Cary startup taps industry exec as new CEO

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 Sustaera Inc. has new executive leadership.  The Cary startup that has developed new direct air capture technologies has appointed Dr. Mary Haas to the role of chief executive officer.

Haas joins the company, and will join the board of directors, from a prior post as executive director and general manager of a $200 million division of the publicly-traded company Air Products and Chemicals.

“Her proven, global business leadership in the gas processing industry coupled with expertise in team development, quality systems and new technologies represent a tremendous asset to help Sustaera realize the full economic and climate potential of its breakthrough carbon removal solution,” said Dr. Dan Button, the chair of the Sustaera board of directors and a venture partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which has backed the company.

Sustaera was co-founded by Dr. Raghubir Gupta, who shared in a statement that the company will tap Haas to lead the development of “multiple direct air capture plants.”

The firm already has one such plant underway, with an anticipated opening in 2023, according to a statement from the company.

Background of this Cary startup company

Sustaera won an XPRIZE and holds multiple patents that enable the firm to deliver low-cost, scalable carbon removal systems to clients.  According to a statement, the company partners with existing investors as well as the U.S. Department of Energy.  And, in December 2021, the company disclosed it had raised about $5 million.

“The technology is compelling as an economically viable solution, and the mission of carbon reduction has never been more important,” said Haas in a statement.

“Sustaera truly captured my attention with its combination of novel technology breakthroughs and highly collaborative & engaged team,” Haas wrote in a LinkedIn post this week.  “The company and its investors embrace the philosophy of “pursue your passion” on a daily basis. What a bright future of commercial and societal impact we have ahead of us.”

Original Article Source: WRAL Techwire