Origen is a climate tech company with groundbreaking technology to enable lime-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

The IPCC now recognises CDR as essential to minimise warming to 1.5 degrees and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The magnitude of CDR required is massive, with some estimates indicating that 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) must be removed from the air annually by 2050.

Origen’s zero-carbon process reimagines the production of lime, a mineral that naturally removes CO₂ from the atmosphere. Used in everything from cement and steel production to soil amendments and water filters, lime touches our lives in many ways but remains highly carbon-intensive to make. Origen’s zero-carbon lime process, combined with the mineral’s ability to absorb CO₂ with no energy applied, unlocks the mineral’s potential to remove billions of tons of CO₂ directly from the air or oceans.

Currently based in the UK, Origen is piloting its technology alongside Singleton Birch, a leading UK-based lime producer. Origen also has a subsidiary in the US, where it is partnered with Singleton Birch’s parent company, Mississippi Lime Company.

For more information on our innovative process, please visit our Technology page.

History of Origen

2022

Pilot Build Complete

Origen completes build phase of pilot, with kiln construction completed and utilities sited

Strategic Partnership with Mississippi Lime:

Received funding from HBM Holdings, parent company of Mississippi Lime Company, a leading global lime producer. In August, MLC announced the acquisition of Singleton Birch, (our UK lime partner where the pilot plant is located) enabling further direct support on Origen’s pilot program and transition to scale-up projects.

Funding from Stripe:

A joint project between Origen and XPRIZE-winning Calcite, an 8Rivers company, was selected by Frontier, a consortium of leading tech companies including Stripe, Google, Meta, and McKinsey, selected, to deliver carbon removals via a joint pilot between 2024 and 2025. 

Funding from UK Government:

Singleton Birch shortlisted for Phase 2 in UK Government’s Industrial Carbon Capture Hubs program, with ~$200M of potential funding to build 150,000 tonnes per annum of decarbonised lime production capacity with Origen’s technology (“ZerCaL250”).

Elemental Excelerator:

Selected for Elemental Excelerator, a leading advisor to and supporter of top climate tech startups as part of Cohort 11

2021

Began construction on 3,000 tonnes per annum zero-carbon lime plant.

Awarded £221,000 as part of BEIS Greenhouse Gas Removal grant to support R&D and completed Phase 1.

2018-2020

Awarded £246,000 to complete BEIS CCUD Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study for 50,000 tonnes per annum lime calciner.

Commissioned and operated carbon capture demonstrator at Heriot-Watt.

2013-2017

Origen launches from Oxford and receives a total of £946,000 in grant funding from Innovate UK, Grantham Institute for Climate Change, EIT Climate-KIC and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for R&D.

Signed MOU with Singleton Birch, a leading UK-based lime producer, to build/operate a 3,000 tonnes per annum zero-carbon lime plant using Origen’s technology.