Earthshot Prize-winner 44.01 is pioneering a breakthrough in permanent carbon storage. Their technology eliminates CO₂ by turning it into rock. The company was The Earthshot Prize winner in 2022 and subsequently received venture capital funding from Future Planet Capital. Earthshot and FPC are working together to support the company to scale its technology and expand internationally.
The Earthshot Prize was created to discover, spotlight, and accelerate the most promising solutions to the planet’s greatest environmental challenges. Each year, five winners receive not only prize funding, but also tailored support through the Earthshot Fellowship Programme - connecting them with experts, partners, policymakers, and investors to turn bold ideas into scalable, lasting change.
For investors, Earthshot acts as both a credibility filter and a growth catalyst. By the time a company becomes an Earthshot winner, it has already been rigorously vetted for technological viability, impact potential, and execution capability - significantly de-risking early engagement.
Future Planet Capital (FPC) is a global venture capital firm, based in the UK, investing in companies that deliver both impact and financial returns. Operating across global, national, and regional mandates, FPC manages and advises over $460 million. These mandates are unified by a common thesis: to back high-growth companies emerging from leading universities, public R&D clusters, and regional ecosystems. FPC tracks companies from inception to exit, with its funds often engaging early, providing catalytic capital, strategic support, and governance, as well as investing once market readiness is achieved.
Through this work, FPC has been an active member of the Earthshot Nominator community. This global network of trusted organisations, experts, and leaders supports FPC to identify some of the most promising environmental solutions worldwide. Beyond nominations, the community provides early guidance, mentorship, and introductions, helping innovators prepare for Earthshot’s rigorous selection process.
One such innovator is 44.01, a company on a mission to permanently eliminate CO₂ by mineralising it – or turning it into rock. 44.01’s technology accelerates a natural process to convert CO2 into stable carbonate minerals, safely and rapidly locking away the carbon dioxide forever.
FPC had known Talal Hasan, 44.01’s CEO and co-founder, for a number of years and had been following the company’s extraordinary progress. The team at FPC had been considering an investment into 44.01 when, in December 2022, the company was announced as an Earthshot Prize winner - a milestone that marked a step-change in 44.01’s trajectory.
For 44.01, the Earthshot Prize’s impact went far beyond funding. The award provided direct financial support, increased credibility and strategic connections. This combination of resources, reputation, and relationships helped accelerate 44.01’s technology development and reinforced the company’s appeal as a strong candidate for institutional investment.
The Earthshot platform bridges the gap between innovation and investment readiness. For companies like 44.01, it provides visibility, partnerships, and proof points needed to attract serious capital. For investors such as FPC, it serves as a reliable signal of quality, maturity, and impact potential - helping them back the right solutions at the right time – and allowing them to build on the support initiated by the Prize.
Since winning the Earthshot Prize, 44.01 has continued its journey to scale. In 2023, the company expanded from Oman into the UAE, where it completed the world’s first seawater-based CO₂ injection into peridotite, a major technical breakthrough. In 2024, the company raised a $42m Series A funding round, led by Equinor Ventures. And in 2025, 44.01 was announced as one of the winners of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal Award for its groundbreaking Project Hajar. These milestones mark a significant step toward commercial deployment and underscore 44.01’s role as a global leader in carbon mineralisation.
Talal Hassan, Founder and CEO of 44.01, commented:
“Winning the Earthshot Prize was a huge moment for 44.01. It gave us resources, credibility, and connections to help accelerate our scale-up and expand internationally. Future Planet Capital’s investment built on that momentum, bringing a shared vision for scalable, cost-effective climate solutions. Together, we’re moving faster towards our goal of eliminating CO₂ safely and permanently.”
Ed Phillips, Managing Director at FPC, added:
“44.01’s technology addresses one of the most pressing challenges of our time - how to permanently remove CO₂ at scale, without billions of dollars of infrastructure. We were impressed by the team’s ambitious vision, and ability to execute. Winning the Earthshot Prize helped validate their approach on a global stage, opening doors to partnerships that will help them scale even faster. For us, it was a powerful signal that 44.01 had both the innovation and the momentum to make a lasting difference.”
Louisa Tholstrup, Head of Investment Portfolio at The Earthshot Prize said:
"We’re immensely proud of 44.01 and the remarkable progress they’ve achieved. Their rapid scaling and growing impact are a testament to Talal’s exceptional leadership and to what’s possible when optimism and urgency come together to drive climate action. We’re equally delighted to work with partners like Future Planet Capital, who share our mission and continue to champion groundbreaking solutions making a real difference in the world."