Category: Uncategorized
Water-tech company closes round across equity and non-dilutive capital sources to deploy patented technology at more wastewater utilities, reducing costs and delivering verified carbon dioxide removal
BROOKLYN, NY — CREW Carbon, Inc. (CREW) announced today it has closed an oversubscribed Series A round led by Burnt Island Ventures with participation from AP Ventures, Sony Innovation Fund, Builders Vision, Kibo Invest, Idemitsu Ventures, New York Ventures, and family office investors, alongside existing investors Counteract, ANIMO Ventures, Connecticut Innovations, Ponderosa Ventures, and Echo River Capital. The raise includes $19 million in equity and $6 million in grant and other non-dilutive funding.
The wastewater treatment industry faces mounting pressure from tighter regulations and having to treat higher volumes of wastewater with aging legacy infrastructure, leading to treatment costs doubling over the last 20 years. Utilities need solutions that work within and expand the capacity of existing systems without requiring massive capital investments.
CREW’s patented technology helps utilities get more out of their existing infrastructure. By improving pollutant removal, boosting settleability, and reducing reliance on costly chemicals, CREW increases plant capacity and efficiency, lowering both capital and operating costs and easing the burden on ratepayers.
Because CREW’s solution integrates into existing wastewater processes, utilities can see measurable results in weeks. CREW has already secured several long-term RFPs with utilities across the U.S.
“CREW’s water technology is driving jaw-dropping results for wastewater customers,” said Tom Ferguson, Partner at Burnt Island Ventures. “On top of the improvements they deliver to wastewater utilities, CREW’s precise measurement of permanent carbon removal is highly differentiated in the crediting market and empowers carbon credit buyers to know exactly what they are paying for. Together, CREW’s technology and business model are aligning good environmental outcomes with the bottom line for a massively impactful industry.”
Process optimization and decarbonization at scale
CREW’s process that improves wastewater treatment performance also permanently removes carbon dioxide.
CREW uses strategically-sourced alkaline minerals, such as calcium carbonate, to optimize key conditions like pH and alkalinity in the wastewater treatment process. CREW delivers better biological performance for operators while locking away CO2 and superpollutant emissions in a permanent, measurable form — all by leveraging existing industrial infrastructure, with none of the federal funding or permitting support that other carbon removal approaches typically require.
That precision and pragmatism has allowed CREW to deliver verified carbon removal credits to corporations in long-term agreements including JP Morgan, Google, Autodesk, Stripe, and others through Frontier. CREW has also signed other long-term offtakes. Carbon credit buyers increasingly realize that highly measurable, engineered CO2 removals are key to net-zero goals.
“We are pleased to welcome CREW to our portfolio,” said Andrew Hinkly, Managing Partner at AP Ventures. “CREW has impressed us with its rapid progress, ability to deliver real carbon dioxide removal, and high-quality low-cost approach to CDR. The team is focused on executing a clear go‑to‑market strategy that leverages existing industrial infrastructure and well‑defined customer pain points to unlock decarbonisation at scale. CREW is advancing quickly, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth.”
Positioned to become a category-defining leader in water and climate tech
Since launching commercial operations in 2024, CREW has:
- Deployed at nearly 10 wastewater treatment facilities across the US and Europe, including leading utilities like HRSD (Hampton Roads Sanitation District)
- Delivered measurable performance improvements at wastewater treatment facilities, with one utility considering deferring $350 million in planned capital upgrades
- Secured $33+ million in carbon removal offtake agreements
- Captured 2,000+ tons of CO2 faster and more cost effectively than other carbon removal credit suppliers
- Recently won a $2.3 million award from the Colorado Energy Office as part of the state’s Clean Air Program
- Developed proprietary measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) capabilities that enable high-confidence carbon removal quantification
- Initiated development of a scalable analytics platform for wastewater treatment facilities, delivering actionable operational insights and process optimization capabilities to drive performance improvements
“Startups advancing frontier technologies to tackle global environmental challenges are central to building more sustainable, resilient industries – and a key focus of Sony Innovation Fund’s investment strategy,” said Austin Noronha, Managing Director, Sony Ventures-US. “CREW combines deep geochemistry expertise with a pragmatic business approach to seamlessly integrate carbon capture into existing infrastructure, making it both scalable and commercially viable. With multiple deployments already underway, CREW is well-positioned to help various industries accelerate decarbonization.”
Since closing its Series A round, CREW is focused on working with more wastewater utilities and on adding to the talent on the team. Some of the high-priority roles to fill in 2026 including:
- Head of Wastewater Process & Technology
- Technology Team Manager
- Supply Chain and Logistics Manager
- Business Development Manager – Wastewater
To learn more about job opportunities at CREW, visit: crewcarbon.com/careers
About CREW
CREW is a water technology company providing wastewater treatment facilities with a process intensification solution that improves performance, lowers costs, and permanently removes greenhouse gases. By optimizing key environmental conditions such as pH and alkalinity through smart-dosing of strategically-sourced calcium carbonate, CREW delivers better biological treatment, improved settleability, reduced chemical usage, and increased capacity and efficiency. Our data-driven solution integrates seamlessly into operators’ existing processes, with measurable results in weeks, to better serve communities. To learn more, visit: crewcarbon.com
Media Contact:
Clare Bennett
The multi-facility agreement brings CREW’s process intensification solution to Hampton Roads, improving performance, lowering costs, and permanently removing greenhouse gases.
NORFOLK, VA — HRSD (Hampton Roads Sanitation District) and CREW announce a long-term partnership to deploy CREW’s process intensification solution at its two Norfolk-based wastewater treatment facilities: the Virginia Initiative Treatment Plant and the Army Base Treatment Plant.
The innovative partnership began with HRSD testing CREW’s patented technology, which uses calcium carbonate dosing for process optimization and greenhouse gas removal. During the initial year of testing, CREW technology drove significant improvements in biological nutrient removal, optimizing plant performance, lowering wastewater treatment costs, and permanently removing greenhouse gases, which has been verified.
Now HRSD’s patented technology* combined with CREW’s approach will further improve wastewater plant performance, reduce dependence on conventional chemicals, keep wastewater treatment rates as low as possible, and augment greenhouse gas removal from wastewater treatment processes. HRSD will be a leading case study in how to align positive environmental outcomes with the bottom line.
CREW’s process intensification technology optimizes biological nutrient removal and settleability by dosing naturally-occurring calcium carbonate to optimal levels to deliver consistent treatment and climate impact. This allows HRSD to reduce chemical usage, improve settleability, and ultimately drive opex and capex savings.
“The combined approach also enhances biomass settling for an intensification benefit, while simultaneously providing very low secondary effluent turbidity — a challenge for other competing approaches. The overall solution is transformational for facilities attempting to do biological nitrogen and/or phosphorus removal under the typical alkalinity-limited conditions experienced at many treatment plants. As we extend this approach to our Virginia Initiative Plant, we expect significant capital and operational savings for HRSD,” said HRSD Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Charles Bott.
Once again leading the industry, HRSD is the second major U.S. wastewater utility to deploy wastewater alkalinity enhancement at scale following CREW’s demonstration at Army Base Treatment Plant in 2024.
“HRSD is one of the leading wastewater utilities in the country,” said CREW CEO, Dr. Joachim Katchinoff. “This exciting partnership further validates that CREW’s approach delivers real value for utilities facing rising costs and tighter regulations. Together, CREW and HRSD will show a way to use existing wastewater infrastructure to boost the bottom line and improve environmental outcomes.”
CREW’s solution provides multiple benefits for wastewater utilities:
- Optimized performance
CREW’s approach drives more consistent biological treatment, better nutrient removal and improved settleability, and impactful carbon credits — especially in combination with HRSD’s patented technology.
- Cost savings
CREW provides compounding opex savings, using a more cost-effective alternative to replace conventional chemicals and improve nitrification performance, decrease the use of metal salts for phosphorus removal, and potentially improve thickening and dewatering. Intensification combined with low turbidity effluent can also provide the opportunity for capex savings.
- Enhanced safety
CREW’s solution minimizes operator risk associated with hazardous chemicals such as sodium hydroxide.
- Efficient compliance
CREW’s technology results in stable, more consistent biological and nutrient removal, which leads to better effluent quality to help facilities meet permit regulations.
- Environmental impact
CREW reduces facilities’ carbon footprint by replacing carbon-intensive chemicals with locally-sourced minerals as well as reducing process emissions.
“This partnership with CREW represents the next important step in HRSD’s story as an innovative leader in the wastewater industry,” said HRSD CEO Jay Bernas. “Together with CREW, HRSD will reduce financial as well as environmental costs while improving how we treat wastewater for the communities we serve.”
About HRSD
HRSD is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia created by public referendum in 1940 and currently serves 20 cities and counties in southeast Virginia and the Eastern Shore, an area with a population of 1.9 million.
*HRSD’s patented inDENSE® technology is a wastewater treatment technology that uses hydrocyclones to improve settling rates and increase hydraulic capacity, doing so by selectively separating and retaining denser biomass. Combining HRSD’s inDENSE technology with CREW’s approach delivers multiple benefits, including consistent biological treatment and reduced chemical usage.
HRSD’s Promise: We promise to treat wastewater and recover natural resources to protect public health and the environment.
Our Vision: Our communities will have clean waterways and reliable water resources for generations to come.
Media Contact:
Leila Rice, APR – 757.460.7056
Chief Communications Officer
lrice@hrsd.com
About CREW
CREW is a water technology company providing wastewater treatment facilities with a process intensification solution that improves performance, lowers costs, and permanently removes greenhouse gases.
CREW’s process intensification technology optimizes alkalinity through calcium carbonate dosing that delivers consistent treatment, better settleability, reduced chemical usage, cost savings, and greenhouse gas removal.
Our data-driven solution integrates seamlessly into operators’ existing processes, with measurable results in weeks, to better serve communities.
Media Contact:
Clare Bennett
Communications Lead
clare.bennett@crewcarbon.com
CREW is pleased to announce that we’ve delivered our first verified Wastewater Alkalinity Enhancement (WAE) carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits to Frontier buyers. These initial 104.4 credits, verified by Isometric, mark the first delivery under our 6 year, $32.1 million offtake agreement with Frontier buyers including Frontier founders Stripe, Google, Shopify, and members Autodesk, H&M Group, Workday, Salesforce, Watershed, and JPMorgan Chase.
The credits were generated from CREW’s flagship, multi-kiloton project at the East Shore Water Pollution Abatement Facility operated by the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority (GNHWPCA), and represent a significant milestone for scaling carbon removal and demonstrating WAE’s potential as a carbon removal pathway.
This project will soon be one of the largest operating carbon removal projects on the East Coast of the U.S., integrating into a facility which processes 40 million gallons of wastewater per day. Located on the shore of the New Haven Harbor, the GNHWPCA oversees an extensive sewer system spanning over 555 miles of pipeline and 30 pump stations, which is all in service of keeping the local community and environment safe, including the Long Island Sound.
From our Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Joachim Katchinoff, “Maximizing existing infrastructure and using proven science, CREW’s engineered enhanced weathering approach offers a cost-effective, highly measurable and globally scalable approach to durable carbon removal. In addition to providing an essential service to our communities, wastewater treatment plants are powerful places to remove CO₂. By integrating directly into existing infrastructure, CREW’s WAE technology transforms everyday facilities—like the East Shore Facility—into climate assets, delivering durable, measurable carbon removal while improving treatment efficiency, lowering OpEx costs, and helping operators protect the local environment. This milestone proves that carbon removal doesn’t need to wait – it’s already happening.”
