- Founded in 2021 by Michelle You and Aaron Randall, Supercritical helps businesses offset and remove their carbon footprint through high-quality carbon credits.
- Supercritical vets all carbon removal projects—like direct air capture and biochar—to ensure authenticity and prevent "greenwashing."
- Supercritical's ultimate goal is a carbon-free future, offering tools for businesses to measure, reduce, and remove emissions.
The world is rapidly urbanizing—by 2050, more than twice of the global population will live in cities.
This concrete jungle, filled with gleaming skyscrapers and bustling streets, has a dark underbelly: carbon emissions. In fact, cities are responsible for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions.
With the rise of urban expansion, industries are searching for creative ways to balance development and sustainability.
While urban designers like me know the ins and outs of city planning, there’s an urgent need to design for carbon removal, not just mobility and aesthetics.
And that’s where Supercritical steps in.
Introducing Supercritical: The Carbon Architect
Imagine your city plan but for the atmosphere—Supercritical is essentially an architect for carbon removal.
They’ve designed a platform that helps businesses offset their carbon footprint in a verified, reliable way.
But here’s the kicker: they focus on "high-quality carbon removal," which means they go beyond just neutralizing emissions—they actively help businesses remove carbon from the air.
If carbon were a building material, Supercritical would be the eco-friendly alternative we’ve all been waiting for.
The company simplifies what might feel like a monumental task for businesses: it helps them measure their carbon footprint, purchase high-quality carbon credits, and build a robust climate action strategy.
This isn’t only about keeping the lights on; it’s about setting the foundation for a climate-resilient future.
Designing the Blueprint: How Supercritical Came to Be
Founded in 2021 by Michelle You (CEO) and Aaron Randall (CTO), Supercritical was born with a desire to tackle the climate crisis.
Just like an urban designer uses blueprints to envision neighborhoods, Michelle, Aaron, and their team saw a need to create a "blueprint" for how businesses could reduce their carbon emissions, focusing on transparency and long-term impact.
They recognized that many companies were eager to play their part in the climate fight but had no idea where to start. Their platform became the map they needed.
And just like the best urban plans, Supercritical’s solutions are designed to grow and scale—no matter the size of the business or the footprint they’re trying to reduce.
Zoning for the Climate: Supercritical’s Marketplace
Think of Supercritical as the zoning board for carbon removal. Just like we need zoning regulations to ensure that skyscrapers don’t tower over residential homes, the carbon market needs oversight to guarantee that carbon credits are legitimate.
Supercritical only deals in high-quality carbon removal projects, such as direct air capture and biochar.
These methods are about slowing emissions—but also about reversing them, much like how parks reverse the concrete monotony of urban landscapes.
And they’ve done their homework: Supercritical has a rigorous vetting process that ensures every carbon credit sold is tied to actual, measurable carbon removal.
It is crucial to mention that such kind of rigorous work has been only possible with fundraisers like Songkick to 20 million monthly unique users and $100m in GTV, raising from YC, Index, and Sequoia before exiting to Warner Music Group.
This is crucial in a space where "greenwashing" can tarnish even the best intentions. In the same context, Michelle You said:
“Businesses are rightly suspicious of traditional carbon offsetting options, which do nothing at best and at worst are outright fraud, but most companies lack the time and the expertise to find an adequate alternative. Our mission is to make it possible for any business to start the journey to net zero. Climate action can’t just be the reserve of the world’s biggest companies, and this is a crisis that can’t wait.” - TechCrunch
Urban Designers Know the Value of Green Space: Supercritical Knows the Value of Carbon Space
While city planning, we know how essential green spaces are—they provide breathing room for urban environments. Their platform is the digital equivalent of creating these "carbon green spaces."
Through their marketplace, businesses can support projects that permanently remove carbon from the air, creating a healthier atmosphere just like how green spaces create healthier cities.
Their approach is as much about urban design as it is climate design: they take a messy, complex problem and organize it into something actionable, clean, and efficient.
It ensures that businesses don’t just look sustainable—they are sustainable.
Planning for the Future: A Carbon-Free City
The ultimate goal of Supercritical aligns perfectly with what urban designers strive for: a future that’s better for everyone.
They help businesses build a carbon-free future by providing the tools they need to measure, reduce, and ultimately remove carbon emissions.
As urban designers, we know that cities aren’t built overnight—they require planning, revision, and adaptability.
Supercritical takes a similar approach with carbon removal: it’s not a quick fix, but a long-term commitment to designing a sustainable future.
Just as we plan cities to stand the test of time, Supercritical is building the roadmap for a future where businesses can thrive without harming the planet.
Edited By Annette George
