Company Overview
About Newlight
Newlight is a materials science and biotechnology company founded in 2003 by Mark Herrema and Kenton Kimura and headquartered in Huntington Beach, California. The company has developed a proprietary process that uses ocean-derived microorganisms to convert carbon from air and greenhouse gases into AirCarbon — a naturally occurring biopolymer (polyhydroxybutyrate, or PHB) that can be processed into a variety of material forms including films, fibers, foams, and rigid plastics. AirCarbon is biodegradable in ocean and soil environments, unlike conventional petroleum-derived plastics, and its production process is designed to be carbon-negative: the carbon captured from greenhouse gases exceeds the carbon released during manufacturing.
Business Model & Competitive Advantage
Newlight has raised more than $80M in total funding and has attracted strategic partnerships and customers including IKEA (for AirCarbon-based product components) and other consumer brands. The company operates its own consumer brand — Covalent — which sells fashion accessories including bags and wallets made from AirCarbon material, demonstrating the aesthetic and performance viability of the biomaterial in premium consumer goods. This direct-to-consumer channel serves both commercial and brand-building purposes, establishing AirCarbon as a premium sustainable material rather than a commodity plastic substitute.
Competitive Landscape 2025–2026
Newlight operates in the emerging bioplastics and carbon utilization market alongside companies including Danimer Scientific (which also produces PHB/PHA biopolymers) and Novamont. Its carbon-negative positioning and ocean biodegradability differentiate it from bio-based plastics that may still persist in marine environments. As corporate sustainability commitments drive demand for packaging and materials with verified carbon reduction credentials, Newlight's technology platform addresses both the performance and the traceability requirements increasingly demanded by brands and regulators.
Key Differentiators
Emerging Innovator
Newlight is an emerging player bringing innovative solutions to the Climate & Energy market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Estimated Visibility Trend (Beta)
Simulated 8-week rolling score
Based on estimated brand signals. Historical tracking coming soon.
Similar Brands
Electric Hydrogen
Electric Hydrogen is a Natick, Massachusetts-based clean energy company founded in 2020 by Raffi Garabedian (former CEO of First Solar) and David Eaglesham. The company designs and manufactures large-
Virtual Peaker
Virtual Peaker is an energy software company founded in 2016 that provides a demand flexibility and distributed energy resource management platform for electric utilities. The software enables utiliti
Schneider Electric EcoStruxure
Schneider Electric EcoStruxure is the IoT-enabled open architecture and platform of Schneider Electric SE (EPA: SU) — the Paris-based global energy management and industrial automation company with €3
Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy Corporation is a Baltimore, Maryland-based clean energy company — publicly traded on NASDAQ (NASDAQ: CEG) as an S&P 500 Utilities component with a market capitalization of approxi
Siemens Energy
Siemens Energy AG is a Munich, Germany-based energy technology company — listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ETR: ENR), partially owned by Siemens AG (25%+ stake) following the September 2020 spin
Quanta Services
Quanta Services, Inc. is a Houston, Texas-based specialty contractor — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: PWR) as an S&P 500 Industrials component — providing comprehensive infrastr
Compare Newlight with Competitors
Side-by-side AI visibility scores, platform breakdown, and market position.
Claim This Profile
Are you from Newlight? Claim your profile to see full AI mention excerpts, get weekly visibility change alerts, and optimize how AI systems describe your brand.
Claim Newlight Profile →Track AI Visibility in Real Time
Monitor how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude mention Newlight vs competitors. Get alerts when AI recommendations shift.
Start Free Tracking →