12Tree
12Tree GmbH is a Berlin-based private investment firm founded in 2017 that channels institutional capital into large-scale regenerative agriculture and agroforestry projects across 10+ countries, operating 4,000+ hectares of premium cocoa, coconut, coffee, and date production for institutional investors, chocolate manufacturers, and emerging carbon credit buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 12Tree does
12Tree GmbH is a Berlin-based private investment firm founded in 2017 that channels institutional capital into large-scale regenerative agriculture and agroforestry projects across more than 10 countries. The company has deployed over €200 million since inception, primarily from German pension funds, and operates 12 wholly-owned farm subsidiaries plus one joint venture spanning Latin America (Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic) and Morocco. More than 4,000 hectares of degraded cattle pasture and monoculture have been converted into climate-resilient, biodiverse farming systems using 17 distinct agroforestry configurations that combine 8 primary crop species, 6 forestry species, and multiple support species.
12Tree firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 12Tree
- Legal name
- 12Tree GmbH
- Website
- https://12tree.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 12Tree GmbH is a Berlin-based private investment firm founded in 2017 that channels institutional capital into large-scale regenerative agriculture and agroforestry projects across 10+ countries, operating 4,000+ hectares of premium cocoa, coconut, coffee, and date production for institutional investors, chocolate manufacturers, and emerging carbon credit buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
12Tree industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regenerative Agriculture Investment and Agroforestry Operations
- NAICS
- Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Agriculture & Food / AgTech Growth Equity (FSANACAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Post-Harvest & Storage Operations Advisory (Grain Handling, Cold Chain) (AFACAJAK)
Keywords
Where 12Tree is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
12Tree business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Investment Management / Capital Deployment: 12Tree channels investments from professional/institutional investors (such as German pension funds) into regenerative agriculture projects and nature-based solution opportunities. Over 200 million euros has been deployed across projects in multiple countries since 2017.
- Agricultural Product Sales: Sales of agricultural commodities produced on farms including cocoa beans, coconuts, coffee, cardamom, plantains, and spices. Products are sold directly to chocolate manufacturers, bean-to-bar chocolatiers, and commodity buyers. Direct and transparent trade relationships ensure consistent, long-term offtake agreements with fair prices.
- Carbon Credit Revenues: Revenue from Verra Certified Carbon Credits generated through regenerative agriculture and agroforestry practices across the farm portfolio. Five farms (Andean Cacao, Chimelb, La Paz, Ambrosia, and Cuango) are undergoing certification for VCS and CCB Standards.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
12Tree product offering
Product offeringCore offering
12Tree is an investment company that channels institutional capital into large-scale regenerative agriculture and agroforestry projects across 10+ countries, while directly operating and managing a portfolio of farms producing cocoa, coffee, coconut, plantains, cardamom, and other crops. The company sells these agricultural commodities to chocolate manufacturers and craft chocolatiers through long-term offtake agreements, and monetizes certified carbon removals from Verra VCS- and CCB-certified agroforestry systems to corporate buyers.
Product overview
12Tree is an investment firm that channels capital into regenerative agriculture projects and nature-based solution opportunities. The company operates and manages farms across multiple countries, producing agricultural commodities including cocoa, coffee, coconut, plantains, cardamom, and timber. 12Tree does not offer a software product; rather, it provides investment access for professional investors into regenerative agriculture projects and manages the agricultural operations of these farms to deliver both financial returns and measurable environmental/social impact.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Agricultural commodities from regenerative agroforestry farms (cocoa, coffee, coconut, cardamom, plantains, dates) Direct sales of premium cocoa beans (including Nacional and other cacao varieties), coffee, coconuts, cardamom, plantains, and date palm products grown on 12Tree's network of regenerative agroforestry farms in Latin America and Morocco. Sold to chocolate manufacturers, bean-to-bar chocolatiers, and commodity buyers (including Mars Wrigley via the Andean Cacao JV, and craft chocolatiers La Flor, Pump Street, Cluizel, ICAM, Chapon, Creo, Loctoa) via long-term offtake agreements with transparent and fair pricing.
- Verra Certified Carbon Credits (VCS and CCB Standards) Verified carbon removal credits generated by regenerative agriculture and agroforestry practices across 12Tree's farm portfolio, certified under Verra's Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the CCB (Climate, Community, and Biodiversity) Standard. Designed to meet GHG Protocol Land Sector Guidance requirements for Scope 3 traceability and primary data collection, enabling corporate buyers to offset or inset their supply chain emissions. Sold to corporate buyers via direct sales relationships.
- Institutional Regenerative Agriculture Investment Products Investment management services that channel institutional capital (e.g., from German pension funds and family offices) into large-scale regenerative agriculture and agroforestry projects across Latin America and Africa. Designed to deliver both financial returns and measurable environmental/social impact (climate, community, biodiversity), leveraging 12Tree's proprietary MRV systems for Scope 3 carbon removals and alignment with Verra, GHG Protocol, and Science Based Targets.
- Impact Opportunities Fund (BIIO) with BayernInvest A dedicated impact investment fund jointly released by BayernInvest and 12Tree in March 2023, designed to channel institutional capital into the green transformation of agriculture. 12Tree serves as the impact investment partner, providing regenerative agriculture deal sourcing, project management, and impact measurement using its MRV systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% reduction in chemical sprays for Sigatoka banana disease and 75% reduction in sprays for mealybug at Platanera Rio Sixaola in Costa Rica
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use 12Tree
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
12Tree technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
12Tree partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Mars Wrigleycore12Tree partnered with Mars Wrigley and ECOM in 2021 to launch the Andean Cacao joint venture in Colombia. The venture aims to transform 2,000+ hectares of formerly degraded cattle grazing land into a climate-neutral cocoa production model as part of Mars' Cocoa for Generations strategy. Mars Wrigley leads the Modern Sustainable Cocoa Farming strategy through this partnership.
- ECOMcoreECOM, one of the world's largest suppliers of sustainable cocoa beans, joined the Andean Cacao joint venture with Mars Wrigley and 12Tree. ECOM contributes its expertise in sustainable cacao supply chain management to the partnership.
- Terra Global CapitalcoreTerra Global Capital, a woman-run, women-owned social enterprise founded in 2006, serves as the carbon development partner for 12Tree's portfolio of farms. Terra Global provides continuous technical support, training, and guidance on capturing data for quantifying carbon reductions and removals from 12Tree's agroforestry systems under VCS and CCB Standards.
- Heifer InternationalcoreHeifer International partnered with 12Tree on the CarCao Forest Project at Chimelb farm in Guatemala. The five-year project aims to support 500 families in 20 communities to achieve a living income through improved agroforestry value chains for cacao and cardamom. Heifer International brings expertise in community organization and local capacity development.
- CIAT (Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT)minor12Tree participates in the CLIMA-LoCa project led by CIAT, which fosters climate-relevant and low-cadmium innovations to enhance inclusiveness of growing cocoa sectors in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The project is financed by the European Commission's DeSIRA initiative and addresses cadmium levels in cacao and climate adaptation for smallholder farmers.
- South Poleminor12Tree partnered with South Pole to conduct a GHG inventory baseline study across all its assets, with the goal of devising a roadmap to lower overall emissions and establish a corporate climate commitment.
- IntecapminorIntecap, a public institution dedicated to providing educational and professional training in Guatemala, partnered with Chimelb farm's operator to develop a technical training and certification program for farm workers in agricultural activities such as pruning, harvesting, and processing.
- Natural Capital Investment Alliance (NCIA)minor12Tree became a member of the Natural Capital Investment Alliance (NCIA), an initiative of the Sustainable Markets Initiative. NCIA aims to mobilize more than USD 10 billion of private capital for natural capital investments. 12Tree joined as one of 12 new members announced in November 2021.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
12Tree competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- reNature: Netherlands-based regenerative agriculture company developing agroforestry projects with institutional capital, similar in mission and investor base to 12Tree, though with a project facilitation model rather than 12Tree's vertically-integrated farm operations.
- Forest Finance: German forestry and agroforestry investment firm offering managed investment products in nature-based solutions. Operates a similar PE-style fund structure for European institutional investors targeting forestry and sustainable land use, with overlapping geographies.
- Commonland: Dutch landscape restoration organization partnering with corporates and investors to restore degraded land through multi-year landscape programs. Comparable in partnering with European institutional capital for nature-based restoration at scale.
- Terra Global Capital: California-based carbon development firm specializing in agriculture, forestry, and land-use carbon projects under VCS standards. Already the carbon development partner for 12Tree's portfolio; operates a comparable model of monetizing agroforestry through verified credits.
Broad incumbents
- South Pole Group: Swiss carbon finance and climate consultancy working with corporates on emissions reduction. Already a partner of 12Tree for GHG inventory work, and a much larger, more diversified climate solutions provider with overlapping agroforestry/carbon project development.
- Mirova Natural Capital: Asset manager subsidiary of Natixis focused on natural capital investments including sustainable land use. A much larger, institutional natural capital investor with comparable regenerative agriculture/agroforestry allocations for institutional LPs.
- Climate Asset Management: Joint venture between HSBC Asset Management and Brookfield focused on natural capital and regenerative agriculture. Competes for similar institutional mandates and deploys comparable capital into land-based carbon and regenerative projects.
- NatureVest (The Nature Conservancy): Conservation investing arm of The Nature Conservancy, channelling institutional capital into nature-based solutions including regenerative agriculture. Comparable in mobilizing institutional LPs for landscape-scale impact investments.
Others
- ECOM: One of the world's largest sustainable cocoa and coffee suppliers, and a joint venture partner with 12Tree and Mars Wrigley in Andean Cacao. Operates in the same cocoa value chain with comparable offtake relationships and sustainability positioning.
- Heifer International: International development NGO partnered with 12Tree on the CarCao Forest Project at Chimelb farm. Both organizations target smallholder farmer livelihoods through sustainable agriculture; comparable mission in regenerative cocoa/agroforestry.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
12Tree social profiles
Digital presence12Tree compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
12Tree financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
12Tree leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
12Tree subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries12 records
12Tree funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
12Tree 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 12Tree
What does 12Tree do?
12Tree is an investment company that channels institutional capital into large-scale regenerative agriculture and agroforestry projects across 10+ countries, while directly operating and managing a portfolio of farms producing cocoa, coffee, coconut, plantains, cardamom, and other crops. The company sells these agricultural commodities to chocolate manufacturers and craft chocolatiers through long-term offtake agreements, and monetizes certified carbon removals from Verra VCS- and CCB-certified agroforestry systems to corporate buyers.
Is 12Tree a public or private company?
12Tree is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was 12Tree founded?
12Tree was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 12Tree based?
12Tree is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does 12Tree make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Investment Management / Capital Deployment is the primary driver. The others are agricultural Product Sales and carbon Credit Revenues.
Who are 12Tree's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are reNature, Forest Finance, Commonland and Terra Global Capital. Broad incumbents are South Pole Group, Mirova Natural Capital, Climate Asset Management and NatureVest (The Nature Conservancy). Others are ECOM and Heifer International.
Does 12Tree have an API?
No public API is recorded for 12Tree.
What industry is 12Tree in?
12Tree's product category is Regenerative Agriculture Investment and Agroforestry Operations. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANACAM, Agriculture & Food / AgTech Growth Equity, with a secondary code of AFACAJAK, Post-Harvest & Storage Operations Advisory (Grain Handling, Cold Chain). Its NAICS code is 1111 and its SIC code is 700.