CREW Carbon Raises $25M to Scale Wastewater Treatment and Carbon Removal

A Brooklyn-based water technology company just closed a $25M Series A to expand a solution that does two things at once: helps wastewater utilities lower their operating costs and permanently removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

CREW Carbon announced the oversubscribed round led by Burnt Island Ventures, with participation from AP Ventures, Sony Innovation Fund, Builders Vision, Kibo Invest, Idemitsu Ventures, and New York Ventures, among others. The raise includes $19M in equity and $6M in grants and non-dilutive capital.

The Problem CREW Is Solving

Wastewater treatment costs have doubled over the last 20 years. Utilities are dealing with tighter regulations, aging infrastructure, and higher treatment volumes, all at the same time. Most solutions require massive capital investments that utilities can't afford.

CREW takes a different approach. Its patented technology integrates into existing treatment processes using strategically sourced alkaline minerals, primarily calcium carbonate, to optimize pH and alkalinity conditions inside the facility. The result is better biological performance, improved settleability, and reduced reliance on expensive chemicals.

Utilities see measurable results in weeks, not years, without rebuilding their infrastructure. One utility is now considering deferring $350 million in planned capital upgrades after deploying CREW's technology.

Carbon Removal as a Byproduct

The same process that improves treatment performance also permanently locks away CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. CREW has built its own measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) capabilities to quantify the removal with high confidence, which matters to corporate carbon credit buyers who are moving away from low-quality offsets.

CREW has secured more than $33M in carbon removal offtake agreements with buyers including JP Morgan, Google, Autodesk, and Stripe through the Frontier carbon removal procurement program. These are long-term contracts, not spot market transactions.

Traction Since Commercial Launch

CREW launched commercial operations in 2024 and has moved quickly.

• Deployed at nearly 10 wastewater treatment facilities across the U.S. and Europe

• Captured more than 2,000 tons of CO2, faster and at lower cost than competing carbon removal suppliers

• Won a $2.3M award from the Colorado Energy Office through the state's Clean Air Program

• Secured long-term RFPs with utilities across the U.S.

The company is also building an analytics platform to give wastewater facility operators real-time insights and process optimization capabilities.

Source: Crew Carbon

What the Investors Are Saying

Tom Ferguson at Burnt Island Ventures called CREW's carbon measurement approach "highly differentiated in the crediting market," noting that buyers can verify exactly what they're paying for. AP Ventures managing partner Andrew Hinkly pointed to CREW's "high-quality low-cost approach" and clear go-to-market strategy as key reasons for the investment.

Sony Innovation Fund framed its participation around CREW's ability to integrate carbon capture into existing industrial infrastructure at scale, without requiring new permitting or federal funding support.

What's Next

CREW plans to use the capital to expand to more wastewater utilities and grow its team. Priority hires for 2026 include a Head of Wastewater Process and Technology, a Technology Team Manager, a Supply Chain and Logistics Manager, and a Business Development Manager focused on wastewater.

Open roles are listed at crewcarbon.com/careers.