Agora Energy Technologies

From CO2 to power: One-step carbon capture and conversion for clean electricity generation
Sector: Energy
Technology: Battery + Energy Storage
NorthX Backing: $433,746
Project Value: $1,971,573
Project Status: Active

Founded in 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia by Dr. Christina Gyenge, Dr. Előd Gyenge, and Connie Linder, Agora Energy Technologies is advancing carbon circularity through proprietary CO₂-to-power electrochemical systems. Agora’s ground-breaking innovations have earned national and international recognition. They are the recipients of the Keeling Curve Prize for Capture & Utilization, grand winners in the Hello Tomorrow Global DeepTech Challenge, and has been named among Foresight Canada’s Top 50 Most Investable Cleantech Ventures.

The Problem

Carbon emissions from industrial sources are a key driver of climate change. Yet reducing these emissions while maintaining reliable energy supply poses a major challenge. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies offer one promising solution. The global CCUS market was valued at $3 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow 24% annually. To address energy reliability and renewable integration, grid-scale energy storage systems are being rapidly adopted. This latter sector was valued at $40 billion in 2024 and has a 24 % annual growth rate. Despite their potential, these two sectors often develop in silos – reducing efficiency, increasing costs, and limiting their overall impact. Integrating and scaling them together could have a transformative impact on the planet and the lives of future generations.

The Solution

Agora Energy Technologies is pioneering an electrochemical system that integrates carbon capture and conversion into a single platform. This technology transforms CO₂ into high-energy density chemicals and hydrogen, supporting clean electricity generation through fuel cells and beyond. By combining capture and conversion, the technology streamlines operations, reduces infrastructure complexity, and opens profitable opportunities for industrial emitters. Repurposing carbon waste to produce highly coveted electricity via direct air or point-source applications positions this approach as a scalable solution for decarbonizing energy with the potential of an economic upside for companies that adopt it.

NorthX funding supports the developmental steps of a pilot for carbon capture and conversion system. Once scaled, this technology has the potential to decarbonize heavy carbon industrial emitters across the cement, steel, petrochemical, ammonia industries, and coal-fired power plants.

Such projects are capital-intensive, and the financial support from NorthX will enable Agora to accelerate commercial deployment.

“Our project has the ambitious goal of providing scalable solutions for decarbonizing heavy industrial sectors. Our novel one-step CO2 capture and conversion process has the potential to tip the balance of CO2 mitigation from a financial liability scenario to a profitable one. NorthX funding plays a significant role in the growth of the company and in accelerating a made in BC technology adoption.”
Christina Gyenge, CEO, Agora Energy Technologies
Agora Energy Technologies

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