Climeworks Stock: Is the Climate Right for an IPO?

Explore potential ways to own Climeworks stock before the Climeworks IPO date. Get access to select pre-IPO companies at Equitybee.

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Climeworks IPO and Stock Recent News

05/23/2023: JPM and Climeworks partner on carbon direct air capture 
04/19/2023: Climeworks confirms expansion to U.S.
04/05/2022: Climeworks raises CHF 600 million in latest equity round
07/23/2021: These companies are sucking carbon out of the atmosphere
09/02/2020: Climeworks investment boosted to US $110 million
06/02/2020: Climeworks raises CHF 73M (USD 75M) 

What is Climeworks?

Climeworks is a Zurich, Switzerland-based carbon dioxide (CO₂) air capture startup. The company has created a direct air capture (DAC) technology to capture CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Captured CO₂ can be used as fertilizer, beverage carbonation, or mixed with water and pumped deep underground, where it mineralizes and can be stored permanently. 

The technology aims to reduce the effect of emitted carbon on global temperatures. Its near-term goal is to filter 1% of annual global CO₂ emissions by 2025. 

Corporations and other organizations purchase carbon dioxide offsets from Climeworks on their journey to net zero carbon emission commitments. Long-term commitments are crucial to funding direct air capture industry  growth. 

Founded in November 2009 by Christoph Gebald and Jan Wurzbacher, Climeworks demonstrated a proof of concept and created prototypes early on, which has led to scaling the technology to industry-sized installations. 

The company launched the first commercial-scale DAC plant in Hinwil, Switzerland 2017, which can remove 900 tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere annually.

The Orca facility, located in Hellisheiði-Kraftwerk, Iceland, was opened in September 2021 as the company’s second facility. It has a capacity to capture 4,000 tons of CO2 annually.

A third facility, Mammoth, will go live in 2024, capable of capturing 36,000 tons per year when fully operational. It is also in Iceland. 

Here’s an inspirational video with the founders explaining the process and touring the Climeworks facilities. 

Is Climeworks Publicly Traded?

No. Climeworks AG (Aktiengesellschaft), is a for-profit private company. Its stock does not trade on an exchange.  

Who Owns Climeworks?

Climeworks is a venture-backed startup.  

The company has raised at least US $760 million in venture capital funding. The latest round was completed in April 2022, raising US $650 million. 

Prominent venture capital investors include Carbon Removal Partners, Partners Group, John Doerr, Swiss Re,  Global Founders Capital, M&G Investments, BigPoint Holdings, CIG, Baillie Gifford, and the Swiss Entrepreneurs Foundation.

Climeworks Valuation

The latest Climeworks valuation is estimated at $1-$3 billion based on the most recent funding round completed in April 2022.

Climeworks’ latest funding round did not disclose a confirmed valuation. The company is not listed on private unicorn lists. 

When is the Climeworks IPO Date?

The Climeworks IPO date is not established. The company has not yet file for an IPO, confidentially or publicly. 

Will Climework’s IPO Take Place in Europe or the U.S.?

One of Europe’s biggest IPOs over the past few years didn’t happen in Europe. 

The Swedish music streaming company, Spotify, chose to launch its IPO in the U.S. on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). 

The European think tank, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), suggests that Spotify chose the U.S. over Europe for its direct listing IPO due to complicated E.U. listing rules, the lack of a single securities authority, and demanding prospectus translation requirements.

If Climeworks continues its growth trajectory, access to robust capital markets will be crucial to fund additional expansion. 

The SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich is the primary stock exchange in Switzerland. Climeworks is based in Zurich, which makes the SIX Swiss Exchange the most logical home for the company if it pursues an IPO. 

U.S.-based investors could still own shares through American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), presumably after the IPO. 

However, U.S. exchanges may provide a more streamlined route to an IPO listing if the company wants to raise significant capital (and notoriety) in a U.S.-based IPO.

The U.S. retail investor appetite for climate-friendly investments is robust. Sweden’s battery producer Northvolt faces a similar choice. 

What is the Climeworks Stock Price?

The Climeworks stock price doesn’t trade yet. It’s a private company.

There are limited indications of pre-IPO transactions that have occurred. 

What is the Climeworks Stock Symbol? Climeworks Ticker?

We’ll learn the Climeworks stock symbol once the company files for an IPO or an ADR becomes available in the US. This could be months or years away. 

However, we can speculate about the Climeworks ticker in the U.S.

Here are a few Climeworks stock symbol suggestions that are available.

• CLME
• CWKS
• WRKS

Can You Buy Climeworks Stock on Pre-IPO Marketplaces?

The author has yet to see evidence of Climeworks stock availability on pre-IPO investing platforms. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been available in the past or won’t be available in the future. 

Having raised over $750 million in venture capital, early employees or other investors may seek liquidity before the IPO. Share availability varies among pre-IPO platforms. 

Equitybee, for example, provides accredited investors access to pre-IPO startups by funding employee stock options. In exchange, investors gain a portion of the future stock value.

Other pre-IPO platforms include EquityZen, Forge Global, and Linqto. Check out our list of top pre-IPO investing platforms to monitor share availability.

The SEC requires U.S. pre-IPO direct investors must be accredited, meaning a net worth above $1 million (not including primary residence) or an income above $200,000 (or $300,000 with a spouse).

Venture capital funds such as the Fundrise Innovation Fund and Titan’s offering, the ARK Venture Fund, allow accredited or non-accredited investors to participate in pre-IPO opportunities. 

But neither fund currently has Climeworks stock as a holding. 

Please note: This is a testimonial in partnership with Fundrise. We earn a commission from partner links on AccessIPOs.com. All opinions are my own.

How to Buy Climeworks Stock

Most investors cannot own Climeworks stock via pre-IPO investing platforms because they require the investor to be accredited. 

When the Climeworks IPO date arrives, it will still be difficult for most investors to acquire IPO shares, especially if the IPO is conducted in Europe. 

The most likely way investors can own Climeworks stock is to wait for the IPO and buy shares after the company goes public on a foreign exchange or wait for the ADR. 

Here are some potential options to own Climeworks stock before, during, and after the IPO.

1. Access Climeworks Stock Pre-IPO

Climeworks stock may become available on pre-IPO investing platforms before the IPO.

This happens when employees or other early investors want to liquidate a portion of their shares before the public offering. 

Investors must be accredited to be eligible to buy pre-IPO shares directly.

It helps to be registered on pre-IPO investing platforms to receive notifications when shares become available. 

Equitybee provides accredited investors access to pre-IPO startups by funding employee stock options. In exchange, investors gain a portion of the future stock value.

Investors can monitor alternative pre-IPO investing platforms such as Forge Global, EquityZen, and Linqto for share availability. 

Accredited investors can expect to pay at least a $10,000 investment minimum if shares become available. It’s free to sign up for data and deal alerts. 

Joining pre-IPO investing platforms is free. But each venue and deal may have a minimum investment amount, varying by the deal. 

Non-accredited investors can own pre-IPO companies via venture capital funds targeted to retail investors. Venture capital funds are a new asset class that emerged in 2022.

The Fundrise Innovation Fund and Titan’s pre-IPO ARK Venture Fund (review) are the only options for non-accredited investors as of mid-2023. 

The author has not seen Climeworks stock availability on any of the pre-IPO platforms mentioned in this article.  

2. Buy Climeworks during the Climeworks IPO through a participating broker

IPO investors may find opportunities to invest during the initial public offering, acquiring shares at the IPO price before the company begins trading.

Online brokers, including the ones listed below, give customers free access to U.S.-based IPOs, even with low account balances. 

• TradeStation 
• SoFi 
• Robinhood 

TradeStation has a more established track record of accessing more than 300 IPOs and secondary offerings via its partnership with ClickIPO. 

But Robinhood and SoFi have the advantage of Silicon Valley networks and a history of getting allocations for high-profile IPOs (such as Sweetgreen and Rivian). 

Check out our list of best brokers for IPO investing to learn more about IPO access for retail investors.

3. Buy Climeworks stock after the Climeworks IPO

Waiting until after the IPO is often better than investing in the IPO. 

The IPO allows investors to review more established financials after the first quarter of trading. Pre-IPO investing has limited financials available. 

IPO stock prices typically rise with high-demand companies, but valuations can become exaggerated. Invest can benefit if you’re in early and sell when the price overheats but suffer if prices revert to fair valuations. 

Many IPOs start with high-flying valuations. But often, the stock falls once the first and second-quarter earnings reports become available.

In 2021, both Rivian and Robinhood became high-flying IPO stocks. But six months after the IPO, both stocks were more than 80% below their price peak. 

Stock price declines after the IPO can be excellent entry points for long-term disruptors. 

Avoid buying overvalued shares immediately after the IPO. Shares often fall after the IPO due to lockup expirations and quarterly earnings disappointments. 

However, the most disruptive companies will be higher in a decade. Patience pays. 

Where is the Climeworks IPO F-1 Filing?

A Climeworks F-1 filing (for foreign companies) has yet to be filed or released to the public, and there is no indication of a confidential U.S. filing.

The document will become available if the company chooses to list in the U.S. instead of Europe. 

If it becomes available, we’ll post a copy of the F-1 filing on this page.

Investors can monitor the most recent S-1 and F-1 IPO filings on this website.

Conclusion

Investors get excited when they identify companies riding extraordinary macroeconomic trends. Climate change-reversing companies with strong moral objectives that are also in business for profit get much attention from investors. 

Though you may want to own the company today, buying stock early on can often prove difficult for retail investors. 

Pre-IPO investing platforms have opened more doors for retail buyers. But venture capital investing is still primarily reserved for the ultra-wealthy, requiring millions to invest in seed and early funding rounds for disruptive companies.

Climeworks being a European company, further complicates pre-IPO and IPO access. 

So if you decide to pursue early equity or IPO shares in Climeworks, maintain reasonable expectations. Access is unlikely but not impossible. 

If Climeworks stock is on your watch list, good luck. Invest in pre-IPO and IPO companies with caution.

* Disclosure: The web page contains affiliate links from our partners. If a reader opens an account or buys a service from a link in this article, we may be compensated at no additional cost to the reader. Opening an account with a broker that provides access to IPOs does not guarantee the customer allocations of specific IPOs. The author is long the Fundrise Innovation Fund, ARK Venture Fund, and HOOD.