Berlin Startup Ucaneo Wins VORSPRUNG 2026 Award
The electrochemical CO₂ removal company is already building its second plant and targeting costs below €100 per ton. © Ucaneo
Berlin-based Ucaneo Biotech has been named one of six winners of the VORSPRUNG 2026 business award, one of Germany's most respected prizes for innovative companies from eastern Germany. Elisabeth Kaiser, State Minister and Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, presented the award at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin.
According to the company's press release, Ucaneo was recognized for its electrochemical Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology that removes CO₂ directly from ambient air. The approach is inspired by the human lung: air passes through a biomimetic solvent where CO₂ is captured in a stable bicarbonate form, then released via electrodialysis into a stream of high-purity gas, all at room temperature and without energy-intensive heating.
Founded in 2022 by Carla Glassl and Florian Tiller, the startup has grown to around 30 employees from more than ten countries. An industrial pilot launched in 2025, and the first full-scale plant is set to open in Berlin-Marzahn this July. Costs are already below €300 per ton, with a validated roadmap to under €100 per ton.
CTO and co-founder Glassl welcomed the timing of the award: "DAC is now being recognized as a real industry, not just a research promise. Germany has what it takes to shape this sector."
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