Startup Series: Charm Industrial

This episode was previously for members only. In an effort to make important content more widely available, the audio for this episode is now available for everyone.

Charm Industrial is a San Francisco-based startup scaling bio-oil production for three markets: carbon sequestration, hydrogen fuel, and steel production. Using a process known as “fast pyrolysis,” the company is converting cellulose (e.g. wood, saw dust, crop residue) into bio-oil, which can be used to bury carbon underground (negative emissions), to convert into hydrogen, and as a cleaner ingredient in the production of steel. Stripe announced this year that it became Charm Industrial’s first negative emissions customer.

Co-founder Peter Reinhardt walks me through a company overview and an in-depth explanation of bio-oil. He also talks about how a tech entrepreneur like him (or anyone else) that is motivated by climate change can find a way to make a dent.