“The vacuum cleaner of the sky” – that’s the title of a new feature article published by StartupItalia as part of its Venti di Futuro series, dedicated to the innovators reshaping our climate future. The article follows the story of Chiara D’Adamo, co-founder and COO of CarpeCarbon, and the idea that led to Italy’s first Direct Air Capture (DAC) company.
Chiara’s journey started in southern Italy, continued through the International Energy Agency in Paris, and brought her back to Italy with a mission: to act, not just analyze. For years, she worked on climate scenarios and advised policymakers—until she realized it was time to help build solutions.
That opportunity came when Giuliano Antoniciello, physicist and CEO of CarpeCarbon, reached out with a bold idea: a DAC system that doesn’t rely on electricity, but instead uses low-temperature heat, from solar energy and waste heat from industrial processes. Together with Federico Antoniciello, Giovanni Ulfo and Edoardo Monaco, they co-founded CarpeCarbon, the first and the only DAC company in Italy.
“It’s not just about reducing current emissions anymore. We have to remove the CO₂ that’s already in the atmosphere,” Chiara explains.
The article describes how CarpeCarbon’s technology captures CO₂ using a solid sorbent, which is later regenerated using low-grade heat—releasing pure CO₂ ready for permanent underground storage through natural mineralization in basaltic rocks.
StartupItalia also highlights CarpeCarbon’s growth: founded in late 2022, the company completed a €1.75M pre-seed round in 2023 and is now developing its pilot plant, set to launch in 2027, while raising a €5M seed round to scale up.
But beyond the tech, Chiara makes a strong point:
“For me, this is about justice. I had the privilege to study and understand what’s coming, and I can’t look away. It’s my responsibility to act – for those who can’t, and for future generations.”
We are happy and grateful that StartupItalia has chosen to share our project and our commitment, giving visibility to a technology that is fundamental to achieving climate neutrality.
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