Episode 55 is with Will Kain, Founder & CEO of Avnos
In this episode, Na’im speaks with Will Kain about the advancement and commercialization of hybrid direct air capture (HDAC) technology at Avnos. The conversation also covers Will’s journey into the climate tech space, the unique hybrid DAC approach and the resource-efficient and cost-effective benefits of HDAC, as well as the challenges of scaling DAC technologies and the role of supportive policy regimes.
In this episode, Na’im and Will discuss:
Will’s journey in carbon removal
Avnos’ approach to Direct Air Capture Technology
Avnos’ latest project, Brighton, and future plans
The importance of partnership and policy support
Challenges and opportunities in scaling DAC
Relevant Links:
Avnos HDAC Technology - Explainer - Youtube
Avnos’ Demonstration Unit in Bridgewater, NJ - News
About Will Kain:
Will is the Founder & CEO of Avnos, bringing nearly a decade of leadership experience across early-stage cleantech companies. He previously launched Rusheen Capital Management and served as VP of Corporate Development at NanoH2O, a global desalination tech company. Will began his career at UBS Investment Bank and holds a BA in Economics and Government from the University of Virginia.
About Avnos:
Avnos is commercializing a unique approach to direct air capture – Hybrid Direct Air Capture (HDAC™) – which removes CO2 from the air, while producing water and requiring no external heat. The result is a resource-efficient, geographically flexible, and cost-effective approach to DAC. Avnos’ approach has been awarded multi-million-dollar projects from the U.S. Department of Energy and has backing from the U.S. Office of Naval Research to pilot DAC-sourced CO2 for e-fuels production.
This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.
This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.
Na’im Merchant is the co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, a policy initiative focused on scaling carbon removal in Canada. He is on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. Every two weeks, Na’im will release a short interview with individuals advancing the policies, technologies, and collective action needed to scale up carbon removal around the world.
Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.
