Sasankh Munukutla
Co-Founder at Terradot
Scaling gigaton-scale carbon removal through Enhanced Rock Weathering and integrating frontier AI models into climate science.
Intro
I'm Sasankh Munukutla, the Co-Founder of Terradot. My work is centered on addressing humanity's most pressing problems by leveraging frontier tech for climate action. With a background in AI research from Stanford and experience at companies like Microsoft and Uber, I've transitioned into the climate tech space to lead gigaton-scale carbon removal efforts through Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW). I am deeply passionate about the intersection of AI for Science and durable carbon removal, ensuring our solutions are grounded in rigorous MRV and scientific integrity. Having served as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant and a 776 Climate Fellow, I bring a service-oriented mindset to the startup world. I'm currently focused on scaling Terradot following our Series A and am always looking to connect with researchers, engineers, and policy leaders who are committed to solving the climate crisis through innovation and rigorous science.
Networking
What I can offer
- ›Deep expertise at the intersection of AI research and commercial climate tech deployment
- ›Insights into carbon removal scaling and MRV
- ›Experience in high-growth startup leadership and fundraising
What I'm looking for
- ›Technical talent for hiring at Terradot
- ›Collaborators in the AI for Science and carbon removal ecosystems
- ›Climate scientists and policy leaders
Best fit for
Focus
Current interests
Core competencies
Background
Career
Transitioned from deep learning research at Stanford and software engineering at Uber/Microsoft to founding a Series A climate tech startup focused on carbon removal.
Education
MS in Computer Science (AI) and BS in Computer Science (AI) from Stanford University.
Achievements
- ›Led Terradot through a $54 million Series A funding round
- ›Secured agreement with Microsoft for 12,000 tons of carbon removal
- ›Published research at NeurIPS (Spotlight Talk, Top 15%)
- ›776 Climate Fellow and Terman Scholar (Top 5% of Stanford Engineering)
- ›Commanding Officer’s Coin recipient in Singapore Armed Forces
Opinions
- Reaching Net Zero requires both nature-based and engineered solutions; it is not an 'either/or' choice.
- Carbon removal must be grounded in rigorous science and fit-for-purpose MRV rather than just adding bells and whistles.
- Innovators must focus on problem-solution fit rather than starting with a technology and looking for a problem.
Personality
Communication style
Professional, mission-driven, and highly collaborative, balancing academic rigor with entrepreneurial enthusiasm.
Formality — 8/10
Vocabulary