India’s Varaha bags $20M to scale carbon removal from the Global South
Summary
Varaha secures fresh funding in a $45 million Series B round, spearheaded by WestBridge Capital. This investment marks a significant milestone for the company, enhancing its growth potential and strategic initiatives in the market.
Key Insights
What is biochar and how does Varaha use it for carbon removal?
Biochar is a carbon-rich solid produced by pyrolyzing biomass in the absence of oxygen, locking carbon in soil for centuries or millennia while improving soil fertility. Varaha converts agricultural waste like cotton stalks and invasive plants into biochar via industrial reactors, distributes it back to smallholder farmers as a soil amendment, and issues validated carbon credits through platforms like Puro.Earth.
What is the Global South in the context of Varaha's carbon removal efforts?
The Global South refers to developing economies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, including India, Nepal, and Bangladesh where Varaha operates over 20 projects spanning more than 1 million acres with smallholder farmers to scale carbon removal via biochar, regenerative agriculture, and enhanced rock weathering.