What is the 10-questions interview? Regularly, we interview a promising startup or scale-up in the climate & energy tech ecosystem and ask them our 10 questions to showcase their technology, inspire the sector with their ambition and better understand their needs. With our platform (ZERO), we want to put these bold innovators on a pedestal and introduce them to our audience. Do you want to connect with this startup/scale-up, feel free to contact us at info@platformzero.co! 

Skytree aims to enable industries to move towards a more sustainable future via a circular CO₂ supply, allowing to transition away from fossil fuels. How? They developed a Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology that captures CO₂ directly from ambient air. Their goal? Capture 10 million tonnes of CO2 through customer applications by 2030!

‘Net Zero’ is becoming a more frequent goal in different industries. However, being unable to fully decarbonise certain parts of value chains, requires negative emissions elsewhere. This is where Direct Air Capture comes into place!

The 10 Questions that we asked Rob van Straten, CEO of Skytree

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself, who are you and what makes you tick?

My name is Rob van Straten, CEO of Skytree since April 2022. I am using my long years of experience of managing fast growing business on a global scale to help the Skytree team to navigate complexity and reach our objectives.

2. What is the core of your mission (the bold goal) that you are pursuing?

Our technology will help to combat climate change by removing historical emissions and enable transitioning away from current fossil fuel based CO2 supply chains. 

3. What are you building/developing with your organisation (and where are you now)?

We are introducing Direct Air Capture systems to the world that can be used for any utilisation (CCU) or removal (CDR) purpose. From small scale vertical farms to large scale CO2 storage in geological formations. We are preparing for large volume production and standard service operating models in order to reach scale at the low costs required to make DAC impactful. At the end of 2023 we will start shipping our first generation DAC units at scale. 

4. What makes your team that you are working with, special?

We combine very talented young people that bring fresh ideas and recent academic education with very experienced executives that are confidently managing high growth. 

5. What is your view on our climate challenge and how do you want to contribute?

Currently businesses around the world spend over $80bn on buying CO2 from fossil fuel sources and having it transported to where it’s needed. This supply chain is unsustainable and needs to be either avoided in the first place or the CO2 should be redirected to permanent storage. Ironically there is a shortage of CO2 expected for industries such as food production or hydrogen, for which capturing CO2 from the ambient air, at the location where it’s needed, is a great solution.

6. What is your view on your sector and what is needed to accelerate change?

The young and immature DAC industry needs to share learnings and investors should be less risk averse as the technology needs to scale up, for which funding is required. Governments should contribute by a more willing regime of grants and subsidies at company level, not only rewarding actual tonnes of CO2 removed.

7. What are some recent highlights that really make you proud?

Our velocity of innovation, which resulted in a design freeze for our first DAC unit manufactured at scale.

8. What is the biggest challenge you see for your company to grow even faster? 

Capital 

9. Are there needs (network, funding, people) that our community could provide?

Funding and possible location for an DAC-Hub

10. What are the inspiring startups/scale-ups you think we should interview next?

• Carbyon, a Direct Air Capture
• Paebbl stores captured carbon into industrial raw materials
• DivisionQ focuses on decarbonising the greenhouse horticulture by supporting ventures

Enthusiastic about Skytree or do you want to connect with Rob van Straten? Contact us at info@platformzero.co and we will bring you in touch!