Unlocking the Power of Oceanic Carbon Capture w/ Ben Swainbank (Oceanid MRV)

Today we are joined by the founder of Oceanid MRV, Ben Swainbank. For context, carbon capture and the measurement of how much is captured is something pretty well solved in forestry and direct air capture. However, for oceanic capture, it is not. This presents a big dilemma as Oceanic Carbon Capture is widely regarded as the most scalable method to pull carbon out of the air at a gigaton scale. Ben today talks to us about how he and his team are working on formalizing and certifying the amount and quality of carbon captured through such oceanic projects. This conversation was super helpful for understanding why oceanic pathways are important as well as the challenges of measuring the work done in a manner that is accurate and sufficient to certify. An interesting takeaway from this episode is how Ben, as a non-scientist, is building a company in a scientific space but is doing it by surrounding himself with a team of oceanographers and then bringing together the science and the commercial side of things. Early on in the show he also walked us through the steps he took to decide if this was a space he should go deeper on. This was a very helpful framework for any aspiring ClimateTech founders. We hope you enjoy this episode of the show! Topics: 1:44 Intro and origin story7:18 CDR Industry as a wholeTreesDACOcean9:17 Marine PathwaysBiomass CultivationDirect Ocean CaptureOcean Alkalinity Enhancement11:53 How they capture carbon and measure it14:04 Ocean Measurements18:00 Durability of ocean capture22:13 Starting the company29:19 How their model works33:04 The fundraising process37:31 Advice to ocean MRV science startups41:42 Making the jump to be a full-time entrepreneur47:37 Starting a biz as a non-science founder51:55 Corporate / Gov incentives57:01 Closing thoughts Links: [email protected] MRV Website: Ben Swainbank on LinkedIn: Check out our Sponsor, NextWave Partners: Join the Slack Channel:  https://cleantechies.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-pd2drz6d-N~9nURU5JlyMXv2ZiO5bAQ#/shared-invite/emailFollow CleanTechies on LinkedIn: HMU on Twitter: @silasmahner__________We are proud to continue working with NextWave as our official show sponsor for this podcast. NextWave and all of its staff are highly motivated to advance the ClimateTech revolution and are constantly innovating ways that they can help affect that transition. From experts in the talent space to ESG experts, NextWave is taking on Climate and Social responsibility head-on and helping companies build great cultures that not only make the world a better place but also increase workplace satisfaction. Reach out to NextWave Partners today to learn more about how we might partner with you today. https://www.next-wavepartners.com/ / [email protected] the showIf you're gonna change the world, you're gonna need a world-class team. Partner with ErthTech Talent to help you do that, for less.70+ Placements5+ Years (exclusively in CleanTech)The Lowest Fees in the Market (12-15% of first-year salary)90-day placement guaranteeIt's really hard to say no to that. Wait?! -- The best service is also the cheapest? Seems too good to be true, but it's the entire reason we started this company. We believe that Climate entrepreneurs are doing important work, and there should be a firm to help them find the best talent, without it breaking the bank. Reach out today for a free assessment of your hiring process. [email protected]