Development Bank of Japan and Chiyoda invest in scaling Heirloom’s low-cost Direct Air Capture technology

We’re excited to share that the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) and Chiyoda Corporation have invested in Heirloom, strengthening our partnerships to scale low-cost Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology that can deliver permanent carbon removal and feedstock for the low-carbon fuels of the future.

These investments build on earlier commitments,  including from Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co., MOL Switch, and Japan Airlines (JAL), further deepening our collaboration with Japan’s trading companies, industrial, and transport sectors to deliver DAC-produced credits and fuels into the rapidly growing global carbon marketplace.

A platform for low-carbon fuels and long-term storage

Direct Air Capture provides a limitless, high-purity CO₂ supply that can be permanently stored or used as an input for low-carbon fuels such as e-kerosene, e-methanol, and e-diesel, enabling sectors like shipping and aviation to decarbonize affordably.

Japan’s government and industry are taking significant steps to incorporate Direct Air Capture removals and fuels into their national decarbonization strategies. Under the new GX Emissions Trading Scheme (GX-ETS), engineered removals such as DAC are eligible to generate verified credits that regulated Japanese corporations can use to meet part of their compliance obligations — balancing affordability with climate integrity.

DBJ: Investing in scalable climate infrastructure

DBJ has a long history of supporting technologies that underpin Japan’s industrial and energy economies. Its investment in Heirloom is among the earliest by a national financial institution in Direct Air Capture, signaling that carbon removal is becoming core infrastructure for a decarbonized economy.

DBJ’s participation brings publicly backed capital to a sector moving from demonstration to large-scale commercial deployment. It also strengthens the bridge between global project development and Japan’s emerging carbon markets, creating opportunities for both durable carbon removal and the utilization of captured CO₂ in low-carbon fuels and materials.

Chiyoda: engineering for deployment

Chiyoda Corporation, one of Japan’s leading engineering and construction firms, brings extensive experience in CO₂ recovery, capture, and utilization systems. The company is committed to the realization of a ‘Society with Reduced Environmental Impact’, one of the targets redefined as Chiyoda's 'Materiality'.

Chiyoda’s investment in Heirloom reflects a shared commitment to applying world-class engineering expertise to accelerate the deployment of Direct Air Capture systems that can integrate seamlessly with industrial and energy infrastructure around the world.

Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in Direct Air Capture

Heirloom is continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in Direct Air Capture, from accelerating the natural carbon mineralization process to designing systems that integrate seamlessly into the carbon ecosystem. By working alongside global partners across engineering, energy and finance, we’re transforming carbon removal from a promising innovation into a deployable, scalable solution.

Watch this space, we’ll have more to share soon on how we’re advancing the technology and partnerships needed to deliver low-cost, permanent carbon removal at the gigaton scale our climate goals demand.

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