Cultivo

What Cultivo does

Cultivo is a Berkeley, California-based Public Benefit Corporation founded in 2019 by Manuel Piñuela and James Clifton to scale private investment into nature-based regeneration projects. The company operates an AI-powered natural capital investment platform that connects landowners with institutional investors and corporate carbon buyers, with a pipeline of 532 project sites spanning 196 million hectares across grasslands, forests, wetlands, mangroves, and biochar systems. Cultivo's three core commercial offerings are: (1) Invest in Nature, providing enterprise investors with curated pipeline access, AI-driven screening, due diligence, and SPV structuring targeting 10-15% IRRs over 10 years; (2) Remove Carbon, selling high-integrity nature-based carbon credits to corporate offtakers via spot transactions and multi-year forward offtake agreements; and (3) Build Land Resilience, financing regenerative land projects for private landowners, businesses, and NGOs. Direct enterprise sales targeting institutional investors, pension funds, asset managers, and multinational corporations are supplemented by a self-serve digital platform for landowner project submissions.

The company's technology stack combines 10m-resolution geospatial analysis, satellite Earth observation, machine learning, ground-truth field data, generative AI, and domain-trained AI agents to compress land assessments from months to minutes and automate due diligence workflows. An integration with the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) layers Key Biodiversity Area identifiers, Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metrics, and IUCN Red List data on top of the platform's natural capital output. Research validation runs through a partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the production stack is hosted on Google Cloud infrastructure.

Cultivo generates revenue through professional services for structuring investments into Special Purpose Vehicles, transaction fees on carbon credit sales, and recurring revenue from long-term offtake agreements that lock in multi-year credit supply. The company has raised approximately $54M+ across a $14M Series A (Jan 2024), an initial $40M Octopus Energy Generation commitment (Jan 2024), a $60M partnership extension (Mar 2026), and a $19M SEC exempt offering ($14M sold, Dec 2025), with the Kateri grasslands project developer acquired in December 2025 contributing an additional ~650,000 acres of signed U.S. pipeline.

Name

Cultivo

Legal name

Cultivo Land PBC

Website

https://cultivo.land

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cultivo is a Public Benefit Corporation operating an AI-powered natural capital investment platform that connects landowners with institutional investors and corporate carbon buyers, financing nature-based regeneration projects across grasslands, forests, and wetlands globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Capital Investment and Carbon Removal

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Assessment / Valuation (EUAHAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES) (IMAMAJAK), Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG), Field Mapping, GIS & Remote Sensing Analytics (AFAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Nature-based solutions
• Carbon removal credits
• Natural capital investment
• Regenerative land management
• Biodiversity assessment platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Nature-based Project Investment Structuring: Structuring investments in nature-based projects as infrastructure assets, creating Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), and providing comprehensive investment services including origination, screening, due diligence, and monitoring for institutional investors and financial institutions.
2. Carbon Credits Sales: Generating revenue from sale of high-integrity nature-based carbon removal credits through spot transactions and multi-year forward offtake agreements. Projects include grasslands management, afforestation, agroforestry, improved forest management, mangrove restoration, and biochar.
3. Offtake Agreements: Long-term offtake agreements securing future supply of carbon removal credits, providing revenue visibility and enabling project financing. Carbon credits locked through multi-year forward agreements.
4. Ecosystem Services Payments: Multiple revenue streams for landowners including carbon credits, water offsets, and products generated from land such as timber or food. Revenue sharing arrangements with land stewards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Cultivo operates an AI-powered natural capital investment platform that sources, screens, structures, and monitors nature-based regeneration projects for institutional investors and corporations. The company provides access to exclusive pipelines of nature-based projects (grasslands, forests, wetlands, mangroves, biochar), sells high-integrity carbon removal credits via spot and offtake agreements, structures investments through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), and helps landowners unlock ecological and economic potential of their land. Its technology combines geospatial analysis, satellite imagery, machine learning, and generative AI to deliver comprehensive land assessments in minutes.

Product overview

Cultivo is a nature regeneration platform company offering a comprehensive suite of solutions for investing in, removing carbon from, and building resilience of natural landscapes. The core offerings include 'Invest in Nature' (access to nature-based project pipeline with AI-driven screening, due diligence, structuring, and monitoring), 'Remove Carbon' (access to carbon credits from grasslands, forests, wetlands, and biochar projects), and 'Build Land Resilience' (solutions for landowners, businesses, and NGOs). The technology platform is built on AI-powered geospatial analysis, satellite imagery, machine learning, and generative AI that delivers land assessments in minutes and automates project workflows. Project types span Sustainable Grasslands Management, Afforestation & Reforestation, Agroforestry, Improved Forest Management, Mangrove Restoration, and Biochar. The company operates globally with significant focus on U.S. grasslands following the acquisition of Kateri in December 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Invest in Nature Service enabling investors to access Cultivo's exclusive pipeline of nature-based projects. Includes AI-driven screening, streamlined due diligence, structuring of investments including Special Purpose Vehicles, and ongoing monitoring using geospatial data and ground-truth verification. Designed for institutional investors, pension funds, and asset managers seeking nature as an infrastructure asset class targeting IRR 10-15% over 10 years.
• Remove Carbon Carbon removal service providing access to high-integrity nature-based carbon credits from diverse global projects including forests, grasslands, wetlands, mangroves, and biochar. Offers flexible purchasing options from spot transactions to long-term offtake agreements with transparent monitoring and reporting. Designed for corporations seeking to meet net zero and sustainability commitments.
• Build Land Resilience Land stewardship service offering solutions for three audiences: landowners (regenerative practices, revenue unlocking from carbon credits and ecosystem services, financing), businesses and institutions (natural asset strategies, balance sheet transformation, supply chain resilience), and NGOs and project developers (sustainable funding partnerships, access to global corporate networks).
• Cultivo Technology Platform AI-powered platform integrating geospatial analysis, satellite imagery, machine learning, ground-truth data, and generative AI to accelerate nature regeneration. Provides comprehensive land assessments in minutes, intelligent project search, and automated due diligence and monitoring capabilities. Built on Google Cloud infrastructure with IBAT biodiversity dataset integration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Land assessments delivered in minutes vs. months traditionally
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• KateriflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Acquisition completed December 2025 creating market-leading company combining Cultivo's project finance and offtake capabilities with Kateri's rancher engagement and soil carbon modeling expertise. Building on 18-month partnership, the combined entity has signed over 650,000 acres of US grasslands with potential to remove over 9 million tonnes CO2e over 30 years. Kateri's founders joined Cultivo as Senior Director of Land Partnerships North America and Senior Director of Land Management.
• IBAT (Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool)coreTechnology or Integration · 12 September 2024Integration of IBAT's datasets into Cultivo's platform enables analysis of biodiversity levels, Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metrics, and identification of endangered species. Provides Key Biodiversity Area identifiers and IUCN Red List data for comprehensive biodiversity impact assessment.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with leading research institution keeping Cultivo at forefront of environmental science and technology. Ensures solutions remain cutting-edge and effective through access to latest carbon ecosystem modeling research.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Cloud Partner providing enterprise-grade architecture ensuring reliable performance, ironclad security, and scalability to meet any workload across Cultivo's technology platform processing terabytes of Earth observation data.
• WatershedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on transformative grassland restoration project in Northern Mexico. Collaboration regenerating rapidly degrading landscape into thriving native grassland, generating high-integrity carbon credits while restoring critical ecosystem functions and biodiversity. Watershed is a climate technology company serving corporate customers.
• Conserve GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Kunene Highlands Elephant Landscape regeneration project in Namibia (approximately size of Cyprus). Conserve Global and local entity Kunene Conservation lead community-led natural landscape management, creating connectivity to national parks. Project aims to deliver effective conservation while supporting local communities.
• BirdLife InternationalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as collaborating partner providing biodiversity expertise and global conservation network access. BirdLife is a global partnership of conservation organizations focused on birds and biodiversity.
• Savory InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as ecosystem partner in grasslands regeneration efforts. Savory Institute promotes large-scale restoration of grasslands through holistic management practices including planned grazing.
• Nature For JusticesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership announced for nature-based justice initiatives. Nature For Justice works on climate solutions that prioritize indigenous peoples and local communities.
• AeromexicosupportingOthersPartnership for carbon certificates, biodiversity protection, and social impact projects. Aeromexico supports nature-based carbon removal and conservation efforts through Cultivo projects.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pachama: Pachama is an AI-driven marketplace for nature-based carbon credits that uses satellite data and ML to vet and monitor forest-conservation and reforestation projects, directly competing with Cultivo's screening and offtake model for institutional carbon buyers.
• Sylvera: Sylvera provides independent ratings and remote-sensing-based MRV for nature-based carbon projects, overlapping Cultivo's geospatial assessment, project screening, and monitoring capabilities for the same institutional investor buyer base.
• NCX (Natural Capital Exchange): NCX operates a marketplace and analytics platform connecting landowners of forests and grasslands with carbon buyers, overlapping Cultivo's landowner onboarding, project development, and carbon credit transaction model.
• Patch: Patch provides carbon credit infrastructure and APIs that allow companies to embed credits into their products; it competes for the same enterprise offtake customers (e.g., Aeromexico, Watershed) that Cultivo sells nature-based credits to.
• Carbonfuture: Carbonfuture is a carbon credit issuance and tracking platform focused on nature-based removal projects, overlapping Cultivo's project structuring, monitoring, and credit transaction capabilities for institutional buyers.

Broad incumbents

• South Pole: South Pole is one of the largest carbon project developers and advisory firms globally, with broad offerings across forestry, renewables, and corporate sustainability — overlapping Cultivo's project origination and offtake services at the institutional end.
• Rubicon Carbon: Rubicon Carbon is a developer, financier, and manager of high-integrity nature-based and tech-based carbon projects, directly competing for institutional capital and corporate offtake with Cultivo's SPV-structured investments.

Emerging players

• Indigo Ag: Indigo Ag operates an agriculture-focused carbon program (Indigo Carbon) that pays farmers for regenerative practices; it overlaps Cultivo's grassland carbon work with a more US row-crop focus and different technology stack.
• Watershed: Watershed is a climate platform that helps companies measure, reduce, and remove emissions, including a Northern Mexico grassland restoration partnership with Cultivo; it competes at the corporate offtake and carbon accounting layer.
• TerraCarbon: TerraCarbon is a nature-based carbon project developer (afforestation, avoided conversion) with strong MRV expertise, comparable to Cultivo's project development work in forestry/grasslands and increasingly competing for the same institutional investor pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cultivo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cultivo