Sora Fuel, a pioneering startup focused on creating sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from just water, air, and renewable energy, has successfully secured $6 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round. The investment was led by The Engine Ventures, with Wireframe Ventures and other contributors also participating. The new funds will be used to expand Sora Fuel’s team in Boston, forge commercialization partnerships, and advance its cutting-edge technology.
Aviation emissions have increased fourfold since the 1960s, contributing to 2.5% of global CO2 emissions and about 4% of global warming. With air travel demand rising, SAF is critical for reducing emissions in this challenging sector. Traditional SAF production methods are limited by high energy requirements, feedstock needs, and significant investment costs. For instance, the Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) process relies on costly waste oil feedstocks, while alcohol-to-jet methods compete with agriculture and cause soil degradation. Although waste gasification and point-source power-to-liquid methods use fewer resources, they still depend on non-biogenic carbon sources, limiting their greenhouse gas reduction potential.
Sora Fuel offers a groundbreaking approach by capturing atmospheric CO2 at costs significantly lower than existing methods. Their innovative technology features a liquid bicarbonate electrolyzer that delivers direct air capture (DAC) CO2 at approximately $20 per ton. This system operates in a fully closed-loop environment, using only water and renewable electricity to produce syngas. Compared to traditional DAC solutions, Sora Fuel’s method drastically reduces energy inputs, eliminates the need for feedstocks beyond air and water, and provides a scalable, cost-effective process for SAF production and other syngas-based products.
“Sora Fuel’s technology cuts the energy required for DAC processes by 90%, creating a more sustainable and economically viable path for producing carbon-negative fuels,” said Gareth Ross, co-founder and CEO of Sora Fuel. “Our patented system allows us to produce SAF at prices comparable to current Jet A fuel, overcoming common feedstock limitations.”
Michael Kearney, General Partner at Engine Ventures and a Sora Fuel Board member, noted, “To achieve our climate goals, we must reduce aviation’s carbon intensity. SAFs are essential due to their high energy density, and decarbonizing them requires new CO2 capture and utilization methods. Sora Fuel’s innovative electrolyzer technology will enable profitable SAF production plants that are not limited by location, which is crucial for meeting the aviation industry’s environmental targets of 500 million metric tons of SAF by 2050.”
Sora Fuel emerged from The Engine Ventures, leveraging technology from Curtis Berlinguette’s lab at the University of British Columbia. Co-founder and Chief Science Officer Patrick Sarver holds a PhD in Chemistry from Princeton University, completed postdoctoral research at MIT, and worked as a Venture Associate at The Engine Ventures before co-founding Sora Fuel. Ross, previously an Executive in Residence at The Engine Ventures and a 15-year executive at MassMutual, brings extensive experience in technology and operations.
