CarbonPool
CarbonPool is a Zürich-based specialty insurer (founded 2023) that underwrites in-kind carbon credit insurance against delivery shortfalls and reversal events, paying claims in replacement credits rather than cash. It serves carbon credit developers, corporate buyers, and institutional investors and is pursuing a Swiss FINMA license.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CarbonPool does
CarbonPool is a Zürich-based specialty insurer (founded 2023) that offers in-kind carbon credit insurance for the voluntary carbon market. The company insures carbon credit developers, corporate buyers, and institutional investors against two core risks: delivery shortfalls (when projects produce fewer credits than expected due to fires, drought, disease, windstorms, or accidents) and reversal events (when sequestered carbon is re-released into the atmosphere after credits are issued). CarbonPool's defining structural innovation is paying claims in replacement carbon credits from its own balance sheet rather than in cash, ensuring clients receive a one-for-one replacement that matches the original obligation. Three products anchor the offering: Carbon Shortfall Insurance, Carbon Reversal Insurance, and Planting Insurance Cover.
Underlying the underwriting is a proprietary Carbon Risk Model that runs each insured project through 100,000 probabilistic simulations to quantify shortfall and reversal probabilities and severity, plus a Swiss Solvency Test-based solvency framework adapted for the cumulation and diversification characteristics of carbon credit portfolios. Premiums are calculated per project based on replacement credit price and project-specific risk, paid annually in cash, and reinvested alongside CarbonPool's own capital into high-quality carbon removal projects to build the credit balance sheet that backs in-kind claims. Pricing is unit-based (as low as ~$0.10/credit for low-risk afforestation in temperate regions) and varies with project risk.
CarbonPool distributes via direct enterprise sales with no self-serve or intermediary channel, and is pursuing a Swiss FINMA insurance license that would make it the only licensed insurer globally with a carbon credit balance sheet. The company raised a CHF 10.5M ($12M) seed round in January 2024 (co-led by Heartcore Capital and Vorwerk Ventures) and has secured strategic positioning through membership in the UNEP Forum for Insurance Transition to Net Zero (FIT), alignment with Verra's Durability Pilot (VCS v5), and co-authored research with EY and Renoster. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company is effectively pre-revenue pending license grant.
CarbonPool firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CarbonPool
- Legal name
- CarbonPool Holding AG
- Website
- https://carbonpool.earth
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CarbonPool is a Zürich-based specialty insurer (founded 2023) that underwrites in-kind carbon credit insurance against delivery shortfalls and reversal events, paying claims in replacement credits rather than cash. It serves carbon credit developers, corporate buyers, and institutional investors and is pursuing a Swiss FINMA license.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CarbonPool industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Carbon Credit Insurance
- NAICS
- Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524)
- SIC
- Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Carbon Offtake Structuring & Contracting (ERPA, Long-term Offtakes, Price Floors) (EUABADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Carbon Credit Ratings & Due Diligence (Quality Scoring, Integrity Assessments) (EUABADAF), Tokenization, Digital MRV-Linked Credits & On-Chain Carbon Infrastructure (Digital assets, provenance) (EUABAAAE), Voluntary Carbon Offsets Trading (Verified Credits: VCM) (EUAGAIAB)
Keywords
Where CarbonPool is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CarbonPool business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Carbon Credit Insurance Premiums: CarbonPool charges insurance premiums to developers, buyers, and investors in carbon credits. Premiums are calculated based on two factors: (1) the price of procuring replacement credits and CarbonPool's view of project risk, and (2) risk assessed via the proprietary Carbon Risk Model run 100,000 times per project. Premiums are paid annually in cash. The premiums collected are invested, alongside CarbonPool's own capital, into high-quality carbon removal projects to enable in-kind claims payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Low-risk afforestation projects in temperate regions |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Project-specific risk-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
CarbonPool product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CarbonPool provides in-kind carbon credit insurance to corporations, carbon project developers, and institutional investors, compensating for unexpected carbon credit shortfalls (e.g., from natural disasters, fires, disease, windstorms, or accidents) and reversal events that cause sequestered carbon to leak back into the atmosphere. Claims are paid in high-quality replacement carbon credits from the company's own balance sheet rather than in cash, ensuring one-for-one credit replacement for clients pursuing net zero commitments.
Product overview
CarbonPool offers a suite of in-kind carbon credit insurance products that pay claims in carbon credits rather than cash. The core products are Carbon Shortfall Insurance (covering unexpected credit shortfalls from natural disasters, fires, disease, windstorms or accidents) and Carbon Reversal Insurance (replacing sequestered carbon lost due to reversal events). An additional product, Planting Insurance Cover, safeguards planted areas against extreme weather damage. All three products operate on CarbonPool's carbon credit balance sheet, where premiums collected are invested into high-quality carbon removal projects to enable in-kind claims payments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Carbon Shortfall Insurance Insurance product that compensates clients in high-quality replacement carbon credits for unexpected carbon credit shortfalls caused by lower-than-expected yields over time, natural disasters, fires, disease, windstorms, or other accidents. Aimed at carbon project developers, corporate buyers, and investors seeking to mitigate delivery risk.
- Carbon Reversal Insurance Insurance product that ensures the long-term integrity of emissions reduction efforts by immediately replacing sequestered carbon that has been lost due to reversal events allowing stored carbon to leak back into the atmosphere. Claims are paid in-kind with high-quality replacement carbon credits. Aimed at corporations with net zero commitments, carbon credit developers, and project investors.
- Planting Insurance Cover Insurance cover that safeguards planted areas against damage from extreme weather and natural catastrophes, providing fast access to funds for replanting after major events. Targeted at carbon project developers replanting nature-based carbon projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- For low-risk afforestation projects in temperate regions, insurance premium can be as low as $0.10 per credit
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CarbonPool
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CarbonPool technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
CarbonPool partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Ernst & Young (EY)minorCarbonPool co-authored a joint paper with EY titled 'Carbon as an Asset Class: A CFO's Guide to Risk and Value,' exploring how CFOs can navigate the risks, regulations, and opportunities of carbon credit investments.
- UNEP Forum for Insurance Transition to Net Zero (FIT)coreCarbonPool became the first startup to join the UNEP FIT, a global multistakeholder platform for fostering innovative insurance solutions for the net zero transition. CarbonPool will engage with FIT organizations on how insurance solutions can unlock carbon investments and build a more mature carbon market.
- RenosterminorCarbonPool and Renoster co-authored a white paper on buffer pools and permanence, and co-hosted a webinar on registry buffer pools and insurance alternatives for carbon credit reversals.
- SOZO Design LtdminorSOZO Design Ltd (24-26 Andover Road, Cheltenham, GL50 2TJ) is CarbonPool's web development agency, responsible for the design and development of the CarbonPool website.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CarbonPool competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tokio Marine Kiln: Tokio Marine Kiln was an early mover in carbon credit insurance, partnering with carbon registries and developers on credit delivery and reversal coverage. Like CarbonPool, it underwrites permanence and shortfall risk in voluntary carbon markets, though typically using traditional cash payouts rather than in-kind credit replacement.
Broad incumbents
- Swiss Re: Swiss Re is a global reinsurance leader actively building carbon and climate-related insurance products, including parametric and ESG-linked coverage. It is a broad incumbent in the same climate insurance category as CarbonPool, with deeper capital but less specialization in in-kind carbon credit claims.
- Munich Re: Munich Re is one of the world's largest reinsurers with growing climate and natural catastrophe exposure, including emerging carbon-related coverage. It is a broad incumbent comparable to CarbonPool in climate risk underwriting capability, though without a dedicated carbon credit balance sheet.
- Allianz: Allianz is a global insurance leader and the source of much of CarbonPool's founding team. While primarily a broad P&C and life insurer, Allianz has significant climate, ESG, and emerging carbon-related initiatives, and is comparable as both a talent source and a potential scaling partner or competitor.
- AXA: AXA is a global insurer with extensive climate risk underwriting expertise (including through AXA XL where CarbonPool's Chief Underwriting Officer led agriculture reinsurance). It is a broad incumbent comparable in insurance capability and climate product development, though without a dedicated in-kind carbon credit balance sheet.
- SCOR: SCOR is a global reinsurer with active climate risk and ESG initiatives, including developing coverage for climate-related perils. It is a broad incumbent comparable to CarbonPool in reinsurance capacity and climate risk focus, but operates at a larger and more diversified scale.
Emerging players
- Renoster: Renoster is a carbon credit data and monitoring platform that has partnered with CarbonPool on buffer pool and delivery risk research. It is an emerging player addressing adjacent permanence and credit quality challenges in voluntary carbon markets, making it both a partner and a partial competitor in the broader permanence stack.
- Puro.earth: Puro.earth is a carbon removal marketplace focused on durable removal credits (biochar, DAC, mineralization). It addresses the same permanence and quality concerns as CarbonPool and is comparable as an emerging player building infrastructure for high-integrity carbon removal supply.
- South Pole: South Pole is one of the largest carbon project developers and credit providers globally, with deep relationships across corporate buyers and project developers. It is an emerging player comparable to CarbonPool's customer base (developers and corporate buyers) and a potential distribution or insured counterparty.
- Patch: Patch is a carbon credit API and platform enabling businesses to purchase credits programmatically. It is an emerging player addressing the same corporate buyer segment as CarbonPool and serves as both a potential distribution channel and an indirect competitor for net zero commitment solutions.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CarbonPool social profiles
Digital presenceCarbonPool financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CarbonPool leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
CarbonPool funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CarbonPool M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CarbonPool
What does CarbonPool do?
CarbonPool provides in-kind carbon credit insurance to corporations, carbon project developers, and institutional investors, compensating for unexpected carbon credit shortfalls (e.g., from natural disasters, fires, disease, windstorms, or accidents) and reversal events that cause sequestered carbon to leak back into the atmosphere. Claims are paid in high-quality replacement carbon credits from the company's own balance sheet rather than in cash, ensuring one-for-one credit replacement for clients pursuing net zero commitments.
Is CarbonPool a public or private company?
CarbonPool is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was CarbonPool founded?
CarbonPool was founded in 2023. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CarbonPool based?
CarbonPool is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does CarbonPool make money?
One revenue line is on record: carbon Credit Insurance Premiums.
Who are CarbonPool's main competitors?
Tokio Marine Kiln is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Swiss Re, Munich Re, Allianz, AXA and SCOR. Emerging players are Renoster, Puro.earth, South Pole and Patch.
Does CarbonPool have an API?
No public API is recorded for CarbonPool.
What industry is CarbonPool in?
CarbonPool's product category is Carbon Credit Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABADAE, Carbon Offtake Structuring & Contracting (ERPA, Long-term Offtakes, Price Floors), with a secondary code of EUABADAF, Carbon Credit Ratings & Due Diligence (Quality Scoring, Integrity Assessments). Its NAICS code is 524 and its SIC code is 6331.