---
title: "Carbelim Raises Rs 10 Cr for Microalgae Carbon Capture"
description: "The Kerala startup, which turns atmospheric carbon dioxide into oxygen using microalgae systems, is the first from the state to get money from the IITM..."
url: "https://bharat.digital/originals/carbelim-rs-10-cr-iitm-unicorn-frontier-fund-microalgae-carbon-capture/index.md"
canonical: "https://bharat.digital/originals/carbelim-rs-10-cr-iitm-unicorn-frontier-fund-microalgae-carbon-capture/"
published: "2026-10-30T10:20:00+05:30"
updated: "2026-10-30T10:20:00+05:30"
section: "Originals"
type: "startup"
author: "bharat.digital desk"
image: "https://bharat.digital/img/originals/carbelim-rs-10-cr-iitm-unicorn-frontier-fund-microalgae-carbon-capture-auto-93f92eac-og.jpg"
language: "en-IN"
site: "bharat.digital"
---

# Carbelim raises Rs 10 Cr from IIT Madras's deeptech fund for microalgae carbon capture

*The Kerala startup, which turns atmospheric carbon dioxide into oxygen using microalgae systems, is the first from the state to get money from the IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund.*

By bharat.digital desk. Startup, Startups & Fintech. Published 2026-10-30T10:20:00+05:30. 1 min read.

![Carbelim raises Rs 10 Cr from IIT Madras's deeptech fund for microalgae carbon capture](https://bharat.digital/img/originals/carbelim-rs-10-cr-iitm-unicorn-frontier-fund-microalgae-carbon-capture-auto-93f92eac-hero.webp)

## At a glance

- Company: Carbelim
- What it does: Microalgae-based carbon capture and air purification systems
- Based in: Thiruvananthapuram
- Latest: Raised Rs 10 Cr from IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund
- Date: 2026-10-29
- Founders: Karthika Gopi, Rahul Babu

Carbelim, a Kerala deeptech startup backed by Kerala Startup Mission, has raised Rs 10 crore from the IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund, The Hindu BusinessLine and UNI reported on October 29. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti handed the cheque to the company at a function in Bengaluru. Carbelim is the first startup from Kerala to receive money from the fund.

Founded by Karthika Gopi, who is CEO, and Rahul Babu, Carbelim builds bio-integrated carbon capture and air purification systems that use microalgae to draw carbon dioxide out of the air and convert it into oxygen. The company says it has filed 13 patents, seven in the US and six in India. Gopi described its products as covering carbon capture, clean air, resource production and what it calls Micro Algae Tree, or Liquid Tree, systems for cities and industries.

Carbelim currently has 42 employees, many of them scientists and engineers, according to UNI. Gopi said the investment should create more than 50 more jobs and help the company reach a turnover of Rs 100 crore through international markets. Those are the company's own targets.

The investor is a deeptech fund set up by IIT Madras, IIT Madras Research Park and Unicorn India Ventures. It announced a first close of Rs 450 crore towards a Rs 1,000 crore target in September and has deployed about Rs 54 crore to Rs 55 crore across its first four startups: Carbelim, spacetech company Hathor, quantum instrumentation startup Quanstra and battery cell maker Triolt Energy, according to IIT Madras Research Park.

## Sources

1. [The Hindu BusinessLine: Carbelim secures Rs 10 crore from IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund](https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/carbelim-secures-10-crore-from-iit-madras-unicorn-frontier-fund/article71639757.ece)
2. [UNI: Kerala startup Carbelim bags Rs 10 crore from IIT fund](https://www.uniindia.com/south-india/it-kerala-startup-iit-fund/229723)
3. [YourStory: Startup news and updates, daily roundup (October 29, 2026)](https://yourstory.com/2026/10/startup-news-and-updates-daily-roundup-october-29-2026)
4. [IIT Madras Research Park: IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund I first close](https://respark.iitm.ac.in/IITM-Unicorn-Frontier-Fund-I)

Written by the bharat.digital desk from the sources above. Figures are as reported by those sources.