Lisa Dyson

Lisa Dyson

Organization: Kiverdi

What is Kiverdi?

A proprietary bioprocess that recycles waste carbon from a number of waste streams,



Each year 134M tons of landfill, 170M tons of agriculture and 60M tons of forest waste is generated in the United States. The present system for managing waste is unsustainable and has long-term negative impacts on the environment. At the same time, commodities prices – from both petro and agricultural sources – are near all-time highs and exhibit tremendous volatility.


Kiverdi solves the dual problem of waste management and price volatility of chemicals by utilizing waste biomass as feedstock. Through a proprietary syngas conversion process, the bioreactor upgrades syngas and CO2 into oil, enabling the production of drop-in and custom oil-based chemicals at a fraction of the cost of chemical catalysts. The feedstock, from forestry residue, landfills, stranded natural gas or agricultural effectively, recycles waste carbon reducing the carbon footprint of these untapped waste streams. Kiverdi’s technology also has the ability to use crude glycerol or industrial flue gases.

“Imagine a world where instead of filling up landfills, we are converting carbon-based resources into the raw materials used to produce consumer goods products, surfactants and even fuel for our airplanes. Kiverdi is commercializing a robust industrial bioprocess that can make this world a reality.” – Lisa Dyson, CEO of Kiverdi


Kiverdi safely and efficiently transforms carbon from various by-product and waste streams into drop-in specialty oils and chemicals used in everyday products, like laundry detergent, hand soap, and shampoos. The technology can also transform waste carbon into fuels and fuel additives for the diesel, jet, and automotive transportation industries.

“Imagine a world where waste is no longer an end product to be disposed of, but a feedstock to make the products used by billions around the globe every day.” – Lisa Dyson, CEO of Kiverdi

Related Challenge: