Aera Group
Aera Group is a Paris-based environmental commodity trader (founded 2015) that originates, certifies, and trades African carbon credits, I-RECs, and recycled plastics, serving global enterprise buyers in oil & gas, finance, utilities, and corporate sustainability across 25+ African countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Aera Group does
Aera Group is an independent French company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Paris that operates an environmental commodity trading platform focused on Africa. The company originates, certifies, and trades three core product lines: voluntary carbon credits (Verra VCS, Gold Standard, UNFCCC, GCC), International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs), and recycled plastics (rPET), sourced from more than 100 environmental projects across 25+ African countries. Its underlying technology stack centers on a Digital MRV (DMRV) system — Aera participated in Verra's DMRV pilot for high-frequency carbon credit issuances, with the first digitally verified credits generated by the Foumbouni-Mitsamiouli solar project in Comoros in early 2026 — and on digitalized back-office infrastructure covering e-contracts, data visualization, and IT support.
Aera's business model is transaction-based: it earns margins on the origination, certification, and resale of environmental commodities through a mix of spot sales and long-term forward contracts. Go-to-market is enterprise B2B field sales, supported by channel partnerships (e.g., a sales-led arrangement with ClimatePartner for the AEACC initiative and a framework agreement with EDF Trading). Customer segments are concentrated in oil & gas, banks and financial institutions, commodity trading houses, utilities, and global corporations procuring credits for decarbonization commitments, with named counterparties including EDF Trading, ClimatePartner, myclimate, Ecosphere+, MAuto, and a Vancouver-based investment fund. The company also derives advisory revenue (€1.6M in 2021 from 91 assignments).
In 2024, Aera delivered 5.6 million carbon credits across 46 projects in 25 countries, generating €33.7M in revenue (+36% YoY) and €11M in net profit, supported by a 35% equity stake held by Arise IS since 2021.
Aera Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aera Group
- Legal name
- Aera Group SAS
- Website
- https://aera-group.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Aera Group is a Paris-based environmental commodity trader (founded 2015) that originates, certifies, and trades African carbon credits, I-RECs, and recycled plastics, serving global enterprise buyers in oil & gas, finance, utilities, and corporate sustainability across 25+ African countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aera Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Commodity Trading
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)
- SIC
- Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Carbon Offtake Structuring & Contracting (ERPA, Long-term Offtakes, Price Floors) (EUABADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Project-Originated Carbon Credit Marketing & Offtake (Primary Market) (EUAGAIAC), Carbon Claims, Labeling & Communications Advisory (VCMI/ICVCM Guidance, Claim Substantiation) (EUABADAI)
Keywords
Where Aera Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Aera Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Carbon Credits Trading: Origination and trading of carbon credits from African environmental projects including forestry, renewable energy, cookstoves, and other emission reduction projects. Credits are sold on both spot basis and through long-term forward contracts to global counterparties.
- Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs): Trading of International Renewable Energy Certificates from African renewable energy producers, connecting them with businesses committed to sustainability globally. Aera provides technical support for certification process and facilitates registration and issuance.
- Recycled Plastic Trading: Trading of recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) from African recyclers. Aera provides comprehensive investment support, offtake capabilities, and creates market access for global corporations to source stable recycled plastic supply.
- Advisory Services: Carbon footprint and reduction strategy advisory services. Aera conducted 91 ongoing advisory assignments in 2021, generating €1.6 million in gross revenues.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Transaction-based pricing per carbon credit or renewable energy certificate |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Aera Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aera Group originates, certifies, and trades environmental commodities—carbon credits, International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs), and recycled plastics (rPET)—from over 100 African environmental projects. The company provides end-to-end services including project identification, certification support, transaction structuring (spot and long-term forward contracts), and digital monitoring/reporting/verification (DMRV). It serves as a gateway connecting African environmental projects to global corporate and institutional buyers in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Product overview
Aera Group operates a multi-commodity environmental trading platform specializing in three core product lines: Carbon Credits Trading (origination and trading of verified carbon credits from African projects), Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) Trading (connecting African renewable energy producers with global sustainability-committed buyers), and Recycled Plastics Trading (rPET trading supporting circular economy). The company also offers Digital MRV (DMRV) services for high-frequency credit issuances. Aera serves as a gateway for environmental commodities from Africa to global markets, managing supply lines on spot and long-term contract basis across over 100 projects in 25+ African countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Carbon Credits Trading Origination and trading of carbon credits to offset CO2 emissions, supporting environmental projects across Africa including forestry, renewable energy, cookstoves, and other emission reduction projects. Credits are sold on both spot basis and through long-term forward contracts to global counterparties under major international standards (Verra VCS, Gold Standard, UNFCCC, GCC).
- Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs)
- Recycled Plastics (rPET) Trading Trading of recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) from African recyclers. Aera provides comprehensive investment support, offtake capabilities, and creates market access for global corporations to source stable recycled plastic supply, supporting the circular economy.
- Advisory Services Carbon footprint and reduction strategy advisory services for corporate clients, including measurement, strategy development, and implementation support for decarbonization programs. In 2021, Aera conducted 91 ongoing advisory assignments, generating €1.6 million in gross revenues.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5.6 million carbon credits delivered in 2024, up from 4.7 million in 2023
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Aera Group
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Aera Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Aera Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- SustainCERTcoreValidation/verification body (VVB) for the Foumbouni-Mitsamiouli solar farm DMRV pilot, conducting entirely digital verification of monitoring data submitted by Innovent Comores and Aera Group for high-frequency credit issuances.
- VerraflagshipVerra approved the first carbon credits under digital MRV (DMRV) pilot for high-frequency issuances using the Clean Development Mechanism methodology. The Verra Project Hub enables digital submission of monitoring data directly informing quantification of net reductions and removals.
- ClimatePartnerflagshipLaunch of Africa Energy Access Carbon Cooperation (AEACC) to accelerate renewable energy projects across Africa through carbon finance. Target of 900,000 tCO2 avoided in 3 years through 10 landmark projects across various African countries. Aera identifies projects and supports certification while ClimatePartner includes them in its portfolio for global customer base.
- myclimatecoreVCM forward transaction with Swiss Foundation myclimate for emissions reductions from MAuto's e-mobility platform, the largest electric vehicle platform in Africa. Estimated USD 5 million revenues over 3 years, targeting 2 million e-bikes across 6+ sub-Saharan countries by 2030.
- MAutocoreAfrica's largest e-mobility platform developing electric bikes with assembly factories and swapping/charging stations across Africa. First assembly lines in Togo and Benin. Transaction targets SD VISta label for CSR and community impacts including 3,000 jobs (50% women workforce) and air pollution reduction.
- EDF TradingcoreCarbon credits forward sale transaction with EDF Trading, a specialist in wholesale energy markets and part of EDF Group. The contract features forward sale of Verra VCS credits at fixed price from a cookstoves program in Central Africa with delivery in Q4 2022. Aera and EDFT plan to extend cooperation through a full framework agreement to facilitate future transactions.
- Ecosphere+coreThird transaction in series with Ecosphere+ on efficient cookstoves program for households in Central Africa. Contract value up to €5 million with partial prepayment supporting short-term deployment and deliveries beginning in 2024. Partnership extends beyond cookstoves with additional deals executed where each party acts on buy or sell side.
- PwC FrancecoreStatutory auditor responsible for auditing financial statements and ensuring compliance in financial reporting since 2020. PwC provides annual audit services confirming company's transparent financial reporting practices.
- InnoSun (Subsidiary of Innovent)coreInnoSun, a subsidiary of French renewable energy leader Innovent, develops and operates Ombepo Wind Farm in Namibia. Innovent has over a decade of expertise in African wind and solar projects with more than 40 solar and wind farms in 11 African countries. InnoSun is Namibia's largest IPP managing 26 MW of solar and wind assets.
- Innovent ComorescoreInnovent Comores developed and operates the Foumbouni-Mitsamiouli solar farm project (Verra Project 3788) in Comoros. Aera Group co-developed this project which achieved the first digitally verified carbon credits under Verra's DMRV pilot. The project delivers clean electricity to communities without reliable power access.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Aera Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- South Pole Group: One of the world's largest developers and traders of carbon credits, with deep project origination across renewables, forestry, and community projects globally. Direct competitor to Aera in the carbon origination/primary market space, with overlapping buyer base of corporate climate buyers.
- ClimatePartner: Global carbon offset and climate action provider serving corporate clients with carbon credits, software, and advisory. Both partner with Aera (AEACC) and compete directly for the same European corporate buyers of African carbon credits.
- Pachama: Tech-forward carbon credit marketplace focused on nature-based solutions and forestry projects with remote sensing/MRV capabilities. Competes with Aera for both high-quality nature-based credits and the corporate buyer market, and overlaps on digital MRV.
- Carbon Growth Partners: Carbon credit investment and origination firm developing projects and providing capital for nature-based and tech-based carbon solutions. Comparable trading/development model to Aera's origination business, serving similar institutional buyers.
- myclimate: Swiss non-profit offering carbon offset and climate education, also a buyer of Aera's African credits. Operates competing project development programs and serves a similar European corporate climate-action buyer base.
- Ecosphere+: Nature-based solutions carbon credit company focused on forestry and conservation projects, including cookstoves. Partner with Aera on African cookstoves deals (€5M contract) and competes as a nature-based carbon intermediary for European buyers.
Emerging players
- Patch: API-first carbon credit platform enabling businesses to embed offsetting into their products. Targets the same corporate buyer base as Aera with a software-led approach, though without Aera's African origination depth.
- Cloverly: Carbon offsetting API platform providing businesses with access to vetted carbon credits. Competes for the same corporate climate buyers with a technology wrapper, though Aera holds the supply-side origination advantage.
Broad incumbents
- Verra: Operator of the VCS Program (the dominant voluntary carbon standard) and Gold Standard-adjacent registries. As Aera's projects are registered under Verra VCS, Verra is both a critical infrastructure provider and a structural gatekeeper whose standard-setting decisions directly affect Aera's credit eligibility and pricing.
- EDF Trading: Wholesale energy and environmental commodities trading arm of EDF Group. Aera's framework partner for forward sale of African VCS credits, and a competing counterparty in environmental commodity markets more broadly.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aera Group social profiles
Digital presenceAera Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Aera Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aera Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Aera Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aera Group 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 Aera Group
What does Aera Group do?
Aera Group originates, certifies, and trades environmental commodities—carbon credits, International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs), and recycled plastics (rPET)—from over 100 African environmental projects. The company provides end-to-end services including project identification, certification support, transaction structuring (spot and long-term forward contracts), and digital monitoring/reporting/verification (DMRV). It serves as a gateway connecting African environmental projects to global corporate and institutional buyers in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Is Aera Group a public or private company?
Aera Group is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Aera Group founded?
Aera Group was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aera Group based?
Aera Group is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Aera Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Carbon Credits Trading is the primary driver. The others are renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs), recycled Plastic Trading and advisory Services.
Who are Aera Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are South Pole Group, ClimatePartner, Pachama, Carbon Growth Partners, myclimate and Ecosphere+. Emerging players are Patch and Cloverly. Broad incumbents are Verra and EDF Trading.
Does Aera Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aera Group.
What industry is Aera Group in?
Aera Group's product category is Environmental Commodity Trading. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUABADAE, Carbon Offtake Structuring & Contracting (ERPA, Long-term Offtakes, Price Floors), with a secondary code of EUAGAIAC, Project-Originated Carbon Credit Marketing & Offtake (Primary Market). Its NAICS code is 541620 and its SIC code is 4900.