Impact Carbon

What Impact Carbon does

Impact Carbon is a private nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, with a regional office in Kampala, Uganda. The company designs and operates carbon-finance-funded programs that distribute improved cookstoves and biomass heating stoves to rural households in developing countries, specifically the Uganda Cookstoves project and the China Fuel Switch project (covering Shanxi, Hubei, and Guizhou Provinces). Its core products are improved household stoves featuring thick ceramic liners that retain heat and reduce charcoal consumption by up to 50% (Uganda) and fuel-switch stoves that displace nearly 2 tons of coal per stove annually by substituting agricultural residues and renewable biomass (China). Cumulative impact includes 650,000+ stoves distributed, 3+ million beneficiaries, 1.25+ million tons of CO2 avoided in China alone, and $300+ million in household fuel cost savings in Uganda.

The business model is entirely dependent on the sale of third-party-verified Gold Standard Premium Carbon Credits, generated from verified emission reductions and sold to enterprises and individuals seeking to offset their carbon footprint via direct contact (phone/email). Impact Carbon does not own manufacturing; instead, it supports local manufacturers with technical assistance, marketing, branding, and connections to the carbon market, while stoves are sold to end-consumers through local retailers and NGOs. The company maintains Gold Standard certifications for both flagship projects, is a partner of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC), and its Safe Water for Schools program is registered under the UN Clean Development Mechanism. It won the 2013 International Ashden Award for Financial Innovation and was featured in a 2013 Al Jazeera earthrise documentary. The company has no disclosed external investors, no funding rounds on record, and operates with a small leadership team led by Managing Director Evan Haigler and Director Tim Neville.

Name

Impact Carbon

Legal name

Impact Carbon

Website

https://impactcarbon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Impact Carbon is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that funds the distribution of improved cookstoves and biomass fuel-switch stoves in Uganda and China through the sale of Gold Standard-certified premium carbon credits to offset-seeking businesses and individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Credit Programs

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Offset Projects (Grid/Off-grid, Cookstoves, Buildings/Industry) (EUABABAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Project-Originated Carbon Credit Marketing & Offtake (Primary Market) (EUAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Clean cookstoves
• Carbon credits
• Carbon finance
• Biomass fuel
• Emissions reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Gold Standard Premium Carbon Credits: Impact Carbon generates revenue through the sale of Gold Standard-certified premium carbon credits. The credits are generated from verified emissions reductions from improved cookstove and fuel-switch projects in Uganda and China. All project activities are funded entirely by carbon credit sales revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Impact Carbon develops, verifies and operates Gold Standard certified improved cookstove projects in Uganda and China, generating premium carbon credits from household-level emissions reductions. The company supports local manufacturers and retailers in producing and distributing energy-efficient ceramic-lined cookstoves and biomass/coal-efficiency stoves, then sells the resulting verified premium carbon credits to businesses and individuals seeking to offset their carbon footprint. All project activity is funded by carbon credit sales revenue.

Product overview

Impact Carbon operates a dual-project portfolio focused on distributing energy-efficient cookstoves in developing regions. The company supports two main product lines: Improved Cookstoves in Uganda (a Gold Standard certified project producing locally-manufactured stoves with ceramic liners that reduce charcoal use by 50%) and the Fuel Switch Project in China (providing improved heating and cooking stoves that switch rural households from coal to agricultural waste and renewable biomass). Both projects generate premium Gold Standard carbon credits through third-party verified emissions reductions, with revenue supporting local manufacturing partners and end-consumer affordability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Improved Cookstoves in Uganda Gold Standard certified improved household cookstoves distributed in Uganda, featuring thick ceramic liners that lock in heat and use up to 50% less charcoal than traditional stoves. The stoves are locally manufactured and sold through Ugandan retailers, saving households over $100 per year in fuel costs while reducing indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; the underlying verified emissions reductions are sold as Gold Standard Premium Carbon Credits.
• Fuel Switch in China Improved household heating and cooking stoves distributed in rural China (Shanxi, Hubei, and Guizhou Provinces) that switch households from coal to renewable biomass and improve coal-use efficiency, displacing nearly 2 tons of coal per stove per year. The project works through local NGOs and three local stove manufacturers, with verified emissions reductions generating Gold Standard Premium Carbon Credits.
• Gold Standard Premium Carbon Credits Third-party verified, Gold Standard certified premium carbon credits generated from the Uganda cookstove and China fuel switch projects, sold to businesses and individuals for voluntary carbon offsetting. All project activity is funded entirely by revenue from these credit sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• Households save $100+ per year on fuel costs in Uganda
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Carbon is an active partner of GACC. The organization's projects contribute to GACC's target of reaching 100 million improved cookstoves distributed by 2020. Evan Haigler co-chaired the Carbon Finance Working Group at GACC.
• USAID TRACTIONminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder USAID's TRACTION program, Impact Carbon was asked to create strategies for improved cookstove adoption in rural Uganda.
• Gold Standard FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationImpact Carbon's Ugandan cookstove and Chinese fuel switch projects are certified under The Gold Standard and generate Premium Gold Standard Carbon Credits. The Uganda project is the world's first cookstove project to achieve Gold Standard certification.
• Local NGOs in ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Carbon supports local NGOs operating in Shanxi, Hubei and Guizhou Provinces who conduct outreach in local communities to build awareness for improved stoves in the market.
• Stove Manufacturers in ChinacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImpact Carbon has worked with three local stove manufacturers who produce improved stoves that are distributed through local markets. Impact Carbon connects these manufacturers to the international carbon market.
• Local Manufacturers in UgandacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImpact Carbon supports local manufacturers with marketing and technical assistance, helping them make more stoves with less resources. The organization helps connect manufacturers with nationwide retailers.
• Local Retailers in UgandacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImpact Carbon helps connect manufacturing partners with retailers across Uganda and provides training on the benefits of improved stoves.
• United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Carbon's Safe Water for Schools program is registered under the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• South Pole Group: Large global carbon project developer and advisory firm active across forestry, renewable energy, and household energy offsets. Overlaps with Impact Carbon's carbon credit development and sales function at a much larger scale.
• Gold Standard Foundation: Standard-setting body for high-integrity carbon credits, including the cookstove methodology under which Impact Carbon's projects are certified. Highly relevant ecosystem peer as both gatekeeper and indirect enabler of premium pricing.

Direct peers

• BURN Manufacturing: Kenya-based clean cookstove manufacturer and distributor serving East African households. Highly comparable to Impact Carbon's Uganda program in target market, distribution model (local manufacturing + retail), and reliance on carbon finance.
• Cool Effect: US-based non-profit carbon marketplace that curates and sells third-party verified offsets, including cookstove and clean energy projects. Overlaps with Impact Carbon's credit marketing and sales function targeting enterprise buyers.
• ClimateCare: UK-based carbon offset project developer operating cookstove, clean energy, and water projects in developing countries. Directly comparable as a carbon-finance intermediary turning on-the-ground projects into verified credits for corporate buyers.
• atmosfair: German non-profit carbon offset developer running improved cookstove and renewable energy projects in Africa and Asia. Comparable Gold Standard-aligned developer/seller with similar NGO structure and donor-supported distribution.
• myclimate: Swiss non-profit that develops and sells high-quality carbon offset projects, including cookstoves and biomass energy in developing countries. Directly comparable carbon project developer and credit marketer.
• Envirofit International: Colorado-based social enterprise that designs, manufactures, and distributes improved cookstoves across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Closely comparable mission, technology, and carbon-credit-funded distribution model.
• ClimeCo: US-based carbon project developer and advisory firm working on cookstove, landfill gas, and forestry offsets. Comparable as a project originator selling verified credits to corporate voluntary market buyers.
• FairClimateFund: Dutch social enterprise that finances and operates Gold Standard-certified cookstove and biomass projects in developing countries. Closely comparable small developer with similar NGO/social-enterprise DNA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/impactcarbon
• Facebookfacebook.com/ImpactCarbon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impact-carbon

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Impact Carbon