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Houston company's sustainable spinoff launches with $8M in seed funding

vaulted with capital

Vaulted Deep, which diverts sludgy organic waste from landfills or waterways and captures and stores carbon emissions generated, is getting off the ground with $8 million from investors. Photo via Getty Images

Houston-based Advantek Waste Management Services, which specializes in deep-injection wells that minimize the impact of land, air, and water waste, has launched a carbon removal and storage company.

The spinoff, Vaulted Deep, is getting off the ground with $8 million in seed funding.

Vaulted diverts sludgy organic waste, such as agricultural and livestock waste, before it’s dumped in a landfill or waterway or simply left on land to decompose. It then captures and stores carbon emissions generated by the organic waste.

A study published earlier this year by Louisiana State University ecologist Brian Snyder estimated that organic waste generates five gigatons of carbon dioxide per year. A gigaton equals one billion metric tons.

Vaulted is already off to an impressive start. For one thing, the startup has raised an $8 million seed round led by New York City-based carbon removal fund Lowercarbon Capital. Other investors include Advantek and San Francisco-based climatech VC fund Earthshot Ventures.

In addition, Vaulted has already nailed down purchase commitments from Frontier, a marketplace for buyers and sellers of carbon removal credits. Ryan Orbuch, a partner at Lowercarbon, is one of Frontier’s strategic advisers.

“Vaulted is literally cleaning up the planet, scaling field-proven injection terminology to safely dispose of harmful wastes like biosolids while permanently storing away millions of tons of CO2,” Orbuch says in a Vaulted news release.

While injection sequestration sites often take years to gain permits and start operating, Vaulted already boasts two permitted sites that are up and running. Vaulted offers carbon removal for $300 per ton, compared with more than $500 per ton charged by some competitors.

Advantek founder Omar Abou-Sayed is switching from CEO to chairman of Advantek, which launched in 1999, and will serve as executive chairman of Vaulted. Julia Reichelstein, a former investor at San Francisco-based climatech VC fund Piva Capital, has been tapped as CEO of Vaulted.

“Unlike many carbon removal technologies still in R&D, Vaulted’s technology and sites can safely and permanently store carbon underground, at scale, today,” says Abou-Sayed. “The early removals we will deliver are pivotal to keeping the window open to hold our planet’s warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.”

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Houston-based ENGIE wins national award for clean energy leadership

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Houston-based ENGIE has been recognized for its work in the clean energy space.

The battery storage and energy infrastructure company recently won the 2026 Green Power Leadership Award in the Market Innovation category for its work advancing 24/7 renewable energy solutions. The awards honor individuals and companies advancing sustainability and renewables in the energy industry through innovation and leadership.

The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a San Francisco-based environmental nonprofit, grants the awards each year during the Renewable Energy Markets conference. Past recipients include companies like Microsoft, Salesforce and Google. Other award categories include Education & Awareness, Impactful Procurement and Leader of the Year.

"This recognition reflects ENGIE's commitment to developing innovative solutions that give customers greater transparency, accountability and confidence in their sustainability strategies," Anne-Laure Chassanite, interim CEO of ENGIE North America and CEO of ENGIE Resources, said in a news release.

Specifically, the honor recognizes ENGIE's Energy+ 24/7 solution, which helps customers better understand the impact of their energy consumption while also pushing sustainability efforts. ENGIE assists organizations and the public in gaining insight into renewable energy and hourly electricity consumption to see where clean energy is being utilized most effectively.

"As the market continues to evolve, we believe the future of renewable energy procurement lies in helping organizations better understand the impact of their electricity consumption and make more informed energy decisions,” Chassanite added in the release.” Our 24/7 offering is helping establish a new standard by combining innovation with practical, scalable solutions that support meaningful progress toward sustainability goals."

ENGIE's US Energy+ team was also recognized for its customer-focused renewable energy solutions.

"This achievement is the result of the dedication and innovation of teams across ENGIE who are continually challenging what's possible in the energy transition," Chassanite also said in the release.

In June, ENGIE’s 24/7 signed an agreement with Aker BioMarine to supply Texas-sourced clean energy to the Norwegian company's Houston manufacturing site.

Fervo and Google strike major deal and more top energy transition news

Top Energy News

Editor's note: September is a big month for the energy sector in Houston, bringing marquee events to town, alongside big news headlines. From a Fervo-Google powerhouse deal to NVIDIA's $2 billion investment, here are the five most-read energy transition headlines published September 1-15, 2026:

Fervo Energy strikes largest-ever power deal with Google

In its largest-ever purchase agreement, Houston-based geothermal company Fervo Energy will supply 396 megawatts of power to tech powerhouse Google. The deal includes an option for Google to expand capacity by about 600 megawatts, for a total of 1 gigawatt, by June 2030, according to Fervo. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. Google will purchase carbon-free energy from Fervo for a potential data center in Utah, where Fervo is building its more than $2 billion Cape Station geothermal project. Continue reading.

In $2 billion deal, NVIDIA takes 20% stake in Woodlands-based Lancium

Lancium has partnered with AI leader NVIDIA. Photo courtesy Lancium

With an initial investment of $2 billion, AI chip manufacturer NVIDIA just acquired a 20 percent stake in The Woodlands-based Lancium, which develops large-scale campuses that combine AI data centers and onsite power supplies. Lancium didn’t disclose the dollar amount. The Information, a news website, reported NVIDIA’s investment totaled $2 billion, with the possibility of an additional $1 billion if Lancium achieves certain milestones. Continue reading.

Meet the 80+ startups pitching at Houston Energy and Climate Week

One of the highlights from Houston Energy and Climate Week is hearing directly from the up-and-coming founders working to reshape the energy landscape. This year, dozens of startups from Brazil to Berkeley and from right here in the Bayou City will compete for cash prizes and bragging rights while showcasing their concepts at HECW pitch events. Continue reading.

San Antonio company breaks ground on 347MW solar project outside of Houston

Crews have broken ground on the forthcoming 347-megawatt direct-current SunRoper Solar project in Wharton County, Texas, that will add capacity to the ERCOT grid. The solar project, which is slated to begin operations in December 2027, will provide electricity to an undisclosed Fortune 100 company under a long-term power purchase agreement. Continue reading.

UH team lands $2.9M DOE grant to develop next-gen magnets with AI

University of Houston researchers are leading an effort to find alternatives to a key element of the U.S. economy. A UH-led coalition is exploring the use of AI to design and manufacture next-generation permanent magnets for the energy and industrial sectors. The project seeks to develop new, more sustainable magnets that reduce U.S. reliance on vulnerable foreign sources of critical minerals, primarily China. A nearly $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy supports the work. Continue reading.

ExxonMobil secures approval for $5B East Texas carbon capture project

ccs expansion

Spring-based ExxonMobil has won approval from the Texas Railroad Commission for a $5 billion carbon capture and storage project in East Texas.

Dominic Genetti, senior vice president of CCS at ExxonMobil, told The Financial Times, which broke the news, that the Railroad Commission’s action is a “major milestone” that lets the company keep expanding along the Gulf Coast. In a 2-1 vote, commissioners authorized a carbon sequestration permit for the project.

“The Railroad Commission clearly recognizes the important role carbon capture and storage can play in meeting growing global demand for lower-carbon products while supporting new jobs and economic growth,” Genetti said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved ExxonMobil’s Rose CCS project last year.

The project will enable the company to inject about 53 metric tons of industrial customers’ carbon emissions into three underground wells it drilled in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. Over a 13-year period, ExxonMobil plans to inject about 4 million metric tons per year into the Fleming and Upper Frio rock formations, according to Carbon Herald.

ExxonMobil says it owns the world’s first and largest CCS system, comprising 1,300 miles of CO2 pipeline and secure storage sites. Seventy percent of the pipelines are along the Gulf Coast.

The company ramped up its CCS business in 2023 with the $4.9 billion purchase of Denbury, which owned about 1,000 miles of CO2 pipelines.

“Our expertise, combined with Denbury’s talent and CO2 pipeline network, expands our low-carbon leadership and best positions us to meet the decarbonization needs of industrial customers while also reducing emissions in our own operations,” ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said when the deal closed.

In January, Genetti wrote in a post on ExxonMobil’s website that the company is committed to CCS “for the long haul.”

“CCS is not new technology, but it’s flown relatively under the radar compared with the attention that production of hydrocarbons commands,” he wrote. “Now, as the world becomes more aware of the need to reduce emissions, CCS finally has a brighter spotlight and a broader runway to scale up.”

The company also announced this week that it has begun CCS operations at a direct reduced iron facility in Convent, Louisiana. The project will capture, transport and store up to 800,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, according to the company.

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