Latest news with #MatiCarbon
Business Times
15-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
From policy to pilots: Apac's growing influence in carbon removal
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) – a diverse set of pathways that pull carbon from the atmosphere – is gaining traction as a critical climate tool alongside reduction of emissions. But beyond environmental benefits, it's also emerging as an economic opportunity: creating jobs, attracting investment, and delivering community-level impact. As carbon removal moves from research to real-world deployment, the Asia-Pacific (Apac) region has the opportunity to lead. Momentum in the region is building through bold corporate commitments, enabling policies, and partnerships. In just the past few months, India's Mati Carbon secured US$50 million through the XPRIZE Carbon Removal; Japan's Mizuho joined the NextGen CDR portfolio to aggregate long-term demand; Japanese trading company Sojitz Corporation deployed capital into CDR markets in the US; and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines signed a deal with Climeworks to scale removals. Events like Ecosperity Week and the inaugural APAC CDR Summit in Singapore further underscore the rising regional focus. As more companies and governments make early bets on CDR, Apac is positioned to shape how the global carbon removal market evolves. With diverse ecosystems, corporate leadership, and supportive policy frameworks, Apac has the building blocks needed to lead. By coordinating across sectors and borders, the region can not only scale climate solutions but also define credible, investable markets that generate long-term economic value. Corporate demand is catalysing market confidence A recent Boston Consulting Group report found that Asia is well-positioned to lead carbon credit origination – particularly for nature- and bio-based pathways – due to its ecological diversity and availability of agricultural by-products. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up This makes the region attractive to companies looking to invest in high-quality carbon credits, and is driving the early demand needed to scale CDR. An increasing number of corporations in Apac are stepping up. Japan's Mizuho recently joined the NextGen CDR portfolio, developed by South Pole and Mitsubishi Corporation, to pool long-term demand and catalyse investment. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, a leading Japanese shipping firm, was an early participant in NextGen and has since purchased 55,000 tons of carbon removal, including a recent agreement with Climeworks to remove 13,400 tons of CO2 by 2030. As South Pole recently shared: 'Companies see value in securing high-quality removal credits now – not only to hedge against future compliance costs, but also to demonstrate environmental leadership.' This wave of corporate activity is helping position Apac as a proving ground for climate credibility and commercial viability. India's supply engine is also gaining traction. CDR startups like Varaha, Alt Carbon, and Mati Carbon have secured pilot deals with buyers like Google, Frontier, and Mitsubishi – evidence that corporates aren't just participating in the CDR market, but actively shaping it. Mati's recent XPRIZE win will help scale its enhanced rock weathering operations, which store carbon and support farmer livelihoods, an example of carbon removal as a rural economic driver. Cross-border partnerships are creating a regional ecosystem As national frameworks take shape, cross-border collaboration is accelerating. In Japan, a consortium including Mitsubishi, ENEOS, and Tokio Marine has teamed up with Canada's MaRS Discovery District to launch a buyer education platform that aims to reduce early market risk and encourage CDR credit purchases. Japan's Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM) is also advancing international cooperation with countries like India. By allowing Japan to count verified reductions from partner nations toward its own climate goals, JCM is creating incentives that align local development with global impact, and could evolve to accommodate international CDR credits. These efforts help build confidence in the market and expand the economic opportunity across the region. Regionally tailored Innovation is gaining ground Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, carbon removal efforts in Apac are tailored to local conditions and resources. In India and Australia, farmers are turning agricultural waste into biochar, a substance that stores carbon, improves soil health, and creates new revenue streams for farmers. Researchers in South-east Asia, including at Nanyang Technological University, are piloting enhanced rock weathering, to accelerate natural carbon sequestration that happens through rocks. Singapore and New Zealand are advancing ocean-based solutions through pilot facilities and field trials, while Japan is exploring the role of bioenergy power plants. Direct Air Capture research is also expanding across the region. To ensure these efforts are credible and transparent, local monitoring, reporting and verification systems are starting to emerge. These tailored approaches are laying the foundation for carbon removal solutions that align with local development goals, support livelihoods, and unlock long-term value. Apac can help define carbon removal's next chapter To support and spotlight this regional momentum, the Carbon Business Council and co-hosted the APAC CDR Summit in Singapore – convening government, corporate, and research leaders to elevate credible innovation and accelerate market growth. The goal: build high-integrity CDR markets that are coordinated, transparent, and scalable. That won't happen on its own. But the early signals from Apac are encouraging. With sustained investment, enabling policy, and deeper cross-sector collaboration, the region can help define what credible, scalable carbon removal looks like – and play a leading role in shaping its global future. Ben Rubin is executive director, Carbon Business Council, and Alvin Lee is head of supply,
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Startup awarded $50 million for volcanic rock technique with potential to address growing crisis: 'This … is going to go a long way'
What if fighting the changing climate was as easy as spreading dust on a field? Mati Carbon, a startup using crushed volcanic rock to pull carbon from the air and strengthen soil, just won the $50 million Xprize for Carbon Removal, TechCrunch reported. The win is turning heads across the climate tech world. Mati's technology is based on a naturally occurring process called enhanced rock weathering. The company grinds up basalt, a volcanic rock, into fine dust, which is then spread across farmland. As the rock weathers, it reacts with CO2 in the air and locks it away in mineral form for thousands of years, all while enriching soil and improving crop yields. "This material is the difference between having a crop and having no crop," Mati founder and CEO Shantanu Agarwal said. "We've seen that in Zambia this year. There were farmers who put this in half of the field — and half of the field was like normal — and there was no crop [in the] normal half because everything died because there was a drought." While the idea sounds low-tech, that's exactly its advantage. Enhanced rock weathering doesn't require fancy machinery or rare minerals. Basalt is widely available, often as a byproduct of construction, and the process itself has been happening in nature for millions of years. Mati's innovation is that the company found a way to scale it for modern agriculture. Mati provides the basalt dust to farmers at no cost, funding the program through carbon credit sales and grant funding. "You deploy that into carbon removal, you get more than a gigaton of removal every year while increasing income of these farmers who are extremely poor," Agarwal said. By Mati's estimates, around 200 million smallholder farms across low-income countries (covering nearly 900 million acres) could benefit from this soil-boosting, carbon-sequestering dust. The company's approach is especially appealing because it solves multiple problems at once, pulling carbon from the air, reviving degraded farmland, improving water retention, and boosting productivity — up to 70% in struggling soils. All this could also mean more income and food security for farmers in places such as Zambia, India, and Tanzania, where Mati is already operating. To scale faster, Mati is offering free licenses to its enterprise platform for any organization willing to share at least 50% of profits with the farmers they serve. "I want to build a market mechanism and scale a nonprofit to global scale, which allows for a large portion of the value to accrue [to] the farmer," Agarwal said. "This Xprize is going to go a long way to push us in that direction." By the early 2030s, Mati hopes to sell carbon credits for under $100 per ton — a competitive price point in the carbon removal market. In the long run, it wants to go even lower. The startup expects to deliver up to 6,000 tons' worth of credits in 2025. And with fresh funding from the Xprize, Mati is one big step closer to turning farmland into one of the most powerful climate action tools. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's $100M Climate Gamble: Houston's Mati Carbon Wins $50M With Rock Dust Hack To Save 100M Farmers Across 3 Continents
Mati Carbon, a climate-tech startup based in Houston, just walked away with $50 million in prize money from the Elon Musk-backed XPrize Carbon Removal competition. The company announced the win, highlighting it as a major step toward scaling its carbon removal efforts globally. The funding positions Mati at the forefront of a massive shift in how carbon is removed from the atmosphere by spreading pulverized rock on farmland. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Founded in 2022, Mati Carbon's rock weathering method caught the attention of investors, scientists, and climate advocates alike. The startup's goal is to remove carbon dioxide from the air while boosting crop yields for smallholder farmers across India, Tanzania, and Zambia. Mati's process is simple. It grinds basalt rock into a fine dust and then applies it to agricultural land. As rainwater and natural weather conditions interact with the basalt, the rock binds with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and turns it into a stable form of carbon stored in the soil. As the basalt breaks down, it releases vital minerals that re-mineralize depleted soil. Farmers see yield increases and stronger crops without paying anything upfront. Mati provides the service at no cost. The startup is already on track to work with 30,000 farmers by the end of this year, and founder and CEO Shantanu Agarwal said in an interview with Time last week, the goal is to reach 100 million globally by 2040. In many cases, this method increases yields by 25% to 70%, depending on the condition of the soil, Agarwal told TechCrunch. Trending: Donald Trump just announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure deal — . The XPrize Foundation, funded by Musk's Musk Foundation, awarded Mati Carbon the $50 million prize as part of a broader $100 million initiative to accelerate carbon removal technologies. While the backing from Musk gives the award high-profile visibility, it also brings some scrutiny. Climate policy expert Wil Burns, who helped design the XPrize guidelines, expressed concern in an interview with Politico, saying Musk's funding of this prize while pushing for research cuts in other areas taints the credibility of the initiative. Still, the prize remains one of the largest ever awarded for climate innovation. Agarwal sees this win as validation. "Being named the grand prize winner of XPrize Carbon Removal is not just a validation of our approach to [carbon dioxide removal], it also represents a major catalyst to building out the science and infrastructure needed to deliver on our mission – generating climate resilience and economic empowerment for the more than 100 million smallholder farmers in developing economies worldwide," Agarwal said in a company's method is also being recognized for meeting all the core criteria of the XPrize competition: operational feasibility, long-term sustainability, and low cost per ton of carbon removed. Mati is already scaling its operations. With $50 million in hand, they plan to build out logistics, expand partnerships with farmers, and continue refining their carbon tracking software. The team uses a tech-forward system to monitor and verify carbon drawdown and soil improvement. This precision allows them to scale across vastly different geographies while maintaining impact integrity. Mati Carbon's win comes at a moment when many climate startups are struggling to prove effectiveness. By focusing on simplicity, scale, and farmer empowerment, the startup has done what few others have: created a system that benefits people and the planet. Read Next: Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary called Missing Ring his biggest mistake — Don't repeat history—Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Elon Musk's $100M Climate Gamble: Houston's Mati Carbon Wins $50M With Rock Dust Hack To Save 100M Farmers Across 3 Continents originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mati Carbon, AirMiners Launchpad Accelerator Graduate, Wins $50M Carbon Removal Grand Prize
SAN FRANCISCO, April 25, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This week, XPRIZE announced that Mati Carbon, a graduate of the AirMiners Launchpad accelerator program, as the winner of the $50M grand prize in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, the largest single incentive ever offered for climate innovation. The prize recognizes Mati Carbon's enhanced rock weathering process, which converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into stable minerals while improving smallholder farmers' yields and enhancing their livelihoods. Mati Carbon sources basalt dust from aggregate quarries and applies it to cropland. As the basalt weathers, it releases nutrients that raise farm productivity on average by 20 percent and improves soil water retention capacity. Mati Carbon is one of more than 200 carbon removal startups alumni from AirMiners Launchpad accelerator. AirMiners alumni have raised more than $250M of venture funding, grants, and prizes, and secured more than $100M in carbon removal offtakes. "Mati's success sends a clear signal to carbon removal entrepreneurs everywhere. Join a strong community, test fast, learn faster, and you can move the needle on climate," said Tito Jankowski, CEO of AirMiners."AirMiners is proud to have played a part in this journey, and we cannot wait to see Mati scale their carbon removal technology worldwide," he said. "We're incredibly proud of all the teams whose work contributed to significantly advancing the carbon removal industry. The collaboration between XPRIZE and AirMiners shows that strong networks turn bold ideas into real impact. Mati is living proof, and we are excited to see how this momentum accelerates the entire field," said Nikki Batchelor, Executive Director of XPRIZE. "As a proud graduate of AirMiners accelerator, Mati team was able to connect with a community of doers and benefited from the camaraderie. AirMiners structured incubation was also very helpful allowing early stage startups to gain important insights on business building. We are thankful to the whole AirMiners team and the community for being part of our story," said Shantanu Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of Mati Carbon. As part of its vision for reversing climate change, AirMiners provides innovators with the support to rapidly scale their businesses through networking, education and investment, with the ultimate goal of enabling the removal of one billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2030. AirMiners is hosting an online overview of Mati Carbon with CEO Shantanu Agarwal at 2 PM PST on Thursday, May 1st. To attend, register here. After the event, watch the recording here. ABOUT AIRMINERS AirMiners provides the catalytic infrastructure for innovators working to remove a billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2030. To learn more visit follow on Twitter @airminers and LinkedIn. ABOUT MATI CARBON The Mati Carbon project is supported by a US 501(c)(3) non-profit, Swaniti Initiative. Mati accelerates the natural process of rock weathering (ERW) by applying pulverized basalt to croplands of partnered smallholder farmers free of charge. As the pulverized basalt weathers, it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the weathering process releases nutrients from the rock which acts to re-mineralize depleted agricultural soils. This increases crop yields and thus smallholder farmers' incomes. At present, the company is on pace to work with 30,000 farmers in India, Tanzania, and Zambia by the end of 2025. Mati is set on a planetary-scale mission to make ERW a common agricultural practice in order to benefit 100 million smallholder farmers in developing economies over the next 20 years. ABOUT XPRIZE XPRIZE is the recognized global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity's greatest challenges. For over 30 years, our unique model has democratized crowd-sourced innovation and scientifically scalable solutions that accelerate a more equitable and abundant future. Donate, learn more, and co-architect a world of abundance with us at View source version on Contacts FOR MORE INFORMATION:Marie Domingomarie@ (650) 888-5642for AirMiners Stacy (970) 819-0839for AirMiners Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Mati Carbon, AirMiners Launchpad Accelerator Graduate, Wins $50M Carbon Removal Grand Prize
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This week, XPRIZE announced that Mati Carbon, a graduate of the AirMiners Launchpad accelerator program, as the winner of the $50M grand prize in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, the largest single incentive ever offered for climate innovation. The prize recognizes Mati Carbon's enhanced rock weathering process, which converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into stable minerals while improving smallholder farmers' yields and enhancing their livelihoods. 'As a proud graduate of AirMiners accelerator, Mati team was able to connect with a community of doers and benefited from the camaraderie," said Shantanu Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of Mati Carbon. Mati Carbon sources basalt dust from aggregate quarries and applies it to cropland. As the basalt weathers, it releases nutrients that raise farm productivity on average by 20 percent and improves soil water retention capacity. Mati Carbon is one of more than 200 carbon removal startups alumni from AirMiners Launchpad accelerator. AirMiners alumni have raised more than $250M of venture funding, grants, and prizes, and secured more than $100M in carbon removal offtakes. 'Mati's success sends a clear signal to carbon removal entrepreneurs everywhere. Join a strong community, test fast, learn faster, and you can move the needle on climate,' said Tito Jankowski, CEO of AirMiners.'AirMiners is proud to have played a part in this journey, and we cannot wait to see Mati scale their carbon removal technology worldwide,' he said. 'We're incredibly proud of all the teams whose work contributed to significantly advancing the carbon removal industry. The collaboration between XPRIZE and AirMiners shows that strong networks turn bold ideas into real impact. Mati is living proof, and we are excited to see how this momentum accelerates the entire field,' said Nikki Batchelor, Executive Director of XPRIZE. 'As a proud graduate of AirMiners accelerator, Mati team was able to connect with a community of doers and benefited from the camaraderie. AirMiners structured incubation was also very helpful allowing early stage startups to gain important insights on business building. We are thankful to the whole AirMiners team and the community for being part of our story,' said Shantanu Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of Mati Carbon. As part of its vision for reversing climate change, AirMiners provides innovators with the support to rapidly scale their businesses through networking, education and investment, with the ultimate goal of enabling the removal of one billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2030. AirMiners is hosting an online overview of Mati Carbon with CEO Shantanu Agarwal at 2 PM PST on Thursday, May 1st. To attend, register here. After the event, watch the recording here. ABOUT AIRMINERS AirMiners provides the catalytic infrastructure for innovators working to remove a billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2030. To learn more visit follow on Twitter @airminers and LinkedIn. ABOUT MATI CARBON The Mati Carbon project is supported by a US 501(c)(3) non-profit, Swaniti Initiative. Mati accelerates the natural process of rock weathering (ERW) by applying pulverized basalt to croplands of partnered smallholder farmers free of charge. As the pulverized basalt weathers, it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the weathering process releases nutrients from the rock which acts to re-mineralize depleted agricultural soils. This increases crop yields and thus smallholder farmers' incomes. At present, the company is on pace to work with 30,000 farmers in India, Tanzania, and Zambia by the end of 2025. Mati is set on a planetary-scale mission to make ERW a common agricultural practice in order to benefit 100 million smallholder farmers in developing economies over the next 20 years. ABOUT XPRIZE XPRIZE is the recognized global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity's greatest challenges. For over 30 years, our unique model has democratized crowd-sourced innovation and scientifically scalable solutions that accelerate a more equitable and abundant future. Donate, learn more, and co-architect a world of abundance with us at
