Oman-founded ClimateTech company 44.01 has secured $11.7 million in carbon removal offtake agreements from US-based Frontier to remove and permanently store 20,932 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) between 2028 and 2031. The agreement represents a commercial milestone for the company as it prepares to expand its underground carbon mineralization technology beyond pilot projects.

The transaction marks Frontier’s first carbon removal purchase involving in-situ mineralization, a process that converts captured carbon dioxide into stable solid minerals through chemical reactions with naturally occurring underground rock formations.

Frontier facilitates carbon removal purchases on behalf of companies including Stripe, Google, Shopify, Autodesk, H&M Group and Workday. The latest agreements are intended to support 44.01’s transition from demonstration projects to continuous commercial operations over several years.

The project will also generate operational data on carbon injection rates, water consumption and storage costs, helping assess the technology’s potential for larger-scale deployment.

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44.01 Secures $11.7M Carbon Removal Agreements With Frontier

The $11.7 million agreement covers the planned removal and permanent underground storage of 20,932 metric tons of CO₂ between 2028 and 2031.

Unlike an equity investment or conventional funding round, the transaction is structured as a carbon removal offtake agreement, under which buyers contract for future carbon removal services. The arrangement provides a commercial pathway for 44.01 to deploy its technology and demonstrate its performance at a larger operational scale.

The purchase is Frontier’s first involving in-situ mineralization, making it an important test of whether the technology can support continuous carbon storage operations beyond smaller demonstration projects.

Talal Hasan, Chief Executive Officer of 44.01, described the agreement as a step toward commercial deployment following the company’s earlier technology demonstrations.

According to Hasan, the company’s priorities now include delivering carbon storage services at commercial scale, improving operational performance and reducing costs to make the technology accessible to more customers.

The agreements do not represent carbon dioxide that has already been removed. The contracted removal and storage activities are scheduled to take place between 2028 and 2031.

44.01 Develops Technology to Convert CO₂ Into Underground Minerals

44.01 develops carbon storage technology based on a natural geological process in which carbon dioxide reacts with certain rock formations to create stable minerals.

The company’s approach involves dissolving captured CO₂ in water and injecting the resulting solution into underground formations containing peridotite, a magnesium-rich rock capable of reacting with dissolved carbon dioxide.

During the mineralization process, the carbon reacts with minerals in the rock to form solid carbonates. This transformation stores the carbon in a stable mineral form rather than leaving it as a compressed gas within underground geological formations.

According to 44.01, the mineralization process can take approximately one to three years, depending on the geological and operating conditions.

The company aims to use this process to provide permanent carbon storage in locations with suitable reactive rock formations, potentially expanding the geographical options available for carbon removal projects.

The technology focuses on the storage stage of carbon removal. Its overall climate impact depends on the source of the captured CO₂, the emissions associated with capture and injection, and verification that the carbon has been permanently stored.

Frontier Makes First Purchase Using In-Situ Mineralization

The agreement represents Frontier’s first purchase involving in-situ mineralization, expanding the range of carbon storage technologies supported through its purchasing programme.

Frontier facilitates carbon removal purchases for companies seeking to support the development and deployment of durable carbon removal solutions. Its participating buyers include Stripe, Google, Shopify, Autodesk, H&M Group and Workday.

Google is among the companies supporting the agreement through Frontier. Ella Hughes, Technical Program Manager for Carbon Removal at Google, confirmed the company’s participation in advancing 44.01’s mineralization technology.

Hannah Bebbington Valori, Head of Frontier, highlighted the potential for in-situ mineralization to make permanent carbon storage possible in locations where conventional geological storage may be difficult or economically impractical.

Traditional geological storage generally involves compressing CO₂ and injecting it into deep underground formations capable of containing the gas over long periods. These projects require suitable geological structures and infrastructure for transporting, injecting and monitoring carbon dioxide.

In-situ mineralization offers a different approach by converting dissolved CO₂ into solid minerals within reactive rock formations.

Where suitable rocks are located close to carbon capture facilities, the process could reduce the need for long-distance CO₂ transportation infrastructure, including pipelines and shipping.

Oman Provides Geological Conditions for Carbon Mineralization

Oman is particularly relevant to 44.01’s technology because of its extensive peridotite formations, which provide geological conditions suitable for carbon mineralization.

These magnesium-rich rocks can react with dissolved carbon dioxide to form stable carbonate minerals, making them a potential resource for permanent underground carbon storage.

44.01 has already demonstrated its mineralization technology in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, establishing an initial operational foundation for further development.

The company identifies Oman as a location with the potential to provide additional carbon storage capacity, particularly where suitable rock formations are accessible near industrial facilities or carbon capture infrastructure.

This geological advantage could create opportunities to develop carbon storage projects without relying exclusively on conventional sedimentary formations used for compressed CO₂ storage.

However, the commercial feasibility of individual projects will depend on factors including geological characteristics, injection performance, water availability, infrastructure requirements and operating costs.

The Frontier-backed project is intended to provide additional evidence on these factors as 44.01 advances toward continuous operations.

44.01 Plans Continuous Carbon Storage Operations From 2028 to 2031

A central objective of the agreement is to move 44.01’s technology beyond short-duration pilot injections and demonstrate its ability to operate continuously over several years.

The project will focus on delivering contracted carbon removal volumes while collecting technical and operational data needed to assess larger-scale deployment.

Key performance measures will include the rate at which dissolved CO₂ can be injected into suitable rock formations, the amount of water required and the costs associated with operating the system.

These measurements will help determine whether the technology can maintain consistent performance under commercial operating conditions.

The company will also seek to improve its processes and reduce costs as it develops experience with longer-duration operations.

The findings could provide useful evidence for future carbon storage projects, particularly in regions where conventional geological storage options are limited.

44.01 Targets Permanent Carbon Storage for Hard-to-Abate Industries

44.01’s technology could also support the development of carbon management infrastructure for industries where reducing emissions remains technically challenging.

Sectors such as cement and steel production generate emissions that can be difficult to eliminate through electrification or renewable energy adoption alone. Carbon capture and permanent storage may therefore play a role in addressing some residual industrial emissions.

In locations where suitable reactive rocks are available near industrial facilities, mineralization could provide an alternative to transporting captured CO₂ over long distances for conventional geological storage.

However, storing captured industrial emissions prevents their release rather than removing previously emitted carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The distinction depends on where the CO₂ originates and is important when evaluating carbon removal claims.

The Frontier agreement specifically covers contracted carbon removal, while the underlying mineralization technology may also have applications in industrial carbon storage.

With $11.7 million in offtake agreements covering 20,932 metric tons of CO₂, 44.01 will focus on demonstrating whether its technology can deliver permanent storage reliably and economically over multiple years.

Successful execution could provide a foundation for future commercial projects and help establish in-situ mineralization as an additional option within the global carbon storage market.

Kuwaiti artificial intelligence startup TheQA has raised more than $550,000 in a Pre-Seed funding round backed by a local family office and strategic angel investors. The financing will support the company’s expansion in Kuwait and the development of its AI-powered market research and consumer analytics platform.

Launched in April 2025, TheQA provides businesses, marketing agencies and researchers with digital tools to create surveys, identify target audiences and collect consumer feedback. The platform uses artificial intelligence to simplify survey development and help organizations generate insights that support business decisions.

The startup has built a community of more than 20,000 verified survey participants and reported revenue growth in every quarter of 2026 to date. According to the company, its revenue is approaching twice the level recorded in January 2026, reflecting increasing demand for its market research services.

The new capital will support product development, improvements to data analysis capabilities and the introduction of additional tools designed to make consumer research more accessible to businesses operating in Kuwait.

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TheQA Secures Over $550K Pre-Seed Funding From Kuwaiti Investors

TheQA has secured more than $550,000 in Pre-Seed financing from a Kuwaiti family office and a group of strategic angel investors.

The investment will help the startup strengthen its technology infrastructure, develop additional market research capabilities and expand its commercial activities within Kuwait.

The company plans to use the funding to improve the efficiency of survey creation, audience targeting and consumer data analysis, allowing businesses to conduct research with fewer manual processes.

The financing follows TheQA’s early growth since launching in April 2025, including the development of a verified participant community and increasing revenue throughout 2026.

The startup has not disclosed its valuation, the identities of the participating investors or the individual amounts contributed to the round.

TheQA Develops AI-Powered Market Research Platform

TheQA operates a digital market research platform designed to help businesses understand consumer preferences, evaluate products and assess brand perceptions.

Its services allow companies, agencies and researchers to develop surveys, select relevant target audiences and collect feedback from consumers across Kuwait.

The platform uses artificial intelligence to assist with survey creation, helping users translate research objectives into structured questions that can be distributed to selected participant groups.

This approach is intended to reduce the time and effort involved in preparing market research studies, particularly for organizations without dedicated research teams.

Businesses can use the platform to investigate customer preferences, measure perceptions of existing products and services, or assess potential demand for new offerings.

By combining survey development, participant targeting and data collection within a single system, TheQA aims to simplify the process of obtaining consumer insights and incorporating them into business planning.

TheQA Builds Community of Over 20,000 Verified Survey Participants

Since launching in April 2025, TheQA has developed a community of more than 20,000 verified survey participants in Kuwait.

The participant network provides a foundation for the company’s research services, allowing businesses to reach consumers and gather feedback on products, brands and purchasing preferences.

For market research platforms, access to relevant respondents is an important component of delivering useful insights. TheQA aims to address this requirement by maintaining a verified participant community that can be used for different research projects.

The company’s growth in participant numbers has accompanied an increase in commercial activity. According to TheQA, revenue has grown in every quarter of 2026 reported so far, with its latest revenue approaching twice the level recorded in January.

Although the startup has disclosed these growth indicators, it has not provided absolute revenue figures, customer numbers or profitability metrics.

TheQA plans to build on its existing participant base as it expands its services and develops more advanced research capabilities.

TheQA Founders Aim to Simplify Consumer Research for Businesses

TheQA was co-founded by Ahmed Al Ibrahim, who serves as Chief Executive Officer, and Hussein Al Nashaba, the company’s Chief Technology Officer.

Al Ibrahim explained that the startup was established to address the challenges businesses face when attempting to understand their customers through conventional market research methods.

Traditional consumer research can require significant time, resources and coordination, particularly when organizations need to develop surveys, recruit suitable participants and analyze the resulting information.

According to Al Ibrahim, reaching more than 20,000 verified participants within a relatively short period reinforced the company’s confidence in demand for its services.

He added that the new funding would help TheQA strengthen its capabilities and make consumer insights more accessible to businesses throughout Kuwait.

Al Nashaba emphasized the company’s focus on simplifying the entire research process, from developing appropriate questions and identifying target audiences to interpreting results.

The founders aim to provide businesses with tools that make market research easier to conduct while improving the usefulness of the information collected.

TheQA Plans to Enhance AI Capabilities and Data Analysis Tools

The new investment will support further development of TheQA’s AI-powered research platform, with a focus on improving survey creation, data analysis and the interpretation of consumer feedback.

The company intends to introduce additional capabilities that help users move more efficiently from defining research objectives to collecting and analyzing responses.

AI will remain an important component of the platform’s development, particularly in areas where automation can reduce repetitive tasks and simplify research workflows.

TheQA also plans to improve its data analysis tools to help businesses identify patterns in consumer feedback and translate research findings into practical insights.

According to Al Nashaba, the company is focused on applying artificial intelligence where it can provide measurable value to users rather than introducing automation without a clear purpose.

The startup expects these improvements to strengthen its offering for businesses, agencies and researchers seeking more efficient ways to understand consumer behavior.

TheQA Targets Growing Demand for Consumer Insights in Kuwait

TheQA operates in a market where businesses increasingly rely on consumer feedback and data analysis to inform product development, marketing strategies and customer engagement.

Companies seeking to launch new products or evaluate existing services often need access to reliable information about customer preferences, purchasing behavior and brand perceptions.

However, conducting research can be resource-intensive, particularly for smaller businesses that may lack dedicated market research capabilities.

TheQA aims to address these challenges through a digital platform that combines AI-assisted survey development, access to verified respondents and consumer data analysis.

With more than $550,000 in new Pre-Seed funding, the startup plans to strengthen its technology, expand its operations in Kuwait and introduce additional research capabilities.

Building on its community of more than 20,000 verified participants and reported revenue growth during 2026, TheQA intends to make market research more accessible and help businesses incorporate consumer insights into their decision-making processes.