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§ Private Profile · 401 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Modular carbon capture & air purification for commercial buildings, delivering decarbonization and healthy indoor air.
Carbon Reform has raised $9.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Carbon Reform.
Carbon Reform has raised $9.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Carbon Reform is a climate technology enterprise that develops modular carbon capture and air purification devices specifically designed for commercial buildings. The company's proprietary hardware captures indoor carbon dioxide and permanently mineralizes it into a limestone byproduct that can be repurposed for commercial construction materials like concrete and paint. Additionally, these systems filter out volatile organic compounds, viruses, and other airborne pollutants to improve indoor air quality for building owners across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Operating with a workforce of 21 to 50 employees, the organization has raised $9 million in total funding to date from institutional investors including Azolla Ventures, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, and the Cisco Foundation. Carbon Reform was officially founded in 2020 by co-founders Jo Norris and Nick Martin.
Key people at Carbon Reform.
Carbon Reform has raised $9.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Carbon Reform's investors include Azolla Ventures, Bradley Horowitz, Preston Schell, Gaingels, Plug and Play Ventures, Mahati Sridhar, Solomon Goldstein-Rose.
Carbon Reform has raised $9.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $6.0M Seed in March 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2025 | $6M Seed | — | Azolla Ventures, Bradley Horowitz | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2022 | $3M Seed | Azolla Ventures | Bradley Horowitz, Preston Schell, Gaingels, Plug And Play Ventures, Mahati Sridhar, Solomon Goldstein Rose | Announced |
Carbon Reform is a Philadelphia-based climate tech startup founded in 2020 that develops modular carbon capture devices for commercial buildings, targeting indoor CO₂ removal, air purification, and energy efficiency.[1][2][3][6] Its flagship Carbon Reduction System (including the Carbon Capsule and portable Carbon Canister) integrates into existing HVAC infrastructure as a drop-in retrofit, capturing CO₂, VOCs, particulates, and other contaminants while reducing HVAC energy use by up to 60% (and building-wide energy costs by 16%), improving indoor air quality, and enabling emissions reductions for ESG reporting.[2][3] The company serves building owners, Fortune 500 firms, energy providers, and developers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, addressing the built environment's 40% share of global emissions with scalable, profitable solutions that pay back in 4-7 years and qualify for incentives.[1][2][3] With $9M raised (including recent Cisco Foundation investment), Carbon Reform demonstrates strong growth through pilots, real-world deployments, and a diverse team in engineering, materials science, and sustainability.[1][7][8]
Carbon Reform was co-founded in 2020 by CEO Jo Norris and COO Nick Martin, initially in Delaware before establishing headquarters in Philadelphia's Center City at 401 N. Broad Street.[1][4][6] Norris, blending art, science, and engineering, previously led R&D on aquatic robots for water remediation and researched biodegradable materials for heavy metal filtration.[4] Martin brings chemical engineering expertise in solar energy, biofuels, research, and consulting.[4] The idea emerged from recognizing overlooked indoor pollution in buildings—where people spend 90% of their time—as a key emissions driver, prompting development of retrofit tech that turns HVAC systems into carbon capture tools without major construction.[1][2][4] Early traction includes deployments of Carbon Canisters at customer sites, industry recognition, and $9M in funding from strategic investors like Cisco Foundation, fueling pilots with Fortune 500 clients and case study data collection.[1][2][7][8]
Carbon Reform rides the net-zero building wave, capitalizing on the built environment's 40% of global emissions amid tightening ESG mandates, local carbon standards, and incentives for clean air/energy retrofits.[1][2][3] Timing aligns with post-2020 climate urgency, rising energy costs, and indoor health awareness (e.g., post-pandemic), where buildings must balance ventilation for air quality without spiking HVAC loads.[2][4] Market tailwinds include demand from Fortune 500s for verifiable decarbonization data, growth in carbon credit markets (where Carbon Reform's direct removal outshines indirect offsets), and retrofit preferences over costly rebuilds.[2][5][8] By influencing HVAC norms and enabling "right now" impact ahead of DAC scalability, it shapes the ecosystem toward practical, profitable climate tech, democratizing carbon removal for schools, offices, and underserved areas.[1][4][5]
Carbon Reform is poised for expansion with its new Philly HQ, scaling pilots into widespread commercial adoption via case studies proving ROI and sequestration.[2][6] Trends like AI-optimized building controls, maturing carbon markets, and stricter net-zero regulations by 2030 will amplify its edge, potentially unlocking at-home/office variants and new sequestration applications.[3][5] Influence may evolve from niche innovator to ecosystem leader, partnering deeper with energy giants and credits platforms—transforming overlooked indoor emissions into a cornerstone of equitable decarbonization, much like its origin vision of healthier buildings driving planetary health.[1][4]
