Key Takeaways
- UNDO received a $5 million award from the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition for its enhanced rock weathering (ERW) solution.
- The project, based in Ontario, Canada, removed 1,209 tonnes of CO₂, verified by independent third parties.
- The ERW process improves soil health while permanently removing atmospheric CO₂, offering agronomic co-benefits.
- UNDO partners with Canadian Wollastonite and provides mineral-rich crushed rock to farmers at no cost.
- The company is backed by commercial partners including Microsoft, British Airways, and McLaren Racing.
UNDO Recognized by XPRIZE for Carbon Removal Work in Canada
UNDO, a carbon removal company focused on enhanced rock weathering (ERW), has been awarded $5 million in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. The award recognizes the company’s ERW initiative in Ontario, Canada, where it removed over 1,200 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere as part of the competition’s final challenge.
The XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition is a four-year, $100 million global initiative funded by the Musk Foundation, aimed at incentivizing scalable solutions that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and oceans. Twenty finalists were asked to demonstrate the ability to remove more than 1,000 net tonnes of CO₂. UNDO’s verified total was 1,209 tonnes.
Jim Mann, Founder and CEO at UNDO, said: “Being an XPRIZE winner is a powerful validation – not just of UNDO’s scientific rigour and massively scalable operational model, but of the incredible team and agricultural communities behind it all. In a field of truly impressive innovators, this recognition highlights the enormous achievement of taking enhanced rock weathering from the lab and into the real world. It’s an honour to be part of this winning cohort, united in our mission of creating a livable planet for future generations.”
UNDO’s Enhanced Rock Weathering Project in Ontario
Partnering with Canadian Wollastonite and Local Farmers
UNDO’s ERW project involves accelerating the natural weathering of silicate rocks to remove atmospheric CO₂. In Canada, the company works with Canadian Wollastonite, a mining firm that supplies mineral-rich crushed rock. The material is distributed to local farmers at no cost, offering additional agricultural benefits such as improved soil pH, crop resilience, and pest resistance.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that ERW, if scaled globally, could remove up to 4 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually—representing a substantial share of global climate targets.
Commercial Partnerships and Scaling Potential
UNDO reports that it is building partnerships with companies including Microsoft, British Airways, and McLaren Racing. These collaborations are part of the company’s broader effort to scale its ERW solution toward gigatonne-level operations.
The award will support UNDO’s research and development initiatives, with the aim of reducing the cost of carbon removal and broadening accessibility. According to UNDO, this funding will assist in transitioning ERW from scientific research into widespread, field-based deployment.
