London, 30 June 2023.- AIRMO, an American start-up providing close to real-time data on CH4 and CO2 emissions, announced its pre-seed round of €5.2 million. The round consists of money from investors as well as a €3.7 million contract by the European Space Agency through its InCubed co-funding program run by the ESA Φ-lab. This pre-seed round will enable AIRMO to launch its first of twelve satellites into orbit.
AIRMO aims to revolutionise transparency on the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane. By monitoring our greenhouse gas emissions it will be easier to act to reduce them.
The bird’s eye view provided by AIRMO’s satellites will make it easier for companies to monitor GHG emissions in various and remote locations. They will be able to detect small leaks, which will enable timely detection and repair of leakages. With a resolution down to the facility level, there will be exact and reliable allocation of emissions to its source. Spectrometer-based measurements will be complemented with LiDAR technology to deliver accurate and near real-time data.
“ESA has been supporting Earth Observation efforts as part of the green deal to tackle climate change in order to reduce the impact we have on our planet,” said Michele Castorina, Head of Phi-lab invest office. “As part of this agenda, and to inform policies, what AIRMO is attempting will be a disruptive approach to facilitate efficient monitoring in support of meeting emission goals and detect unnoticed leakages.”
AIRMO aims to detect every super-emitter, particularly in the Oil and Gas industry, by 2030. AIRMO is an official partner of the ‘Aiming for net zero methane emissions’ initiative of OGCI (Oil & Gas Initiative).
