Worthy Secures Multi-Year Support From ORCA and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation to Scale Open-Source Marine Carbon-Removal Tools

Worthy's approach of marrying open-source science and practical tools for industry use

Awards will accelerate development and deployment of trusted measurement, reporting, and verification tools needed to scale ocean-based climate solutions

BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Worthy, a Focused Research Organization supported by Convergent Research, today announced new multi-year backing from the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA) and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.

The ocean already absorbs roughly a quarter of CO₂ emissions each year. And while ocean-based carbon dioxide removal technologies have the potential to increase that natural sink, responsible deployment will require rigorous, science-based assessment to ensure that carbon is effectively and durably removed from the atmosphere.

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This new investment from ORCA and PJMF will support Worthy's open-source modeling platform for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of ocean-based carbon-dioxide removal (CDR). Their backing also underscores the growing demand across the climate innovation community for rigorous, transparent scientific infrastructure that can serve as the foundation for climate projects at sea.

Worthy is responding to that demand by building computational systems and accessible datasets which quantify the impacts of removal technologies on carbon dioxide budgets and marine ecosystems. These tools are enabling researchers and private sector innovators to access the best available scientific models through an open-source, standardized and easy-to-use platform, providing the necessary infrastructure for identifying and scaling effective projects.

Worthy also develops community datasets for climate innovation modalities within mCDR like Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement and Direct Ocean Removal (DOR).

"Every new industry depends on critical infrastructure. For climate innovation at sea, that means state-of-the-science oceanographic models which are open-source, transparent, and user-friendly," said Alicia Karspeck, Worthy cofounder and Chief Technology Officer. "At Worthy, our mission is to make these models more accessible to researchers and actors across the industry. We're grateful for this support from partners who share our vision of creating public goods that enable responsible, coordinated development of critical climate technologies."

The funding for Worthy comes out of the ORCA pillar focused on advancing marine carbon dioxide removal R&D and governance. The development of trusted scientific tools like those developed by Worthy are a central component of that effort.

Complementary support for this effort provided by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation highlights Worthy's critical role in developing open, collaborative data infrastructure that can serve climate researchers, innovators, and decision-makers worldwide. This adds to a diverse base of generous support to Worthy from several other philanthropic funders, federal agencies, and research and development partners. Ultimately, Worthy's approach is exemplary of a growing trend in climate philanthropy, in which actors recognize the need to fund technical R&D which then enables market mechanisms to harness cutting-edge science for public good.

"Ocean-based carbon removal is a promising pathway to address climate change. Worthy's open-source tools make measurement, transparency, and verification publicly available, enabling credible ocean carbon removal at scale. This partnership democratizes access to ocean modeling, empowering communities worldwide to advance marine climate solutions with confidence and scientific rigor," said Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.

"We are honored to receive this vote of confidence from ORCA and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. Their support meaningfully advances our mission to make ocean-based climate solutions quantifiable, transparent, and trustworthy," said Matthew Long, Chief Executive Officer of Worthy. "The ocean holds enormous potential for carbon removal, but we cannot scale what we cannot measure. We're building public, scientifically credible infrastructure that will let innovators build effective technology and enable society to assess new options with clarity and care."

Beyond its technical focus, Worthy is also innovative in its organizational structure, operating as a novel form of non-profit startup. As a Focused Research Organization, it aims to unlock major advances through a coordinated engineering approach that is not typically accessible in academic settings or through traditional science funding mechanisms. The FRO model is uniquely suited to tackling challenges unaddressed by existing institutional forms and that can confer broad benefit to society.

"Focused Research Organizations exist to tackle pivotal and underserved scientific challenges. Worthy shows what this model can do when applied to climate-related innovation by bringing rigor and radical transparency to marine carbon removal," said Anastasia Gamick, cofounder and President of Convergent Research. "By open-sourcing vital modeling tools, the team will help policymakers and markets separate quality signals from noise, moving at the pace demanded by the field."

To learn more or get involved, visit cworthy.org or reach out to our team at [email protected]. We welcome collaboration from researchers, innovators, and policymakers working to advance credible, ocean-based climate solutions.

About

Worthy is a nonprofit research and development organization focused on delivering the core computational technologies needed to support quantitative assessments of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal.

We build open-source software, conduct basic research on the efficacy of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal technologies, create and curate publicly available datasets, and promote scientific standards for evaluating the safety and effectiveness of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal activities.

Worthy is funded by a combination of government and philanthropic support and operates as a Focused Research Organization in partnership with Convergent Research.

About Convergent Research

Convergent Research brings together scientific founders and funders to design, launch and operate Focused Research Organizations (FROs) across a range of fields. Our FROs, like Worthy, build pivotal infrastructure that bridges gaps to breakthrough scientific research, proving out a new operating model for science that enables a high level of team science and systems engineering for public goods creation.

About ORCA :

ORCA is a multi-funder initiative that has pledged over $350 million over five years to advance critical solutions at the interface of climate and ocean protection across seven different pillars.

About PJMF :

The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF) is a philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence and data science solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. PJMF works in partnership with public, private, and social institutions to drive progress on our most pressing challenges, including digital health, climate change, broad digital access, and data maturity in the social sector.

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