Sean Simpson and Richard Forster: The New Zealand Science Behind LanzaTech

LanzaTech began in New Zealand with a scientific challenge: could biology turn industrial waste gases into useful fuels and materials?

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A different way to think about carbon

Dr Sean Simpson and the late Dr Richard Forster founded LanzaTech in 2005. The company’s approach uses gas fermentation: specially selected microbes convert carbon-rich industrial gases into products such as ethanol and chemical building blocks. It reframes some industrial emissions as a potential feedstock, although the overall climate benefit depends on the source of the gas, energy inputs and the products displaced.

From laboratory idea to industrial process

The difficult part of industrial biotechnology is moving from a promising scientific result to reliable, repeatable production at commercial scale. LanzaTech’s history is therefore a story about process engineering, partnerships, capital and patient development as much as scientific discovery. Its roots are in Aotearoa, while its operating footprint and headquarters have become international.

A legacy beyond one company

LanzaTech’s founders helped put New Zealand research and entrepreneurship into a global conversation about carbon utilisation. A careful profile should avoid presenting carbon recycling as a complete substitute for emissions reduction. It is one possible tool in a wider transition, and its impact must be assessed against transparent lifecycle evidence.

Sources and further reading

• LanzaTech: Founder announcement and company history
• Callaghan Innovation: LanzaTech company profile
• Crunchbase: LanzaTech

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