Mark Herrema Biography, Age, Wife, Career, Education, Net Worth, Wiki & Personal Life
Mark Herrema is not your typical CEO. While many tech entrepreneurs focus on the next big app or social media platform, Herrema is tackling one of humanity’s most pressing problems: climate change. As the co-founder and CEO of Newlight Technologies, he is the mastermind behind AirCarbon, a revolutionary material that turns greenhouse gases into useful, everyday products. This is the story of a visionary entrepreneur who saw pollution not as a waste product, but as a resource waiting to be unlocked.
| Full Name | Mark Herrema |
| Age | Born in 1982 or 1983 (Approximately 41-42 years old as of 2024) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Princeton University, Bachelor’s Degree (Graduated 2003) |
| Known For | Co-Founder & CEO of Newlight Technologies, Inventor of AirCarbon |
| Spouse/Wife | Emily (married circa 2014; relationship is private) |
| Career Focus | Biotechnology, Carbon Capture, Sustainable Materials, Climate Change |
| Key Achievement | Developing a commercially viable process to create plastic from air and greenhouse gas |
| Awards | World Technology Award for Materials, Presidential Green Chemistry Award |
Early Life, Education, and the Genesis of an Idea
Mark Herrema grew up in Orange County, California. A bright and driven student, he attended Princeton University, where he studied Politics and received his Bachelor’s degree in 2003. It was during his time at Princeton that a seemingly mundane news article would change the trajectory of his life.
Herrema read about the rising levels of methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere and the immense challenge of curbing these emissions. Instead of seeing an insurmountable problem, he saw a potential solution. He wondered: what if we could use this excess carbon as a raw material? This simple yet profound question became the seed for his life’s work.
Alongside his childhood friend and future business partner, Kenton Kimmel, Herrema dove into years of intensive research in a small Irvine garage. With backgrounds in politics and neuroscience (Kimmel’s field), not biochemistry, they were true outsiders. They spent nearly a decade and invested their life savings into perfecting a biological process that could efficiently capture carbon and hydrogen from air and greenhouse gas to form a natural polymer.
Career: The Long Road to AirCarbon and Newlight Technologies
The founding of Newlight Technologies in 2003 was just the beginning. The real challenge was the science. The journey from concept to commercial-scale production was a grueling marathon of trial, error, and near-bankruptcy.
The Scientific Breakthrough
The core technology Herrema and Kimmel developed involves using specially engineered microorganisms (a biocatalyst) that consume methane and/or carbon dioxide. In a process similar to how trees consume CO2 to grow, these microorganisms convert the captured carbon into a biopolymer—a natural, energy-rich storage material—inside their cells. This polymer is then harvested and purified.
The result is AirCarbon: a material that is carbon-negative. This means its production actually removes more greenhouse gas from the atmosphere than it emits, creating a net environmental benefit. It is also biodegradable in marine and terrestrial environments and performs like traditional plastic, making it a true “drop-in” replacement for oil-based plastics and synthetic fibers.
Commercial Success and Impact
After a decade of R&D, Newlight finally achieved commercial-scale production. The company’s success is measured by the major brands that have adopted AirCarbon:
- Covation Bio PBCÂ (formerly DuPont Biomaterials): A strategic partner to scale and market AirCarbon globally.
- Nike: Uses AirCarbon in some of its footwear lines.
- Target: Sells consumer products made with the material.
- Shuffle: A Newlight brand that makes luxury handbags and wallets from AirCarbon, proving its high-quality, design-forward potential.
- Restore Foodware: Creates compostable straws and cutlery from AirCarbon.
Herrema’s work has not gone unnoticed. Newlight Technologies has been awarded the prestigious Presidential Green Chemistry Award by the EPA and the World Technology Award for Materials.
Personal Life: A Private Life Dedicated to a Public Mission
Mark Herrema is intensely private, especially regarding his family. He is married to a woman named Emily. They reportedly married around 2014 and maintain a life away from the public spotlight. There is little to no information available about children or other family details.
This privacy is a deliberate choice. His public persona is almost entirely defined by his work and his mission to combat climate change. In interviews, he is articulate, passionate, and deeply knowledgeable, always steering the conversation back to the science and the potential of carbon capture technology rather than his personal story.
Net Worth and Legacy
Mark Herrema’s exact net worth is not publicly disclosed, as Newlight Technologies is a privately held company. However, the company has raised significant venture capital—over $125 million from investors including Baidu and Okeanos—and has signed massive offtake agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars. His wealth is likely substantial, but it is clearly secondary to the impact of his work.
His true legacy is still being written. It is not measured in dollars, but in the potential to reshape entire industries—from plastics to fashion to packaging—and create a circular carbon economy. Mark Herrema stands as a powerful example of how relentless innovation, perseverance, and a radical idea can be harnessed to build a more sustainable future for the planet.
