4 days ago
CEO TALK: From boardroom to bedrock: Decarbonising the planet, one rock at a time
WALAA HAMDAN
MUSCAT, JUNE 1
In the escalating global battle against climate change, few figures personify purpose-driven entrepreneurship as compellingly as Talal Hasan, Founder and CEO of Omani climate-tech startup 44.01. At the heart of his venture lies a deceptively simple yet world-changing mission: to remove as much carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere as possible—permanently, affordably, and at scale.
Hasan's personal and professional transformation began not in a laboratory, but with a headline in 2018 that revealed the grim reality that Oman's seas contained the world's largest known ocean 'dead zone'—a vast, oxygen-depleted area where marine life could no longer survive. At the time, Hasan was working in venture capital at IDO Investments, backing high-growth tech and energy startups. But that sobering report shifted his trajectory entirely.
'I grew up as an environmentalist,' he recalled at a recent Startup Grind Muscat event, hosted by Walaa Hamdan. That revelation about Oman's marine life spurred deep research into climate science, eventually leading him to carbon capture—and more importantly, carbon storage, the Achilles' heel of many climate solutions. 'There was all this talk about capturing carbon, but no one was asking where to put it,' he explained.
His answer? Mineralisation—a natural process that turns captured CO₂ into rock by injecting it into peridotite-rich formations, which are abundant in Oman. This process offered the promise of permanent, verifiable CO₂ removal. That idea crystallised into 44.01, named after the molecular weight of CO₂.
Yet, moving from idea to implementation wasn't easy. Hasan left behind a prestigious, well-paid role in government—a 'very comfortable' position, he admitted—to found an unproven startup in a highly technical field. 'My own family thought I'd gone crazy,' he joked. 'But if you really believe in what you're doing... I just went for it.'
The early days were lean and uncertain. "We didn't even know what kind of team we needed," he admitted. But he knew people were everything. Leveraging his network, he brought in a renowned carbon mineralisation scientist, a trusted colleague from IDO, and even interns from IDO programmes. Each person was chosen not just for technical skill, but for cultural fit. 'Spend time on culture,' he emphasised. 'Spend a lot of time on it.'
At 44.01, team culture is intentional. They hold annual offsites, empower individuals to lead, and foster what Hasan calls a 'culture of thinking big.' As he put it, 'If you develop that culture of punching big, of being ambitious, and you get everyone in the team thinking like that, it starts to drive itself.'
One of the company's first major hurdles was securing regulatory approval. 'Our first step was: Can we get the permit?' Hasan said. After months of pushing, they earned the world's first permit to mineralise CO₂ in this way—a milestone that validated their method and opened the door to commercial projects.
Partnerships have been vital to scaling the vision. Early on, Hasan found himself navigating regulatory minefields, bringing six different government agencies to the same table—many of them meeting each other for the first time. 'If you can get more people to collaborate and get them in a room together, the sky's the limit,' he said.
But partnerships aren't just about access or capital—they're about alignment. One potential lead investor dropped out of their Series A round for geopolitical reasons. Hasan later saw it as a blessing in disguise: 'Be picky about your investors,' he warned. 'Say no to money if the alignment isn't there. The wrong partners can pull you in the wrong direction.'
That principled stance has paid off. 44.01 now boasts high-profile backers, including Sam Altman and Breakthrough Energy, the climate fund led by Bill Gates. The company has won the prestigious Earthshot Prize, along with multiple XPrize accolades—important endorsements, especially in a region more accustomed to importing rather than exporting advanced climate tech.
Hasan remains clear-eyed about the stakes. 'If we can't do this in a way that's affordable, it won't scale,' he asserted. Economic viability is just as critical as environmental impact. To that end, 44.01 is now expanding into Europe, leveraging favourable regulatory frameworks and secured patents. Long term, the goal is to digitise the technology and license it globally, allowing others to deploy carbon mineralisation wherever the geology allows.
As Hasan reflects on the journey from boardroom to bedrock, one message rings clear: 'Purpose comes before product.' For him, building 44.01 wasn't just about creating a business; it was about answering a personal calling to protect the planet—one mineralised tonne of CO₂ at a time.
