Alumni Ventures Invests in Mantel to Revolutionize Carbon Capture with Molten Salt

Mantel was founded in 2022 by Cameron Halliday, Danielle Rapson, and Sean Robertson as a spin out from the Hatton Research Group in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering. The same year, the company raised a $2 million seed round and joined the Breakthrough Energy Fellows Program.

Mantel is developing an innovative approach to carbon capture, focusing on reducing the traditionally high costs associated with this crucial technology. Mantel’s solution uses molten borates, the only high-temperature liquid-phase carbon capture material, to capture CO2 emissions at the source, operating at high temperatures typically found in industrial settings such as boilers, kilns, and furnaces. This breakthrough enables efficient CO2 capture while recovering high-grade heat, which offsets energy costs.

“Cost has been the main obstacle to widespread adoption of carbon capture technology,” explained Mantel Co-Founder and CEO Cameron Halliday, who recently discussed his company on AV’s Tech Optimist podcast. “Our mission is to finally provide that low-cost, energy-efficient carbon capture solution for hard-to-abate industrial sectors, including cement, steel, and chemical production.”

Mantel has already demonstrated the feasibility of its technology at lab scale, capturing half a ton of CO2 per day. This new Series A funding will be used to scale up operations, as the company prepares to launch a demonstration project capable of capturing 1,800 tons of CO2 per year — ten times larger than previous efforts — at an industrial site. Full-scale commercial deployment is expected to follow, with the ultimate goal of capturing billions of tons of CO2 annually.

“Mantel’s innovative approach can make carbon capture economically viable for a broad range of industries,” said AV Managing Partner Chris Sklarin, who hosted the conversation with Halliday on AV’s Tech Optimist podcast. “The environmental urgency demands fast deployment, and Mantel’s innovative solution offers a scalable, efficient path forward.”