Tasteful Innovation

Air Company started when Dr. Stafford Sheehan—Staff, as he’s known to the team—and Gregory Constantine met over drinks in Israel. Both men were on the Forbes Top 30 Under 30 list and had been exploring innovative new techniques for carbon capture. Together, they had an idea and a plan: they would create a company that made vodka from carbon dioxide (CO₂).

They’d already been experimenting with technology and only needed a way to grow their capability and transition it into a consumer product. The two scientists built a team and entered the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition, where they had access to support and facilities that could help them grow their concept—exponentially.

With the resources in place and a clear plan, they got to work. Their technology transforms CO₂ into impurity-free alcohols, which can be used in everything from spirits and fragrances to cleaning products and carbon-neutral fuel. The technology behind their incredibly useful products uses air, water and sunlight as inputs. The process generates electricity from sunlight using solar panels (which also powers their patent-pending electrochemical reactor). This system breaks apart the captured CO₂, along with water, over their proprietary catalysts and reforms them to produce alcohol—with pure oxygen as the only by-product. Now that technology deserves a toast!

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