Why We Sell Direct Air Capture to Real Estate, Not Carbon Markets

Direct air capture usually sells carbon credits. Soletair Power sells building owners lower energy costs, and in Singapore its capture cost is minus $400 per ton. Petri Laakso is CEO of Soletair Power, which builds CO2 capture into building ventilation. After its first outdoor unit in 2016 showed how expensive capture could be, the company moved into buildings, where ventilation already moves the air and capture can save energy instead of burning it. Petri talks through 3 pivots in the pitch, a Series A investor that backed out because it couldn't raise its own fund, and why he thinks being "too honest as a Finn" may have cost him against competitors making bold claims. In this episode we dive into: 🏢 Why Soletair sells capture as building value, not carbon credits 💰 How capture in buildings gets to minus $400 per ton 🗣️ The mentor who said: stop pitching what you can't monetise 🌍 Same tech, different pitch: Sweden's net zero targets vs Singapore's energy bills 📉 A Series A that fell through, and why the business model may have been too complicated Soletair Power builds CO2 capture into building ventilation to cut energy use and emissions. Watch now to learn how a direct air capture company found a buyer who pays for savings, not credits. Chapters: 0:00 The 1,000 km fan somebody funded 0:41 Selling carbon capture as building value 1:14 Why capturing CO2 outdoors cost too much 2:10 3 pivots in 5 years 4:02 Stop pitching what you can't monetise 5:14 Growing without burning cash 6:51 Why a second product line costs more than you think 7:48 Same tech, different pitch: Sweden vs Singapore 9:42 How deals start in Europe vs Asia 11:31 When a Series A investor backed out 12:50 Too honest as a Finn? 14:21 Was the business model too complicated? 16:14 Outgrowing the lab: from 4 units to 100 18:44 The hire that mattered most 20:31 The phone call that started Soletair Power 22:28 Has direct air capture earned its bad reputation? 25:08 Are corporates funding DAC as charity or a bet? 27:32 "Our fund ends too soon": the polite no 28:21 1 piece of advice for founders with a pilot and no model 30:13 Where to find Soletair Power More episodes:    • The Plucky Bamboo Podcast   Connect with Petri:   / petri-laakso   Soletair Power: https://www.soletairpower.fi/ Connect with me:   / chrisg-jones   Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: EZT2ANEW4WWGPMVB