Bio-Logical, a Kenyan startup dedicated to climate solutions, has successfully raised $1.3 million to enhance its biochar production facility located near Mount Kenya. The investment is aimed at boosting the facility’s output and supporting the company’s mission to improve the economic well-being of small-scale Kenyan farmers.
The funding round was spearheaded by CrossBoundary and Redshaw Advisors, with additional contributions from existing backers such as the Steyn Group.
Co-CEO Rory Buckworth announced that this financial boost marks a significant milestone for Bio-Logical, as it will facilitate the scaling of their Mount Kenya operation and serve as a blueprint for future growth. The company has set ambitious goals to inaugurate three additional facilities across Kenya within the next year and a half.
In November 2023, Bio-Logical had already secured $1 million in seed funding for its first facility in Kenya. Their long-term vision includes empowering 1 million smallholder farmers and capturing 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year by the year 2030.
The enterprise was co-founded in 2022 by Rory Buckworth and Philip Hunter. Bio-Logical’s innovative approach involves converting agricultural waste into biochar, a potent fertiliser that not only enhances soil quality but also contributes to climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon.
Philip Hunter, the co-founder, emphasized that Bio-Logical’s work extends beyond carbon sequestration. The company is committed to producing an affordable fertiliser that not only regenerates the soil but also increases crop yields and bolsters the climate resilience of Kenyan farmers. He pointed out the disproportionate impact of climate change on smallholder farmers, who bear minimal responsibility for the environmental crisis.
Louis Redshaw, CEO of Redshaw Advisors, expressed his company’s satisfaction in participating in Bio-Logical’s latest funding round. He highlighted the dual benefits of the investment: generating high-quality carbon removal credits and providing much-needed climate resilience solutions to farmers who are facing the brunt of climate change.
The recent funding secured by Bio-Logical is in alignment with the company’s collaboration with corporations that are dedicated to taking positive climate action and investing in high-quality projects within countries that need support in their decarbonization efforts.
Data from Africa, The Big Deal, a startup funding data platform, indicates that African climate tech startups have collectively raised $325 million in the year 2024. This figure is part of a larger trend observed over the past five years, where climate tech funding has seen a substantial increase. Starting from $340 million in 2019, the investment figures rose to $344 million in 2020, surged to $613 million in 2021, climbed to $959 million in 2022, and peaked at $1.1 billion in 2023.
Statista’s data reveals that Kenya is leading the way in climate tech startup funding within Africa, capturing 53% of the total investments. Nigeria and Ghana are also significant contributors, with 11% and 9% of the funding share, respectively.
Furthermore, Kenya stands out as the country with the highest number of climate tech startups that have each raised over $100,000 between 2019 and 2023. This underscores Kenya’s prominent role in the climate tech sector on the African continent.
