Startups on Fire — Firms under five years old
Finalist: HabiTerre
HabiTerre, founded in 2019, has created technology designed to provide environmental and productivity data for the agriculture industry. Its technology uses remote sensors, scientific models and artificial intelligence to generate insights and analysis for growers. HabiTerre’s technology is used by food and consumer packaged goods companies to measure the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints of their supply chains. Farmers can also use it to access in-season growing reports and historical farmland data to manage and project yield.
The startup says its technology has recently achieved key validation marks, as it seeks to expand its usage. Earlier this year it announced a partnership with Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson Foods for its technology to be used with Tyson’s LGS Sustain program, which is focused on promoting sustainable farming among its producers.
What was your company’s biggest achievement in the past year?
In the past year, HabiTerre’s biggest accomplishment was achieving third party model validation of their product through the Climate Action Reserve (CAR), under their Soil Enrichment Protocol (SEP). This report makes HabiTerre’s platform:
- One of only three models to achieve third-party validation with CAR
- One of only two models to achieve validation for both soil carbon and nitrous oxide emissions
- The highest performer in both categories
The Climate Action Reserve (CAR) was founded in 2001 by the State of California to address climate change through voluntary calculation and public reporting of emissions. Now recognized as one of the most trusted, efficient, and experienced registries for carbon markets, CAR establishes rigorous standards, involving multi-sector stakeholders and third-party verification, to support and promote climate change solutions that benefit economies, ecosystems, and society.
This milestone highlights our dedication to bridging the gap between scientific rigor and positive impact at scale, building upon decades of supporting research and development to bring these capabilities to commercial application.
The agricultural sector is a significant contributor to global GHG emissions, yet quantifying Scope 3 emissions at scale has been a persistent challenge. Corporate climate targets often rely on low-resolution emissions factors, leading to inaccuracies and inconsistent measurements. Companies and stakeholders in the agricultural industry need reliable, scalable, and accurate data to measure, track, and ultimately reduce their environmental impact, while maintaining cost efficiency. The lack of clear, consistent, and scalable methods for quantifying GHG emissions makes it difficult for businesses to meet their environmental goals and comply with regulatory standards.
The approval of HabiTerre’s model adds an additional layer of confidence to an already trusted approach. Companies can rely on our extensively tested and scientifically rigorous approach, knowing that it complies with the highest national standards and has now been third party validated for commercial application.
What is your company’s top goal for the next year?
The top goal next year is to officially launch our core Scope 3 GHG emissions product at scale. We’re currently in what we would consider a beta phase for the product with paying customers and ongoing refinement, but over the next year we will officially be launching for the broader market, which will include marketing initiatives and clear product definition for rapid execution at scale. Related to this goal, we aim to achieve more than 1 million acres contracted for GHG emissions quantification within the next 12 months.
Are you currently hiring? If so, for what roles?
Yes, we are currently hiring for three roles: technical product owner, data engineer and environmental modeler.
See photos from the 2024 Fire Awards event below:
