NetZero

What NetZero does

NetZero SAS is a Paris-headquartered climate venture founded in January 2021 that produces biochar from tropical agricultural residues (coffee husk, cocoa shells, sugarcane bagasse, coconut shells, palm empty bunches) through pyrolysis at 550-700°C, yielding high-permanence carbon removal alongside soil amendment and renewable-energy co-generation. The company operates five biochar production facilities — four commercial-scale sites in Brazil's coffee belt (Lajinha, Brejetuba, Paraguaçu, and one franchise site) plus a pilot in Nkongsamba, Cameroon — with a fifth Gen2 facility under construction for 2027 operations. NetZero pursues an end-to-end circular model in which feedstock suppliers (farmers and cooperatives within a 30-km radius) are simultaneously biochar customers, and agronomic training, cooperative partnerships, and integration with agro-processors (Nespresso, ECOM, Atvos, Louis Dreyfus, Sucden, CMA CGM) anchor feedstock supply and biochar offtake.

NetZero monetizes primarily through Puro Standard-certified carbon removal credits (ICROA-endorsed, priced at €100+ per credit on multi-year enterprise contracts), supported by subsidized biochar sales to farmers and revenue from syngas-derived renewable energy supplied to local partners. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales of CDR credits to large corporations with credible net-zero roadmaps (BCG as first customer, Rothschild & Co under a multi-year partnership), channel partnerships with agro-processors for integrated supply-chain deployment, and a launching NetZero One franchise model intended to license the newly patented Gen2 production technology to third-party agricultural players across the tropics.

The company has raised roughly €44M+ in equity and grant capital across a seed round (23 business angels, Jan 2021), an €11M Series A led by Stellantis Ventures (Feb 2023), an €18M STOA-led round (Mar 2024), an INNOVX investment (Oct 2024), and a $15M XPRIZE Carbon Removal prize (Apr 2025), and is led by Co-founder & CEO Axel Reinaud (ex-BCG Senior Partner), Co-founder & Managing Director Olivier Reinaud, Co-founder & Scientific Advisor Prof. Jean Jouzel (former IPCC Vice-Chair), and Group CTO Pedro de Figueiredo (ex-Vallourec pyrolysis operations).

Name

NetZero

Legal name

NetZero SAS

Website

https://netzero.green

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NetZero produces biochar from tropical agricultural residues via pyrolysis, selling Puro Standard-certified carbon removal credits to enterprises and subsidized biochar to local farmers across facilities in Brazil and Cameroon, with a franchise model under development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Removal Services

NAICS

Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Biochar Production & Soil/Material Applications (EUABAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biochar Carbon Projects (Biomass to Biochar & Soil Application) (EUABABAH), Biochar & Carbon-Based Soil Conditioners (AFABADAD), Biochar & Carbon-Based Soil Builders (AFABAKAG), Bio-based Carbon Products & Advanced Bioproducts (Biochar, activated carbon, carbon black alternatives) (EUAAAIAM), On-Farm Circularity & Waste Valorization (Residue Management, Biochar, Manure/Organic Waste Use) (AFAGAMAI), Forestry Residues Supply & Aggregation (Harvest Slash, Thinnings, Sawmill Residuals) (EUAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Biochar production
• Carbon removal credits
• Pyrolysis technology
• Sustainable agriculture
• Carbon dioxide removal

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Credits: NetZero generates primary revenue from selling high-integrity carbon removal credits certified under the Puro Standard. Credits are priced at three digits per credit in euros, ensuring only unavoidable and hard-to-abate emissions are offset. The revenue enables subsidizing biochar prices for farmers and funding operations.
2. Biochar Sales to Farmers and Cooperatives: NetZero sells biochar directly to farmers and agricultural cooperatives who supply the agricultural residues used as feedstock. The circular model creates local customers within a 30km radius of production facilities. Carbon credit revenue subsidizes prices to make biochar affordable.
3. Renewable Energy Co-generation: The pyrolysis process generates syngas (renewable energy) that is partially used to sustain the production process and partially supplied to local partners as electricity or heat, creating an additional revenue stream from renewable energy sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NetZero produces biochar from tropical agricultural residues (coffee husk, sugarcane bagasse, cocoa shells, coconut shells, palm empty bunches) through proprietary pyrolysis at 550-700°C, then sells the biochar as a soil amendment to local farmers and sells high-integrity, Puro Standard-certified carbon removal credits to corporations with credible net-zero commitments. The company operates an end-to-end circular model within 30km of production facilities and is launching the NetZero One franchise model to scale deployment of its patented Gen2 production technology globally across the tropics.

Product overview

NetZero offers a unified portfolio centered on biochar production and carbon removal. The core offering combines physical biochar (produced through proprietary pyrolysis technology) with certified carbon removal credits, enabling companies to neutralize unavoidable emissions while supporting sustainable agriculture. The portfolio includes the Gen2 production technology platform (used in both owned facilities and the NetZero One franchise model) for deploying biochar production across tropical regions. Biochar is sold to farmers for soil application, while carbon credits are sold to corporations with credible net-zero commitments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NetZero One: Franchise model for biochar production that NetZero plans to expand across tropical countries.

Products and services

• Biochar Solid carbon produced from tropical agricultural residues through proprietary pyrolysis at 550-700°C and applied to soil for high-permanence carbon removal while durably improving soil quality, enabling higher crop yields and reduced fertilizer use. Sold to farmers and agricultural cooperatives within a 30km radius of production facilities.
• Carbon Removal Credits (CDR Credits) High-integrity carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits certified under the Puro Standard (ICROA-endorsed), enabling corporations with credible net-zero roadmaps to neutralize unavoidable hard-to-abate emissions while supporting sustainable agriculture and rural development.
• NetZero One (Franchise Model) Franchise offering for biochar production using NetZero's proprietary Gen2 technology and Puro Standard methodology, enabling agricultural industry players in tropical regions to deploy biochar production at scale under the NetZero brand and certification framework.
• Gen2 Production Technology Second-generation proprietary biochar production technology platform delivering greater efficiency, reliability, modularity, and scalability versus the first-generation system. Deployed in owned facilities and licensed to franchise partners under the NetZero One model.

Quantifiable outcome

• Crop yield increase of +25% on average in tropical regions with biochar application at 1.5 kg/m2
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AtvoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025NetZero partnered with sugarcane giant Atvos for a new biochar project in Brazil, marking entry into sugarcane biomass processing.
• NespressocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2024Nespresso joined NetZero and ECOM in the first integrated biochar project in the coffee value chain, combining Nespresso's sustainability commitments with NetZero's biochar production and ECOM's agricultural expertise.
• ECOM / EISAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024NetZero and EISA (ECOM) announced a pioneering partnership for construction of a biochar factory in Machado (MG), Brazil, integrating biochar into coffee farming supply chains.
• Rothschild & CocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 January 2023Rothschild & Co, a global banking and financial services group, announced a multi-year carbon removal partnership with NetZero, purchasing CDR credits to neutralize unavoidable emissions.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBCG was NetZero's first carbon credit customer. BCG has SBTi-validated net-zero goals and committed to reach net-zero across all scopes by 2030.
• Solar Impulse FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAwarded NetZero the 'Efficient Solution' label recognizing innovative clean technology solutions that are economically viable.
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetZero partnered with IFC to scale up its model in African agricultural supply chains. IFC's ESG Performance Standards guide NetZero's environmental and social action plan.
• StellantisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStellantis Ventures invested in NetZero as part of sustainable mobility innovation investments.
• L'OréalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerL'Oréal Fund for Nature Regeneration supports biodiversity preservation efforts and partners with companies like NetZero working on regenerative agriculture.
• CMA CGMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCMA CGM, a global shipping and logistics company, partners with NetZero as part of its sustainability and climate commitments.
• Louis Dreyfus CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural commodities merchant Louis Dreyfus Company collaborates with NetZero on sustainable agricultural initiatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Puro.earth: Carbon removal registry and marketplace that issues the Puro Standard certification under which NetZero's biochar credits are sold. Directly comparable as the leading venue for high-integrity biochar and other engineered CDR credit issuance, and a core sales channel for NetZero's primary revenue stream.
• Charm Industrial: US-based biomass-to-carbon-removal company that converts agricultural residues into bio-oil and sequesters it underground. Directly comparable as a biomass-based engineered CDR producer selling high-integrity removal credits to enterprise buyers.
• Loam Bio: Australia-based biochar company producing microbial-treated biochar for agriculture, also selling carbon removal credits. Directly comparable as a biochar pure-play targeting both farmer soil benefits and corporate carbon credit offtake.
• CarbonOrO: Biochar producer developing industrial pyrolysis projects in emerging markets, including Africa, focused on agricultural residues. Directly comparable to NetZero in feedstock strategy (ag residues), geography (tropics), and dual business model of farmer biochar sales plus CDR credit issuance.
• Wakefield Biochar: US-based biochar producer selling both agricultural biochar and carbon removal credits. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated biochar company with dual farmer and corporate CDR offtake.
• Biochar Now: Colorado-based biochar producer operating one of North America's largest biochar facilities and selling both soil products and certified carbon removal credits. Comparable as an industrial-scale biochar CDR player targeting similar dual customer bases.

Broad incumbents

• Carbonfuture: German carbon credit platform specializing in biochar and other removal credits, providing registry, MRV, and sales infrastructure. Comparable as a marketplace and certification intermediary for biochar removal credits that NetZero competes with and could alternatively use to distribute its credits.
• Climeworks: Swiss direct air capture (DAC) leader and one of the largest high-integrity engineered CDR players, selling removal credits to enterprise buyers. Comparable as a competing durable CDR pathway chasing the same corporate net-zero budgets, though its technology (DAC+sorption) differs from NetZero's pyrolysis-based approach.
• Carbfix: Icelandic carbon mineralization CDR company that dissolves captured CO2 into basalt formations. Comparable as a competing durable engineered CDR pathway selling high-integrity removal credits to enterprise buyers.

Emerging players

• Caban Energy: UK-based tropical biochar developer converting agricultural residues into biochar and removal credits with projects in Africa and Asia. Comparable as an emerging biochar CDR peer focused on tropical/developing-market feedstock strategies similar to NetZero's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NetZero
• Facebookfacebook.com/netzero.green

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors7 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about NetZero