean Energy
Virgin’s Net-Zero Targets Approved by SBTi, Signaling Bold Climate Commitment
Eni Sells 20% of Plenitude to Ares for $2.3B in Renewables
GRI Launches Machine-Readable Taxonomy to Streamline Global Sustainability Reporting
Cushman & Wakefield: ESG Ranks Among Top 2 Real Estate Priorities in EMEA and APAC
Singapore Releases Draft Guidance to Strengthen Use of Voluntary Carbon Credi
Image of black tesla cars driving in china
videocam
Deep Sky Secures First DAC Offtake Deal with Rubicon Carbon
HPCL to invest $231 million to build 24 compressed biogas plants in India
Carbon Upcycling Secures $18M to Scale Low-Carbon Cement Technology
Coldplay Cuts Vinyl Emissions by 85% with Recycled EcoRecords
La Caisse Sets $400B Climate Investment Target by 2030 Following Strong Decarbonization Gains
Octopus Energy Launches $60M Fund to Accelerate Clean Power Across Africa
Mango Becomes First Brand to Use Circulose® Since Restart
videocam
videocam
Climate Tech Partners Secures $50M+ to Back High-Growth Climate Startups
Volkswagen Bank Raises €1.5 Billion in First-Ever Green Bond to Boost EV Financing
ReGenEarth Launches £100M Green Bond to Scale Biochar Carbon Removal Tech
Eni’s Versalis Unveils Demo Plant for Breakthrough Plastic Recycling Tech ‘Hoop
EPP Rejects EU Green Claims Directive, Urges Full Withdrawal
Rubicon Carbon Launches Rated Carbon Credit Portfolio with AAport Certification from BeZero
TerraPower Secures $650M to Accelerate Advanced Nuclear Deployment
Norway Launches World’s First Full-Scale Carbon Capture and Storage Value Chain
Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) has launched the Goldman Sachs Emerging Markets Green and Social Bond Active UCITS ETF (GEMS)
Google Maps Expands Sustainable Travel Features Across Europe
Datamaran launches Core Product to Streamline ESG Risk & Reporting
SAP Secures 37,000 Tons of Carbon Removals Through Climeworks Partnership
UN Global Compact Network Appoints Former Meta ESG Head Amanda Gardiner as Executive Director
KKR Acquires Zenith Energy to Expand Off-Grid Renewable Power in Australia
Amazon Becomes First to Use Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Ontario Airport in Neste Deal
IFRS Foundation Launches Free E-Learning Modules to Support ISSB Standards Adoption
UN Global Compact Launches CMO Blueprint for SustainUN Global Compact Launches CMO Blueprint for Sustainable Growth at Cannes Lionsable Growth at Cannes Lions
France Targets Ultra-Fast Fashion with Eco-Tax, Ad Ban, and Transparency Rules
SEC Drops ESG Disclosure and Shareholder Proposal Rules as Regulatory Rollbacks Accelerate
Australia Launches Sustainable Finance Taxonomy to Guide Net Zero Investment
","session_id":"ep-sess-1760573586-a6QwjmFO","page_url":"https:\/\/esgnews.com\/breakthrough-energy-ventures-leads-25m-series-a-for-viridos-revolutionary-and-sustainable-algae-biofuels\/","post_id":"19047","tracking_enabled":"1","original_referrer":"","has_embedded_content":""}; /* ]]> */