CarbonZero.Eco, a Silicon Valley-based VC-backed startup focused on regenerative agriculture and carbon dioxide removal, has announced its emergence from stealth mode along with a US$ 3.5 million seed funding round. The company, founded by 16-year-old CEO Harper Moss and experienced tech entrepreneur Gregory Ray as CTO, aims to expand the use of biochar in farming to enhance soil health, increase crop yields and sequester carbon.
The funding round includes investments from high-profile managers and executives at Google, Meta and Amazon, as well as the CEOs of several late-stage startups. CarbonZero.Eco has also secured contracts worth US$ 7 million with over 300 almond farms in Colusa County and Yolo County, California, to process agricultural waste into biochar, a material that stabilizes carbon and prevents its release into the atmosphere. The initiative is expected to mitigate up to 1.5 million tons of CO2 emissions from waste decomposition.
Angel investor Rich Miner, co-founder of Android and former founding partner at Google Ventures, praised Harper Moss for her dedication.
“Harper’s passion, persistence and drive led her to start an amazing company tackling regenerative farming and carbon emissions at a critical time for both, and I am so excited to see how far she takes it along with Greg and the impressive team they have put together.”
CarbonZero.Eco’s First Biochar Production Facility
CarbonZero.Eco is preparing to launch its first biochar production site in Colusa County, California, a region known for almond processing. The facility, slated to begin operations in late April 2025, will convert almond shells into biochar, preventing them from decomposing and releasing carbon dioxide.
Puro.earth, a leading carbon crediting platform, has assessed the planned facility and registered CarbonZero.Eco as a supplier of biochar-based CO2 Removal Certificates. The company expects to begin generating these certificates in the summer of 2025.
“Harper pitched our ownership group and convinced us that she would build a business model that we would all benefit from,” said Dan Pronsolino, General manager, Cortina Hulling and Shelling. “We look forward to working with her and Greg to increase crop yields, improve soil health and create additional revenue for the more than 300 local growers we serve. We are excited to be the first location for CarbonZero.Eco and hope that others learn from what we are doing here.”
Biochar as a Solution for Agricultural Waste and Climate Change
Each year, over 1.3 billion tons of agricultural waste is generated worldwide, and is likely to expand further as food production increases to meet global demand. Current waste management methods, including landfilling and incineration, contribute to approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and release toxic pollutants.
Biochar, a form of charcoal created by heating organic material in a low-oxygen environment, provides a method of stabilizing carbon within biomass, preventing its release during decomposition. This process not only removes carbon from the atmosphere but also generates valuable carbon removal certificates that can be traded in carbon markets.
Research spanning more than 6,000 studies has demonstrated that biochar improves soil fertility and enhances crop yields. CarbonZero.Eco is leveraging this scientific backing to introduce biochar production at scale, starting with its partnership with almond farmers in California. By converting up to 1.5 million tons of almond shells—material that would otherwise decompose within two years and release carbon dioxide into biochar, the company aims to make a lasting impact on both agriculture and climate change.
Also read: Biochar: Modernizing Indian Agriculture with Ancient Wisdom
A Mission to Expand Biochar Use Across Farmland
CarbonZero.Eco CEO Harper Moss and CTO Gregory Ray have set an ambitious goal of bringing biochar to the 525 million acres of farmland across the United States that could benefit from its regenerative properties. The potential demand for biochar in U.S. agriculture is estimated at over 2.6 billion tons per year, but adoption has been limited by production constraints and logistical challenges.
To address these issues, CarbonZero.Eco strategically located its first production facility near a central hub where almond farms already gather their biomass, minimizing transportation needs and maximizing the efficiency of biochar production.
Moss first envisioned the company at age 15, driven by a desire to create an environmentally sustainable business that would also provide tangible benefits to farmers. Recognizing the lack of widespread biochar use in California’s 8.5 million acres of farmland, she set out to introduce its advantages to growers who had not previously considered it as a soil enhancement and carbon sequestration tool.
“Farmers are the beating heart of our country, yet haven’t been a big enough part of the carbon conversation before. Regenerative farming and carbon sequestration go hand in hand thanks to biochar, and I am humbled that hundreds of farms trust us enough to partner with us on this journey.”
With its first facility set to begin operations in 2025 and further expansion on the horizon, CarbonZero.Eco is positioned to play a growing role in the agricultural sector’s shift toward more sustainable and carbon-conscious practices.