Terraton, a full-stack biochar platform scaling carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in emerging markets, today announced it has raised $11.5 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by Lowercarbon Capital and Gigascale Capital. Participation from leading angel investors included Jeff Dean, Bret Taylor, Pete Koomen, Lars Rasmussen, John Lilly, Tom Stocky, Tim Rann, Ryan Aytay, Matt Portman and Stephanie Hannon. Additional strategic investment came from ANA HOLDINGS INC.'s ANA Future Frontier Fund L.P. and East Japan Railway Company's TAKANAWA GATEWAY Global Co-Benefits Fund L.P. (the general partner of both funds is Global Brain Corporation, a Japanese venture capital firm). The funding will accelerate development and deployment of Terraton’s vertically integrated software platform for biochar production and help expand the company’s generation of high-integrity carbon credits.
Biochar accounts for the majority of carbon removal credits delivered to date and is one of the most scalable, proven methods of durable carbon removal. In 2024 alone, it enabled over 250,000 tonnes of carbon removal, outpacing other approaches thanks to its low cost and co-benefits. For agricultural operations in emerging markets, biochar converts low-value crop waste into stable carbon that improves soil health and generates new income through verified carbon credits. Farmers in these regions face shrinking margins from climate impacts and rising input costs. Biochar helps offset these challenges by turning waste into a valuable resource. However, high upfront costs, operational complexity and limited market access continue to impede broader adoption.
With Terraton, agribusiness operators can get access to financing, technology and the market they need to participate in high-integrity carbon removal, with low upfront investment. This pragmatic approach combines off-the-shelf hardware with proprietary software and systems to quickly scale reliable biochar facilities. Terraton’s first two projects, Three Mountains Cocoa in Ghana has preliminary approval by Puro.earth and EcoFix, a nut processor in Kenya, is under review with Isometric. The two are expected to remove over 20,000 tons of CO₂ annually while benefiting thousands of smallholder farmers through waste payments and improved soil health.
“We’re bridging the divide between high-demand biochar carbon credits and the agribusinesses who produce them, making it easier to bring these valuable credits onto the voluntary carbon market,” said Kevin Gibbs, CEO of Terraton. “By removing upfront costs and complexity, Terraton’s full-stack platform empowers these businesses to diversify revenue streams while meeting growing market demand. This funding will accelerate our ability to scale impact for both farmers and the carbon removal economy.”
Terraton also announced that Kate Maher, a distinguished professor of Earth system science at Stanford University, has joined the company as its first scientific advisor. Professor Maher is a noted expert on biochar, soil science and climate systems. Her expertise will guide Terraton toward achieving the highest scientific rigor as it moves toward full-scale commercialization.
"Scaling biochar gives agricultural producers a new revenue stream while capturing carbon, and Terraton is uniquely positioned to connect these producers to global carbon markets,” said Mike Schroepfer, founder of Gigascale Capital. Led by an exceptional second-time founding team, Terraton brings deep technical expertise, global agricultural sourcing experience and a proven track record building scaled businesses."
In a further vote of confidence, Terraset, a nonprofit climate fund that catalyzes early-stage carbon removal through philanthropic capital, has committed to a six-figure carbon credit pre-purchase from the Three Mountains Cocoa project. The pre-purchase accelerates project commissioning while signaling early demand from a trusted, mission-aligned buyer.
About Terraton
Terraton is accelerating one of the most proven solutions in carbon removal: biochar. Its full-stack platform equips agribusiness operators in emerging markets to launch and run profitable biochar businesses by combining software, hardware, financing and access to global carbon buyers. Founded in 2024 by entrepreneurs with successful exits to Salesforce and IDT Corporation, and with deep experience in global agricultural supply chains through Dandelion Chocolate, Terraton is building carbon removal that is regenerative, equitable and scientifically rigorous. Learn more at terraton.ai.
Media Contact
Patrick Mahoney
press@terraton.ai
