Leipzig's Startup enaDyne Transforms CO2 into Useful Stuff
Stealing the spotlight from climate baddie, CO2, as your new best pal
Leipzig-based tech firm, enaDyne, transforms carbon dioxide into beneficial products.
June 17, 2025, 5:28 pm
In the blazing hot discussions about climate change, CO2 often takes center stage as one of the main culprits. But what if we could flip the script and make this infamous gas our new best buddy? A slick startup based in Leipzig has cracked the code on turning the atmospheric antagonist into a stack of useful substances—fuels, plastics, and cosmetics, to name a few.
By Robert Roensch
The concept of converting CO2 into hydrocarbons via the addition of hydrogen isn't exactly brand new. We've been churning out methanol (a fuel or chemical powerhouse), ethylene (the building block for countless plastics), formaldehyde (known for its use in household goods), or simply synthesis gas (a multifunctional raw material) this way for years. What makes these end products special is that they're made from "recycled" CO2 and replace conventional fossil fuels.
But the process used in the chemical industry is intricate, heavy on infrastructure, and requires mind-numbingly high temperatures. Instead, enaDyne opts for a nifty, space-saving approach called "non-thermal plasma catalysis." Essentially, this means they're skipping the need for excessive heat input, keeping operations nice and cozy between 50 to 150 degrees Celsius.
"We create an electric field between two electrodes," explains enaDyne CEO Philipp Hahn, "causing the electrons to get charged up in the reactor. With these charged-up electrons, we jack up the reactivity of the supplied gas molecules, which then get transformed into useful substances like methanol, ethylene, or synthesis gas with a little help from our self-developed catalysts."
With enaDyne's method, we're able to produce useful hydrocarbons from the greenhouse gas CO2 with relatively low energy consumption. Behind this lightweight, efficient technology is a patented system with a special ceramic, developed over the years by Christian Koch, co-founder and CTO of the company. "Christian discovered that different ceramic materials as electrodes can generate denser and more efficient plasmas," Hahn explains, "and, well, the rest is history."
The startup's siren song pulled in investors from every corner
Hahn, an economist at heart, had a keen grasp on finding investors. "Empty pockets equal zero progress," he knew all too well. As enchanting as the idea was, it wouldn't see the light of day without financial backing. SpinLab, FutureSax, Business Angels, Sprin-D—these organizations and programs are major stepping stones in the startup world. For enaDyne, they were lifesavers. The idea was so captivating that investors couldn't resist jumping on board. But they didn't just materialize out of thin air, buddy. Over the past two years, the enaDyne CEOs have chatted with a whopping 100 potential investors. "Dan't think investors just dropping by is the norm," Hahn cautions.
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The financial backing is now solid after the technology proved its worth, allowing for the construction of research, testing, and development facilities.
Leipzig is one heck of a favorable location for enaDyne, offering close collaborations with the HTWK, the University of Leipzig, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, and a Fraunhofer Institute. Industrial partners from the region are also eager to jump on board, according to Hahn. "Plasma catalysis isn't a one-trick pony," he admits, "we're working on reactor, catalyst, and electrode development, plus figuring out how to couple the energy, so it requires a team effort."
For these endeavors, enaDyne has four other startups as partners in crime. Last but not least, "The love and support we've received from the city and the state have been fantastic," Hahn adds. In the next two years, the team aims to kick off pilot projects with industrial partners. After that, they plan to dive headfirst into production mode, turning the babes we make into cash. "The demand for solutions like ours isn't exactly small at the moment," Hahn notes.
Biogas plants could join the fun, turning CO2 into green plastic or fuel
Possible customers for enaDyne's products could include biogas plant operators who'd be able to kill two critters with one stone. How, you ask? Because they already produce both methane (a hydrogen carrier) and CO2 in their operations—a match made in heaven for enaDyne's process. "The beauty of it is that we need both CO2 and methane," Hahn clarifies, "and the beauty for biogas plants is that they don't have to separate the CO2 from the methane anymore, but can shove the mix right into our reactor, and voila, we produce goodies galore."
With a little TLC, we could churn out climate-neutral or even climate-positive products—those whose production emits less CO2 than previously existed in the atmosphere—if the converted CO2 is permanently bonded in the produced plastics or building materials. Sounds promising, right? That's why it's no surprise that the Leipzig startup has already snagged a handful of Founder and Innovation Awards.
Now, it's up to customers to see the tech as a benefit rather than a hassle. "Our philosophy is this: We want to design technology that doesn't depend on subsidies or politics, but makes sense for users," says Hahn, "A business model that ignores the customer's preferences is not a sustainable strategy—that's what we believe at enaDyne."
"The disruptive approach by enaDyne, a Leipzig-based startup, in using CO2, a major contributor to climate change, transforms it into useful substances such as fuels, plastics, and cosmetics, providing an innovative solution in the field of environmental science and technology. With enaDyne's efficient and low-energy consumption technology, the production of these substances becomes a potential means to reduce the reliance on conventional fossil fuels, contributing positively to the environment."
" Furthermore, biogas plant operators could collaborate with enaDyne, as their operations produce both methane and CO2. By utilizing these byproducts in enaDyne's process, biogas plants could produce climate-neutral or even climate-positive products, creating a symbiotic relationship between traditional and innovative eco-friendly technologies."
