Climate Startup Alt Carbon Secures $12M for CO₂ Removal in India
- Alt Carbon raised $12M in seed funding to scale carbon removal via enhanced rock weathering in India.
- The startup targets 500,000 hectares and 5M tons of CO₂ removed by 2030, offering high-quality, traceable carbon credits.
- These funds will support R&D, soil analysis, and expansion of climate-resilient agriculture across South Asia.
Alt Carbon, a climate-tech startup founded by siblings Shrey and Sparsh Agarwal, has secured $12 million in seed funding to accelerate its carbon dioxide removal operations across India.
The round was led by Lachy Groom, co-founder of Physical Intelligence, with participation from Shastra VC and several angel investors.
The company’s journey began in 2020, when the Agarwals sought to save their family’s struggling tea estate in Darjeeling. Their exploration of carbon markets led to the founding of Alt Carbon in 2023, with a mission to transform farmlands into carbon sinks using enhanced rock weathering.
This process involves spreading waste basalt rock dust from mines onto agricultural fields, where it reacts with rainwater to sequester CO₂ and enrich soil health.
The startup’s proprietary “Hari Maati” blend combines basalt with organic ingredients to encourage farmer adoption.
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Alt Carbon aims to expand its operations to 500,000 hectares and remove 5 million tons of carbon by 2030. The company’s carbon credits are priced at $270 per ton, significantly lower than direct air capture alternatives.
Its three-layer measurement system, including machine learning models, ensures rigorous monitoring of carbon removal.
Alt Carbon’s protocols align with global registries and have received validation from organisations like SBTi and Puro.earth.
With labs in Darjeeling and Bengaluru and a team of 25, Alt Carbon will use the new funding to scale R&D, enhance data collection, and expand its reach across South Asia.
Edited by Annette George
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