admin Berlin-based agritech startup Klim has raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by BNP Paribas, Europe’s largest bank, to help farmers transition to regenerative agriculture and expand its operations beyond Germany. Founded in 2020 by Robert Gerlach, Nina Mannheimer, and Adiv Maimon, Klim provides farmers with digital tools to shift to sustainable farming practices, which aim to reduce carbon emissions, boost biodiversity, and restore soil health. The round, one of the largest for a European agritech startup this year, also included investment from Earthshot Ventures, Rabobank, AgFunder, Norinchukin Bank, and other impact-focused funds.
The funding will be directed toward helping farmers adopt regenerative methods by providing them with planning, execution, and financing support. Using Klim’s platform, farmers can access resources for improving soil health, sequestering carbon, and minimising emissions, while also tracking their progress. According to Gerlach, Klim’s CEO, regenerative farming is urgently needed due to the extensive loss of organic carbon in soils worldwide. Klim’s digital tools help farmers start the transition with manageable steps tailored to their specific farms, Gerlach noted.
Enabling Revenue from Carbon Sequestration
Klim’s platform not only facilitates sustainable practices but also offers farmers a way to monetize these efforts. Farmers can earn revenue by selling “carbon insets” to food companies, allowing them to generate income from carbon sequestration alongside traditional crop production. This aligns with rising regulatory pressures on companies to reduce supply chain emissions, making Klim’s model particularly appealing. Gerlach emphasised the need for reliable systems that support food supply chain resilience, an increasing concern for global food companies.
Since its founding, Klim has supported around 3,500 farmers, representing 700,000 hectares of farmland—roughly 5% of Germany’s agricultural land. Klim’s clientele includes major food industry players such as Nestlé, Kaufland, and Aryzta. The company also announced that its approach to quantifying carbon reductions involves a combination of satellite data, soil sampling, and on-site information, ensuring that their assessments of emission reductions are thorough and certified. BNP Paribas, through its Positive Impact Business Accelerator, expressed alignment with Klim’s mission, viewing the startup’s platform as a solution that both mitigates climate change and enhances ecosystem resilience.
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