Kevin Danner’s relationship with climate began in 1989.
The future entrepreneur had just read Bill McKibben’s recently published “The End of Nature,” which suggests dramatic changes to society in order to avoid the worst impacts of a warming world.
“It had a big impact on me, and I became convinced that emissions reduction was the key,” Danner informed journalist Tyler Klinkhammer in 2023.
Danner worked on climate-related projects for decades before a second book pushed his inspiration to the next level. Paul Hawken’s “Drawdown,” published in 2017, offers modern solutions to alleged climate problems.
In 2020, Danner decided to advance his own solutions for “removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it away for good.”
Launching Carbon Lock Tech from Winnipeg, Danner utilizes a process called “pyrolysis” that converts organic matter into stable biocarbon, which can be then be stored within agricultural soils, construction materials, and other manufactured goods.
The process is powered by the company’s patented pyrolytic reactor technology. This form of carbon is created by removing gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen, leaving behind refractory carbon with high stability under certain conditions.
When added to soils, biocarbon can improve water retention, reduces fertilizer use, and enhance soil fertility. Biocarbon can also be incorporated into cement-based materials, locking away carbon and reducing the carbon footprint of building materials.
The biocarbon market continues to grow. Global revenues are climbing from $600 million in 2023 to an expected $3.3 billion this year.
Carbon Lock Tech has received funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada, the Food Waste Reduction Challenge, the Manitoba Innovation Growth Program, the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program, and Startup Canada via Global Pitch Competition.
The Manitoba startup was named to the Foresight 50 in 2023, recently returning for a consecutive year. On the Foresight front, Carbon Lock also participated in the organization’s Earth Tech Accelerator, a six-month program designed to support early-stage climate and water tech ventures across Canada.