Biochar Industrial Group (BIG), founded by former Releaf executives, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding led by BREEGA with participation from Catalyst Fund and Mulago Foundation. The startup will deploy pyrolysis equipment at food-processing facilities across Africa to convert agricultural waste like nut shells, husks, and cobs into biochar, which stores carbon and can be sold as soil amendment. The company plans to generate independently auditable carbon-removal credits for international buyers, targeting large processors producing at least 2,500 tonnes of waste annually. BIG's model, called Biochar-as-a-Service, has the company finance and operate the pyrolysis units on-site while factories supply waste and share the value. The team is using digital monitoring, reporting, and verification systems to create data trails for carbon credits. The move addresses Africa's 3 billion tonnes of annual agricultural waste and degraded soils, while tapping into a biochar market projected to exceed $450 million in the Middle East and Africa by 2032. The company has visited sites across West Africa and plans to expand wherever biomass is available.
