West Africa Blue

Name

West Africa Blue

Legal name

West Africa Blue

Website

https://westafricablue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

West Africa Blue is a community-centric blue carbon project developer that originates, develops, and verifies mangrove conservation and restoration projects in Sierra Leone and Guinea for the issuance of high-integrity Verra-certified carbon credits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blue Carbon Project Development

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Forestry and Logging (113)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Blue Carbon Removal (Mangroves, Seagrass, Salt Marsh) (EUABAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wetlands, Peatlands & Mangrove Restoration (Blue Carbon Restoration) (EUABABAG), Avoided Conversion & Ecosystem Protection (REDD+, Blue Carbon Conservation) (EUABABAC), Voluntary Carbon Offsets Trading (Verified Credits: VCM) (EUAGAIAB)

Keywords

• Blue carbon credits
• Mangrove restoration
• Carbon project development
• Coastal ecosystem conservation
• Verified carbon standard

Headquarters

HQ city

Freetown

HQ country

Sierra Leone

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Carbon Credit Sales: Revenue generated through the issuance and sale of high-quality, certified blue carbon credits from mangrove conservation and restoration projects. Projects in Sierra Leone and Guinea are registered with Verra, with credits expected to be issued starting late 2025.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

West Africa Blue originates and develops high-integrity blue carbon projects through mangrove conservation and restoration across coastal West Africa. The company partners with communities and governments in Sierra Leone (Sherbro River Estuary and Yawri Bay) and Guinea (Forécariah and Boffa Prefectures), registering projects with Verra's Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) programs to issue and sell certified blue carbon credits to corporate buyers and impact investors.

Product overview

West Africa Blue operates as a community-centric blue carbon project developer offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core product is high-integrity blue carbon credits generated from mangrove conservation and restoration projects across Sierra Leone and Guinea. Supporting the core carbon credit offering is Living Labs, an open-source resource platform that disseminates methodologies and best practices developed from project activities. This includes the Benefit Sharing Agreement (BSA) Living Labs Series for transparent revenue distribution, the Mangrove Assessment Methodology for ecosystem monitoring, Community Engagement Modules aligned with FPIC principles, Improved Cookstoves & Smokers programs for sustainable cooking solutions, Sustainable Livelihoods programs (oyster farming, beekeeping, woodlots), and Climate Change Adaptation resources. The company also provides an FPIC Guidance Document for community engagement. Together, these products enable West Africa Blue to deliver verified carbon credits while building local capacity and sharing knowledge across the blue carbon market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blue Carbon Credits
• Living Labs Open-Source Resource Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Potential reduction of over 6.5 million tons of CO2e over 30 years through Sierra Leone project
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Government of Guinea (Ministry of Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023MOU partnership with Government of Guinea to jointly explore potential for blue carbon projects in Forécariah and Boffa Prefectures.
• GreenCollarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian environmental markets organization supporting blue carbon project development and carbon credit methodology development for West Africa Blue projects.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal conservation organization providing technical expertise and partnership for Sierra Leone mangrove conservation and biodiversity protection.
• Conservation InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal environmental organization supporting blue carbon initiatives and conservation work in West Africa. Listed as partner on Living Labs BSA series.
• Government of Sierra Leone (Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal government partnership for Sierra Leone project covering Sherbro River Estuary and Yawri Bay with 11 chiefdoms.
• TerraCarbonminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCarbon market consultancy supporting blue carbon project development and listed as collaborator on Living Labs benefit sharing agreement series.
• Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal conservation organization collaborating on biodiversity assessments and environmental DNA surveys in Sierra Leone project area.
• Solon Capital PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest Africa Blue was co-founded by Solon Capital Partners, the investment firm that originated and developed the Sherbro River Estuary relationship over 13+ years.
• BlueVenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization focused on community-based marine conservation, listed among partner organizations.
• NatureMetricsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEnvironmental DNA and biodiversity assessment consultancy collaborating on species identification in Sierra Leone project area.
• Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research InstituteminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch institution collaborating on comprehensive carbon assessment of mangroves along Guinean coast, measuring over 130 plots.
• CrossBoundaryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment and advisory firm supporting Living Labs benefit sharing agreement series and blue carbon market development.
• Sierra Leone Artisanal Fishermen Union (SLAFU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal fishermen's union partnering on improved fish smoking oven expansion across Sierra Leone project area.
• NamatiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal empowerment organization supporting Living Labs benefit sharing agreement series and community rights in carbon markets.
• Nature for JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate justice organization listed as collaborator on Living Labs benefit sharing agreement series.
• Fair CarbonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon markets organization supporting Living Labs benefit sharing agreement series and carbon market standards.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• CrossBoundary: Investment and advisory firm collaborating on Living Labs BSA materials. Comparable as a frontier-market climate finance enabler supporting West Africa Blue's market development and benefit-sharing frameworks.

Direct peers

• TerraCarbon: U.S. carbon market consultancy supporting West Africa Blue's blue carbon project development and co-authoring Living Labs BSA materials. Directly comparable as a specialized nature-based carbon project developer and technical advisor.
• Blue Ventures: Marine conservation organization partnering with West Africa Blue on community-based marine conservation. Comparable in focus on community-led coastal conservation in developing geographies and overlapping operational model.
• Blue Forest: U.S.-based non-profit developing blue carbon and forest restoration projects with revenue tied to verified carbon credits. Direct competitor in the community-based mangrove and coastal restoration space with similar Verra-registered pipelines.
• GreenCollar: Australian environmental markets developer that co-develops methodology and supports West Africa Blue's blue carbon projects. GreenCollar is one of the largest developers of nature-based carbon credits globally and a direct comparator in mangrove and coastal blue carbon origination.
• Mangrove Capital Fund: Investment vehicle dedicated to financing mangrove conservation and restoration projects globally. Direct competitor for institutional capital and project pipeline in the same blue carbon niche West Africa Blue addresses.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Global environmental organization supporting West Africa Blue's blue carbon initiatives and listed as a Living Labs BSA partner. A large incumbent with significant blue carbon and nature-based carbon finance activities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• South Pole Group: Large carbon project developer and advisory with broad nature-based and blue carbon offerings. Comparable as a developer, intermediary, and credit aggregator active in voluntary carbon markets including coastal ecosystems.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation organization partnering with West Africa Blue on Sierra Leone biodiversity and conservation work. A broader incumbent with extensive nature-based carbon project experience across multiple geographies and a deep operating bench.

Others

• Verra: Registry operator for the Verified Carbon Standard and CCB programs under which West Africa Blue's credits are issued. Infrastructure and standards provider for the entire blue carbon category in which West Africa Blue operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-africa-blue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 West Africa Blue