Gigablue raises £14.5m to deliver marine carbon removal using microalgae, ocean sensors
This article covers Gigablue, a greentech startup, which has closed a £14.5m first close of a series A funding round, announced at Davos during the World Economic Forum 2026. The funding will support further deployments, measurement systems and progress towards commercial issuance of carbon removal units, helping to scale marine carbon removal as an option for industries with hard-to-abate emissions.
Gigablue, a greentech startup, has closed a £14.5m first close of a series A funding round — announced at Davos during the World Economic Forum 2026 — signalling renewed investor appetite for marine carbon removal as infrastructure rather than an add-on climate offset. The funding, equal to $20m, will bankroll further deployments, measurement systems and work toward commercial issuance of carbon removal units.
Why it matters
The deal lands at a moment when policymakers and markets are debating how to treat carbon removal alongside emissions reductions. Gigablue’s approach aims to make marine carbon removal auditable and investible at scale, which matters because industries with hard-to-abate emissions — notably the growing energy demand from data centres and AI infrastructure — are looking for durable removal options to meet climate targets.
The announcement being made at Davos, and framed as part of discussions about nature as economic infrastructure, highlights how removal projects are now being considered in balance-sheet terms by capital allocators and institutions.
Inside the product
Gigablue deploys a method it calls Microalgae Carbon Fixation and Sinking (MCFS). The technique seeks to amplify the ocean’s natural biological pump by encouraging microalgae growth and then promoting carbon transfer to deep-sea sinks. The company points to a formal methodology release by the Puro.earth Advisory Board in September 2025 as a milestone in its scientific validation.
A core selling point is the Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification framework. Gigablue says each deployment uses in-situ oceanographic sensors, environmental DNA sampling, water chemistry analysis and custom deep-sea monitoring tools to provide the “ground-truth” science underpinning future carbon removal units. The plan is to combine this data to support commercial issuance while attempting to manage ecological risk.
Who are the investors?
The round was led by Planet Ocean Capital and was joined by a group of mission-aligned venture capital firms and climate-focused family offices. The lead investor and participants completed months-long technical, scientific and environmental due diligence before the first close.
According to the company, proceeds will fund continued scaling of MCFS deployments, expansion of MMRV and deep-sea monitoring capabilities, and progress toward a second close of the series A as Gigablue moves toward issuing high-integrity carbon removal units.
Investor interest, the company says, is shaped by the view that permanent carbon removal and healthy oceans are becoming foundational infrastructure assets rather than peripheral mitigations. Planet Ocean Capital’s involvement is presented as a mark of confidence in both the technology pathway and the governance processes Gigablue is developing.
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Founder perspective
Gigablue was founded in 2022 and has framed its work as science-led and transparency-focused as it seeks to translate ocean processes into verifiable removal outcomes. In the announcement, Gigablue leadership said:
High-integrity carbon removal is increasingly recognized as essential alongside emissions reductions.
This first close reflects growing confidence that marine carbon removal — when governed by science, transparency, and environmental safeguards — can play a critical role in achieving global net-zero targets while strengthening ocean health.
The company also emphasised its commitment to environmental safeguards and rigorous scientific oversight as it expands operations.
The bigger picture
Marine carbon removal is one of the more contested approaches in the carbon removal toolbox. It offers potential for large-scale sequestration, but also raises governance, ecological risk and monitoring challenges that differ from terrestrial solutions. The involvement of a standard-setting body such as Puro.earth and the appearance of a concentrated due-diligence process suggest investors are seeking clearer rules and stronger evidence before committing capital.
For the UK and European greentech ecosystem the deal is notable for two reasons: it shows capital flowing into ocean-based removal pathways, and it underlines demand for robust MMRV systems that can satisfy corporate net-zero claims and national climate strategies. As governments and companies refine how removal is accounted for, projects that can demonstrate scientific rigour and transparent verification are likely to attract more institutional interest.
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