Kenya’s position as a global hub for carbon removal technologies received fresh international recognition this week after three companies operating in the country were selected for Tencent’s CarbonX Program 2.0, a climate initiative distributing nearly $30 million to support breakthrough technologies tackling climate change.
The announcement was made on 24 June during London Climate Action Week at an event co-hosted by Tencent and TED at the London Science Museum. Out of 660 applications from 54 countries, only 16 teams were selected, with three of the winners operating in Kenya.
The selection is another sign of Kenya’s growing importance in the global carbon removal industry and could help attract more investment, technical expertise and partnerships to the country’s emerging climate technology sector. Tencent has also confirmed that its carbon dioxide removal pilots under the programme will take place in Kenya.
Building Kenya’s Climate Innovation Ecosystem
The three selected companies represent different approaches to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but all have operations in Kenya.
Nairobi-based Octavia Carbon is developing direct air capture technology that removes carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and stores it underground. The company operates Project Hummingbird in Kenya’s Rift Valley and is targeting the removal of around 1,000 net tonnes of carbon dioxide annually by the end of 2026 through its modular facilities.
The company employs more than 70 people, most of them based in Kenya, and relies entirely on geothermal energy, giving it a potential cost advantage compared to similar projects in other markets. The new support from Tencent is expected to accelerate the expansion of Project Hummingbird and strengthen access to global research and corporate networks.
Working alongside Octavia is Cella Mineral Storage, a company focused on the permanent storage of captured carbon. Its technology converts carbon dioxide into stable rock formations by injecting it into volcanic basalt underground.
Earlier this year, Octavia and Cella successfully completed an injection test at their Elementaita site, making Kenya one of only a few countries in the world to demonstrate permanent underground storage of carbon captured directly from the atmosphere.
Supporting Innovation and Agricultural Growth
The third Kenyan winner, Flux, is pursuing a different method known as enhanced rock weathering. The company spreads crushed basalt on agricultural land, where it naturally removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while improving soil health.
Field trials in western Kenya have shown an average increase of 71 percent in crop yields, creating benefits not only for climate action but also for farmers and agricultural productivity. The company funds its operations through the sale of carbon credits and has already completed Africa’s first commercial sale of enhanced rock weathering carbon removal credits.
Under CarbonX 2.0, Flux will receive tailored support focused on measurement, reporting and verification systems and carbon credit procurement commitments. This support addresses one of the biggest challenges facing the sector by helping companies accurately measure the amount of carbon removed.
The success of the three companies points to something larger than individual achievements. Kenya has quickly developed into one of the world’s leading centres for engineered carbon removal, supported by favourable geology, abundant renewable energy and an increasingly supportive policy environment.
While challenges remain around scaling technologies and lowering costs, Tencent’s backing signals growing international confidence in Kenya’s ability to build a globally competitive carbon removal industry and become a key player in the future of climate innovation.
