Erica Nemser is CEO at Ardent, a Series A stage startup that's aiming to help drive industrial decarbonization by developing and selling membranes to perform point source carbon capture. 

Point source capture differs from direct air capture in that it's focused on concentrated greenhouse gas emissions coming right out of the flue of an industrial system, as opposed to direct air capture (DAC), which attempts to capture emissions from ambient air. Ardent, formerly Compact Membrane Systems, has been operating for 30 years, but its pivot to carbon capture and tech startup status is recent. 

In this episode, we discuss how Ardent’s technology stands out in the point source capture field, the industry's varied approaches to decarbonization, and how Erica’s leadership has guided the company's transformation.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [2:11] Rebranding from Compact Membrane Systems to Ardent
• [3:53] Ardent's membrane-based carbon capture solution and how it differs from other technologies 
• [6:29] Erica's background and how it has informed her leadership at Ardent
• [7:37] Ardent's go-to-market strategy of partnering for scale
• [12:15] The company's hypothesis around facilitated transport membranes 
• [13:05] An overview of Ardent's approach to industrial carbon capture 
• [18:01]: Ardent’s low-energy membrane systems for carbon capture
• [19:50]: Overview of Ardent’s membrane system setup
• [23:03]: Addressing concerns about prolonging fossil fuel use with carbon capture
• [25:11]: Erica’s perspective on diverse solutions for industrial heat
• [32:06]: “Carbon Capture as a Service” explained
• [37:20]: Agricultural sector's interest in carbon capture
• [45:51]: Ardent’s global presence and talent search

Episode recorded on Aug 1, 2024 (Published on Oct 17, 2024)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant