Biochar Industrial Group, a climate-tech startup founded by former Releaf Earth executives, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding to expand its carbon removal business in Africa.
The funding round was led by BREEGA, with participation from Catalyst Fund, while the Mulago Foundation provided additional non-dilutive funding.
Biochar Industrial Group, also known as BIG, was founded by Ikenna Nzewi, Uzoma Ayogu and Isaiah Udotong, who previously worked at Releaf Earth, a Y Combinator-backed agro-processing company.
Nzewi serves as the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Ayogu is the Chief Technology Officer, while Udotong is the Chief Operating Officer.
BIG has operated what it describes as Nigeria’s first industrial biochar plant since December 2024, using palm kernel shells and other agricultural waste as feedstock.
The company’s Biochar-as-a-Service model allows agro-processing companies to convert waste such as nut shells and husks into biochar, a carbon-rich material that can be used to improve soil.
The process also generates carbon removal credits, creating an additional revenue stream from agricultural waste.
The new funding will be used to expand the company’s factory partnerships and scale its Biochar-as-a-Service model across the agricultural processing sector.
Nzewi said Africa has the potential to become a major hub for biomass-based carbon removal because of the continent’s large supply of agricultural waste.
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“Africa has natural advantages to lead the most scalable and cost-effective biomass-based carbon removal globally,” he said.
Africa generates more than one billion tonnes of non-edible agricultural biomass annually, including nut shells, cobs, husks and stalks.
BIG said much of this waste eventually decomposes, releasing carbon dioxide that had been stored by plants during photosynthesis.
The company also points to declining soil fertility as another challenge its model seeks to address, with overuse of farmland and synthetic fertilisers contributing to nutrient depletion.
Oluwatoyin Emmanuel-Olubake, Chief Investment Officer at Catalyst Fund, said BIG’s model addresses several challenges facing agribusinesses while creating new economic opportunities.
“We invested in BIG because it developed an innovative approach to solve multiple problems for agribusinesses critical to African and global economic growth with a single, self-reinforcing model,” she said.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
