Living Carbon

Living Carbon is a climate biotechnology and reforestation company that combines precision tree breeding with reforestation on degraded land in the United States. Its early technical work focused on photosynthesis-enhanced trees: a first product was a hybrid poplar with enhanced photosynthesis, faster growth than control seedlings and high temperature tolerance, and the company published a white paper stating that a photosynthesis-enhancing genetic trait improved biomass accumulation in plants by up to 53%, corresponding to roughly 27% more carbon captured. The company has also been developing a trait allowing plants to accumulate higher levels of metals in their roots to slow decomposition, extend carbon storage life, produce more durable wood, and support treatment of toxic soils [6].

The current commercial offering spans three areas presented on the company website: land partnerships with landowners, carbon removal for corporations, and custom-grown biomass feedstock. The forestry team specializes in restoring abandoned mineland and degraded agricultural land, conducting site preparation and planting mixed native species. For corporate buyers, Living Carbon sells carbon credits and designs bespoke reforestation projects within customer supply chains, describing its US projects as offering additionality, limited leakage and co-benefits such as soil health and biodiversity. On the biomass side, it is developing fast-growing poplar trees that accumulate more biomass than other lines, offered as feedstock sited near a partner's processing facility or supply chain [0][3][4].

Named projects include a reforestation project on former agricultural land in Ohio spanning five sites previously used for corn and soy production, to be converted to large-scale mixed native forest, and reforestation of former mineland in West Virginia, including a site that was a surface mine for over 30 years and was revegetated largely with invasive species [3]. Earlier reporting described carbon project development with landowners in Pennsylvania and Georgia [6].

Business model

Living Carbon develops reforestation projects on third-party land and monetizes the resulting carbon removal. Landowners retain ownership and property access while Living Carbon pays for seedlings, site design, site preparation, planting labor and documentation such as forest management plans and carbon data collection, and guarantees annual payments per acre to the landowner. Living Carbon then sells the carbon removal to corporations, either as credits from its own projects or through bespoke projects designed within a corporate customer's supply chain. A separate line supplies custom-grown biomass feedstock from fast-growing poplar sited near a partner's processing facility [0][3][4].

Revenue comes from sales of carbon removal credits and offtake agreements with corporate buyers (for example agreements announced with Microsoft, Symbiosis and Octopus Energy Generation), bespoke custom carbon project development, and biomass feedstock supply partnerships [0][3][5].

Traction

By January 2023 the company said new funding would allow production of 4-5 million photosynthesis-enhanced seedlings for large-scale planting, with a stated goal of doubling planted area each year; press coverage cited plans to plant 4 million trees in the US in 2023. Subsequent announcements include an April 2025 agreement with Microsoft for 1.4 million tonnes of carbon removal from reforestation of former mine lands in Appalachia, carbon offtake agreements with Symbiosis announced March 2026, and a $500 million deal with Octopus Energy Generation announced April 2026. The about page lists roughly 20 named team members across research, forestry, carbon and finance functions [0][2][5][6].

Latest developments

On 30 April 2026 Living Carbon announced a $500 million deal with Octopus Energy Generation to restore degraded land and remove CO2, accompanied by press coverage of Octopus Energy entering the carbon credit business. On 30 March 2026 it announced new carbon offtake agreements with Symbiosis. A March 2026 blog post discusses lessons from building the company. The website is enrolling landowners for reforestation and advertising open positions [0][2][5].