Alt Carbon, an Indian climate tech startup, has raised $12 million in seed funding to expand its Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) technology across the Global South. This method involves spreading waste basalt rock dust on agricultural fields, where it reacts with rainwater to convert atmospheric CO₂ into stable bicarbonate ions. Eventually It forms calcium carbonate stored in oceans for over 10,000 years.
Founded by brothers Shrey and Sparsh Agarwal, Alt Carbon aims to remove 5 million metric tons of CO₂ by 2030. Their flagship initiative, the Darjeeling Revival Project, seeks to restore degraded soils and ecosystems in India’s tea-growing region while enhancing soil health and crop yields.
The funding round, led by Lachy Groom, marks the largest seed investment in Indian climate tech to date. Alt Carbon has also secured strategic partnerships, including a 10,000-tonne carbon removal offtake agreement with MOL Group and a collaboration with Mitsubishi Corporation to scale ERW efforts.
This investment underscores the growing interest in scalable, nature-based carbon removal solutions that offer both environmental and agricultural benefits.