Biochar Industrial Group (BIG), a climate-tech company founded by former Releaf Earth executives, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding to scale its model of turning agricultural waste from African food processors into durable carbon-removal credits.
Breega led the round, with participation from the Catalyst Fund. The Mulago Foundation provided non-dilutive funding. The capital will support deployment of pyrolysis equipment, hiring across engineering, operations, logistics and carbon verification, and expansion of partnerships with food-processing plants.
BIG installs and operates continuous pyrolysis systems at factory sites. The equipment heats biomass such as nut shells, husks and cobs at high temperatures in low-oxygen conditions, converting the material into biochar rather than allowing it to decompose or burn. The process locks carbon into a stable form that can persist for centuries. BIG handles financing, operation, measurement, verification and the sale of resulting carbon credits, while processors supply the waste and share in the value created. The physical biochar can also be returned to farmland as a soil amendment
The company targets processors generating at least 2,500 tonnes of suitable waste annually. Africa produces large volumes of non-edible agricultural biomass each year. BIG’s approach aims to turn a disposal challenge into a revenue opportunity for agribusinesses while generating independently verifiable carbon-removal credits for international buyers.
Founders Ikenna Nzewi, Uzoma Ayogu and Isaiah Udotong previously built agricultural processing infrastructure at Releaf Earth, where biochar production already generated verified credits sold to buyers. BIG plans to extend that operational model across Sub-Saharan Africa, selecting sites based on available biomass rather than limiting itself to specific countries.
Demand for high-quality, durable carbon-removal credits continues to grow as companies and governments seek permanent solutions beyond traditional offsets. BIG’s industrial-scale, factory-sited approach is designed to deliver audit-grade credits while addressing local waste and soil-health issues. The pre-seed funding positions the company to move from early operations toward broader deployment.
