Key Takeaways
- Rize, a Southeast Asian sustainable rice platform, has closed a $31 million Series B round comprising $20 million in equity and $11 million in debt financing, bringing its total funding to date to $47 million.
- The equity raise was led by BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts, joined by The Rockefeller Foundation and existing investors Temasek and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, with debt financing from UOB, BIDV and Temasek Foundation.
- Rize has scaled operations tenfold in two years, now working with 17,000 smallholder farmers across more than 50,000 hectares in Vietnam and Indonesia, and aims to reach 300,000 hectares and 150,000 farmers by 2030.
- The company's Alternate Wetting and Drying irrigation method can cut methane emissions from rice cultivation by up to 50%, reduce water use by 20-30% and raise farmer income by up to 30% without reducing yield.
- Rize has already shipped 1,500 metric tons of low-emission rice to buyers in Europe, Canada, Australia and Singapore, and its carbon project has received a BeZero Carbon ex ante rating of “A.pre.”
Rize Raises $31 Million Series B to Scale Sustainable Rice Farming
Rize, which describes itself as Southeast Asia's leading sustainable rice platform, has announced the close of a $31 million Series B funding round, comprising $20 million in equity and $11 million in debt financing. The round brings together a coalition of climate-focused and development finance investors committed to scaling Rize's model across Vietnam, Indonesia and the wider region. With the new funding, Rize aims to scale its impact to more than 300,000 hectares and support over 150,000 smallholder farmers by 2030, strengthening climate-resilient agriculture across Southeast Asia.
Investors Behind the Round
The equity raise is led by BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts and joined by The Rockefeller Foundation, alongside renewed commitments from existing investors Temasek and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Debt financing is provided by BIDV, Temasek Foundation and UOB. The raise brings Rize's total funding to date to $47 million. Rize emerged in late 2022 from a shared vision between Temasek, 100×100 and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, with 100×100 playing a key role in the company's early-stage build.
“This is a very special moment for Rize. Our platform and approach for transforming and modernising rice cultivation by small holder farmers is getting a big thumbs up by all – the investors, partners and farmers. The team at Rize has successfully woven together positive climate impact and improving farmer resilience into the fabric and foundation of our solutions and business. This investment allows us to unlock the next phase of growth by further expanding scale, investing in market linkage and exports, and cutting edge technologies to deliver better decision making, better productivity, and better outcomes across the whole value-chain. This is more than just a funding milestone. It is recognition of the foundation Rize has built and a clear signal that we are ready to create a more connected, resilient, and sustainable food system for small holder farmers,” said Dhruv Sawhney, Co-Founder and CEO of Rize.
How the Series B Funding Will Be Used
Rize said the round will be deployed across export expansion, AI-powered tools for farmers and field teams, carbon and innovation initiatives, and organizational growth. Specifically, the company plans to strengthen market linkages into export markets through value-chain traceability, scale up adoption of its Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method and Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) compliance, invest further in AI-powered tools for farmers and field teams, expand into new markets beyond Vietnam and Indonesia, and open its platform to new ecosystem partners, including input, service and agri-tech providers.
“We see our investment in Rize as reflective of our conviction that capital deployed into high-impact, durable platforms in underserved markets can deliver meaningful and measurable environmental outcomes to help address climate challenges. Rize has positioned itself at the intersection of sustainable agriculture, carbon finance, and verified commodity trade; very much aligned to our strategy to protect, restore, and sustainably manage natural ecosystems while delivering competitive financial returns for investors,” said Alexandre Martin-Min, Head of Natural Capital and Impact Investments at BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts.
Cutting Methane Emissions Through AWD Rice Farming
Rice cultivation is responsible for approximately 12% of global methane emissions, a climate footprint the company compares to that of the entire aviation industry. Rize addresses this through Alternate Wetting and Drying, an irrigation method endorsed by the International Rice Research Institute and CGIAR that reduces methane emissions by up to 50%, cuts water consumption by 20-30% and increases farmer income by up to 30%, without reducing yield. Rize also works to ensure its rice meets Maximum Residue Limit standards required by premium export markets. The company now works with 17,000 smallholder farmers across more than 50,000 hectares in Vietnam and Indonesia, supported by a team of 250 people on the ground across technology, agronomy and field operations.
“Small shareholder farmers across Asia face challenges with resource management, access to financing, and unreliable market access, leading to lower agricultural yields and reduced farmer welfare. We are proud to support Rize's efforts to promote the adoption of tech-enabled regenerative practices, ultimately driving higher yields and increasing incomes for those who need help the most,” said Slav Gatchev, Vice President of Innovative Finance at The Rockefeller Foundation.
Rize's Verified Carbon Impact and Export Growth
Rize's emissions reductions are independently verified. The company's Sustainable Rice Production in South East and South Asia project has received a BeZero Carbon ex ante rating of “A.pre,” with low project execution risk, indicating a high likelihood that future issued credits will achieve one tonne of CO2e avoided or removed. BeZero's benchmarking places an equivalent A rating within the top 30% of ex post global Soil Carbon and Agriculture project ratings, and within the top 11% of ex post global Nature-Based Solutions ratings. The project is also progressing through Gold Standard certification, with more than 1 million credits forecast over the next five years. Rize's low-emission rice is fully traceable to field level, and the company has already completed initial export shipments totaling 1,500 metric tons to buyers in Europe, Canada, Australia and Singapore.
