Key Takeaways:
- Applied Carbon secured $21.5 million in a Series A funding round led by TO VC.
- The funding will support the deployment of biochar machines across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
- Applied Carbon’s technology converts crop waste into biochar, offering a durable carbon removal solution and enhancing soil health.
- Biochar can remove gigatons of CO2 annually, providing significant value to farmers and the environment.
- Applied Carbon was named a top-20 global finalist in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition and a semifinalist in the DOE’s CO2 Removal Purchase Pilot Prize.
Applied Carbon Secures Major Investment to Scale Biochar Production
Applied Carbon, a pioneering technology company specializing in automated biochar production, has announced the successful closure of a $21.5 million Series A funding round. This round was led by TO VC, with participation from Congruent Ventures, Grantham Foundation, Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, S2G Ventures, Overture.vc, Wireframe Ventures, Autodesk Foundation, Anglo American, Susquehanna Foundation, US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, and Elemental Excelerator. The new funds will be used to deploy a fleet of biochar machines across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, delivering high durability carbon removal and agricultural services.
Innovative Biochar Technology
Formerly known as Climate Robotics, Applied Carbon has developed an in-field solution that collects agricultural crop residue post-harvest and converts it into biochar in a single pass. This mobile, high-tech solution enhances soil health, improves agronomic productivity, and reduces the need for lime and fertilizers while providing a durable carbon removal and storage solution. The biochar is deposited directly back onto the field, eliminating the need for bulk material transport and significantly reducing costs.
Significant Carbon Removal Potential
Biochar is recognized for its potential to remove gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually, creating substantial value for farmers and the environment. Jason Aramburu, co-founder and CEO of Applied Carbon, emphasized the transformative potential of their technology: “Applied Carbon’s patented in-field biochar production system is the first solution that can convert crop waste into biochar at a scale and cost that makes sense for broad acre farming.”
Efficiency and Flexibility
Applied Carbon’s technology features a self-contained trailer that processes crop residue into biochar through high-temperature pyrolysis. The final product is quenched with water, supplemented with nutrients and microbes as needed, and spread directly onto the field. This efficient process can also operate in an edge-of-field configuration, providing flexibility to address diverse crop wastes year-round.
Industry Support and Impact
The biochar sector has long been scrutinized for its potential environmental benefits. Joshua Posamentier, co-founder and managing partner of Congruent Ventures, highlighted the compelling nature of Applied Carbon’s approach: “It profitably swings the agricultural sector from carbon positive to carbon negative and can achieve world-scale impact on a meaningful timeline while saving farmers money.”
Carbon Removal Verification
Applied Carbon’s biochar represents a significant opportunity for durable carbon removal. In 2023, over 90% of durable carbon removal sold to commercial buyers was derived from biochar. Applied Carbon’s precision automation and data monitoring system ensures best-in-class monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), critical for transparent engagement with large-scale carbon removal buyers.
Strategic Vision and Recognition
Joshua Phitoussi, co-founder and managing partner at TO VC, underscored the importance of biochar in addressing climate change: “Biochar is unique in its potential to sequester carbon at a permanence and price point conducive to mass-scale adoption. Applied Carbon turns that potential into reality.”
Applied Carbon’s innovative approach has received significant recognition. The company was named a top-20 global finalist in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition and a semifinalist in the Department of Energy’s CO2 Removal Purchase Pilot Prize, receiving $50,000 to scale its CO2 removal solution.
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