Point Source Carbon Capture with Ardent’s Membrane Solutions

Oct 17, 2024

Erica Nemser, CEO of Ardent, leads a pioneering company focused on industrial decarbonization through innovative membrane technology for carbon capture. She shares insights on the transition from their previous identity as Compact Membrane Systems and discusses the unique advantages of facilitated transport membranes over traditional methods. Erica emphasizes the importance of partnerships for scaling their solutions and tackles the challenges of integrating carbon capture in heavy industries, exploring the balance between fossil fuel use and sustainable practices.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Rebranding for a Sustainable Future

01:36 • 11min

Innovative Carbon Capture Solutions

12:15 • 8min

Carbon Capture Technologies and Historical Emissions Control

20:25 • 2min

Navigating Carbon Capture Challenges

22:43 • 17min

Navigating New Markets: Leadership and Innovation

39:35 • 6min

Navigating Growth in Carbon Capture and Talent Acquisition

45:17 • 2min

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