During his work for TNO as a solar panel researcher, his team discovered a technique called atomic layer deposition. This not only resulted in more efficient solar panels but also a breakthrough in the way CO₂ is captured, through the air sucked by Carbyon's large 'vacuum cleaners'.
Motivations
Roelof Hemmen spoke with De Neve about his big leap from employee to pioneering entrepreneur and his motivations that characterized him since he was a child. ‘Our prototype removes one ton of CO₂ from the air annually. That seems like nothing, but electronic chips in the fifties also consisted of only a few transistors, proven technology tends to grow exponentially.’