Irvine, CA – June 30, 2026 – Atoco, a deep technology company pioneering water harvesting and carbon capture based on Nobel Prize-winning science, is pleased to announce that its Founder and Chief Science Officer, Nobel laureate Prof. Omar Yaghi, has been selected as a member of the 2026 Class of Great Immigrants, Great Americans by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. The tribute, launched by the foundation more than 20 years ago, is celebrated every Fourth of July.
Established in 2006, the Great Immigrants, Great Americans initiative honors distinguished naturalized American citizens whose contributions have enriched society and strengthened democracy. Prof. Yaghi is widely regarded as one of the most influential chemists of his generation. He is the founder of reticular chemistry and the inventor of reticular materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) which can be designed with atomic precision to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our century. His decades of pioneering research led to the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2025.
That work is deeply personal. It traces back to his humble beginnings in a refugee camp in Amman, Jordan, without running water or electricity. What began as lived experience of scarcity has since become a lifelong scientific mission to solve it. “America gave me the freedom and resources to pursue science without boundaries,” said Prof. Yaghi. “I have tried to repay that gift by doing work that matters, work that I hope will one day help provide clean water and a cleaner planet for people everywhere.”
At Atoco, Prof. Yaghi’s research is being translated into transformative real-world solutions. Atoco tackles both the causes and consequences of climate change with atmospheric water harvesting and carbon capture technologies based on Prof. Yaghi’s nano-engineered reticular materials. “Omar’s journey, from a refugee camp in Jordan to the frontiers of chemistry and the Nobel Prize, is an inspiration to scientists, entrepreneurs, and immigrants everywhere,” said Dr. Samer Taha, CEO of Atoco. “At Atoco, we have the privilege of building on his life’s work every day, and we are committed to turning that science into solutions that create real and lasting impact in the world.”
About Atoco
Founded in 2020 by Nobel Laureate Prof. Omar Yaghi, Atoco is a deep-tech and climate-tech company that is tackling climate change by offering resilient, sustainable, and transformative solutions designed with atomic precision. The company utilizes latest advancements and breakthroughs in molecularly engineered reticular materials to design and develop solutions for atmospheric water harvesting and CO₂ capture. With these innovations, Atoco seeks to address two critical challenges facing our planet: water scarcity and carbon emissions. Atoco’s primary laboratories and manufacturing facility are located in Irvine, California.
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Timo Gass