This series highlights the companies Carbon Drawdown Initiative has invested in.

Closing the Carbon Storage Gap

Removing carbon is only half the battle. The other half is storing it permanently and safely. That’s where Cella comes in.

Founded in 2022 by Corey Pattison and Dr. Claire Nelson, Cella focuses on one of the biggest bottlenecks in carbon removal: permanent storage. Claire developed a novel CO₂ injection approach during her postdoc studies at Columbia University, designed to accelerate mineralization in volcanic rocks.

Together, she and Corey formed Cella to bring this science into the field. The company has since grown into a 10-person team backed by world-class advisors.

What They’re Building

Cella’s core technology accelerates the natural process of carbon mineralization. By injecting captured CO₂ into volcanic rock formations, they trigger a chemical reaction that permanently transforms the gas into stable carbonate minerals.

Key elements of their approach:

Untapped geology: Volcanic rocks are abundant worldwide, yet underutilized for CO₂ storage. Cella is pioneering methods to safely unlock this potential.
Novel injection method: Optimized for efficiency and scalability, developed out of cutting-edge research at Columbia University.
Digital tools: Software to model injection outcomes and monitor safety, ensuring projects are both verifiable and repeatable.

This mix of field deployment and digital infrastructure positions Cella to move mineralization beyond the lab and into global practice.

The Work So Far

Kenya pilot: In spring 2025, Cella partnered with Sirona Technologies to launch its first project, Africa’s first mineralization plant.
Local leadership: Project Manager Anastasia Wanjohi brings deep geothermal experience to daily site operations.
Software support: In the US, Danica Barron is building digital tools to ensure mineralization can scale safely and efficiently.
Expert guidance: Advisors include pioneers like Dr. Eric Oelkers (co-founder and co-director of the CarbFix project), Dr. David Goldberg (Columbia University), Dr. Peter McGrail (former PNNL scientist), and Dr. Vik Rao (former CTO of Halliburton).

Together, this mix of local expertise, global science, and digital infrastructure is shaping Cella’s approach to scaling mineralization.

Looking Ahead

Cella’s immediate milestone is achieving its first CO₂ injection by the end of 2025, proving their approach in the field. Beyond that, the team is:

Looking to expand the Kenyan pilot into a multi-well demonstration site to validate scale-up potential.
Building long-term partnerships with local communities, geothermal operators, and universities to ensure shared benefits.
Developing a replicable playbook for mineralization projects that could be applied to volcanic regions across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

In short, 2025 is about proof; the years ahead are about scale.

Why It Matters

Carbon removal only works if storage is safe, permanent, and scalable. Current options are limited. Forests can burn, soils can re-release SOC carbon, and underground storage sites often raise questions of monitoring and leakage.

Mineralization, by contrast, offers:

Geological permanence: once carbon becomes stone, it stays there for millions of years.
Global abundance: volcanic rock formations exist on every continent, representing vast untapped storage capacity.
Trust and verification: the chemistry is clear and measurable, making MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) straightforward.

If successful, Cella can transform carbon storage from a constraint into a scalable backbone for the entire carbon removal industry.

Why We’re Backing Cella

At Carbon Drawdown Initiative, we look for founders who combine scientific insight with the will to build in the real world. Cella checks those boxes:

Claire’s breakthrough research is now being tested in the field.
Corey’s experience in global infrastructure ensures the company can navigate the complexity of scaling.
The Kenyan team shows how carbon storage projects can be locally led, globally significant, and community aligned.

We’re backing Cella because they’re tackling the toughest part of carbon removal — the permanence problem — with rigor, ambition, and a plan to scale.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cellamineralstorage.com/.

Portfolio Spotlight: Cella - Underground Carbon Storage