This Startup Is Trying To Delete 29% Of All CO2 Emissions
Audio Brief
Show transcript
This episode introduces Remora, a startup building mobile carbon capture devices for semi-trucks and freight trains.
Key insights from this conversation include: how non-technical founders can lead hard-tech, the strategic advantage of regional talent, the appeal of ambitious ideas, and the necessity of rapid in-house iteration.
To solve truly hard problems, founders need not be the foremost expert, but must learn quickly and build a world-class team. Remora’s founder, Paul Gross, exemplifies leading a science-heavy venture with a non-technical background.
Building hard-tech requires a physical presence where specific engineering and manufacturing talent concentrates. Remora chose Detroit, leveraging its deep automotive and mechanical engineering expertise over traditional tech hubs.
Ambitious and seemingly impossible ideas can uniquely attract top talent, investors, and partners. These ventures often prove more achievable than safer options due to their inspiring nature.
Creating rapid, in-house iteration loops, like a full engine testing simulator, is critical for accelerating hardware-intensive startup development and testing. This speeds product refinement and market readiness.
Remora's approach offers a compelling model for tackling significant environmental challenges with innovative solutions and strategic choices.
Episode Overview
- An introduction to Remora, a startup building the first-ever mobile carbon capture devices for semi-trucks and freight trains.
- A tour of Remora's Detroit-based headquarters, showcasing their hardware, in-house manufacturing facility, and a unique engine testing simulator built inside a shipping container.
- An explanation of how their "point source capture" technology works to extract CO2 from vehicle exhaust and recycle it for other industries like beverage carbonation and agriculture.
- Founder Paul Gross discusses his journey as a non-technical founder in a hard-tech space and offers advice for others looking to solve complex, science-heavy problems.
Key Concepts
Remora is a Y Combinator-backed company tackling one of the largest sources of carbon emissions: the transportation industry. Their core innovation is a device that retrofits onto existing semi-trucks and trains to capture CO2 directly from the exhaust. This captured CO2, purified to beverage-grade quality, is then sold to other industries, creating a new revenue stream for vehicle operators while significantly reducing their emissions. The company has chosen to build its headquarters and manufacturing facility near Detroit, Michigan, to leverage the region's deep talent pool in automotive and mechanical engineering. By focusing on "point source capture," where emissions are most concentrated, Remora offers a more energy-efficient and scalable solution compared to direct air capture technologies.
Quotes
- At 00:54 - "I wanted to create something where I could say if I don't build this, it might not happen." - Founder Paul Gross explains his motivation for tackling a problem that many told him was impossible.
- At 02:37 - "We have a CO2 shortage in the US... and yet we're emitting 375 million tons a year from trucks and trains." - Paul Gross describes the core insight and market paradox that led him to start Remora.
- At 03:53 - "My advice would be just start working on it and try to learn as much as possible yourself. I think expertise can be really valuable... but also if you're a founder, you don't have to be the expert, you have to create a team of experts." - Paul Gross provides advice for aspiring hard-tech founders who may not have a deep scientific background in their chosen field.
Takeaways
- To solve truly hard problems, you don't need to be the foremost expert, but you must be able to learn quickly and build a world-class team of experts.
- Building a hard-tech company requires a physical presence where the specific engineering and manufacturing talent is most concentrated, which for Remora was Detroit, not Silicon Valley.
- Ambitious and seemingly impossible ideas can attract the best talent, investors, and partners, potentially making them more achievable than "safer" ventures.
- Creating rapid, in-house iteration loops, such as building a full engine simulator, is critical for accelerating development and testing in hardware-intensive startups.
