Sistema.bio has raised $15.6 million in a Series B investment round to help it deliver clean and renewable energy to 1 million farmers and their families by 2025 to support the continued growth and scale of the company’s innovative waste-to-energy technology and business model.
The round was a mix of equity, debt and non-dilutive capital and was led by an equity investment from KawiSafi Ventures and matched by AXA IM Alts, a global leader in alternative investments, through the AXA IM Impact Investing strategy. Existing investors Engie RDE, EU ElectriFI fund, Chroma Impact, Blink CV and Co Capital also participated in the round, and Triodos Bank provided additional working capital financing.
“Our team at KawiSafi are very excited to begin this partnership with Sistema.bio and support them in this global scaling phase of their growth” said Marcus Watson, Director at KawiSafi. “Sistema.bio has perfected their distributed biogas technology which is modular and easy-to-use so that it can serve the whole spectrum of small to large farms. Their products are now being used by hundreds of thousands of people across three continents to meet diverse energy needs, from domestic (cooking, heating) to productive (agro-processing) uses as well as biofertilizer to increase farm yields. We see huge potential in Sistema.bio’s solution to reduce GHG emissions at the farm level and make a significant dent in the global climate crisis.”
Founded in 2010 in Mexico, Sistema.bio Sistema.bio digesters are specifically designed to serve a wide range of farms and sanitation projects. Due to its prefabricated technology, as well as its replicable business model, Sistema.bio has the potential to reach over one billion people in over 200 million farms. Today, with over 200,000 users in 30 countries, the company is the global leader in distributed biogas technology, service and financing and has operational hubs in Mexico, Colombia, Kenya and India.
Sistema.bio provides access to innovative biodigester technology, training, and financing for farmers to address the challenges of poverty, food security, and climate change. It’s patented technology allows farmers around the world to efficiently convert their waste into renewable energy and biofertilizer. In 2021, Sistema.bio reached several growth milestones, with over 14,000 units sold and a new manufacturing facility in India.
Jonathan Dean, Head of Impact Investing at AXA IM Alts, commented: “We are delighted to invest in Sistema.bio, one of the largest integrated biogas companies in the world focused on small-scale agriculture. By converting polluting waste into high-value biofuels and sustainable agricultural inputs through proprietary cutting-edge technology, Sistema.bio’s corporate mission directly aligns with AXA IM Alts’ impact objectives to promote resource efficiency and innovative solutions to climate change through its investments.”
This Series B investment round follows a Seed and Series A equity investments. Sistema.bio has been successful at raising a combination of equity, debt and non-dilutive capital. In addition to the existing investors that joined this round, KawiSafi Ventures and AXA IM Alts join Alphamundi, Beneficial Returns, Dila Capital, EcoEnterprises Fund, Factor[e], KIVA, Lendahand, OPES Fund, OpenRoad Alliance and Satila as investors of Sistema.bio.
“Our team has been able to create a lot of incredible momentum and growth in 2021, and with the new funding we will continue to build the team, partnerships and structures required to deliver the best biogas products, services, financing and certified impacts at scale,” said co-founder and CEO Alex Eaton. “We have spent well over a decade creating the technology and model to support smallholder farmers to become more sustainable, independent, and productive. We can now do that at scale, while driving significant methane and CO2 reductions on farms and strengthening global food systems.”
Sistema.bio has announced that they aim to deliver clean and renewable energy for 1 million farmers and their families by 2025. “We are really excited to have such impact-driven shareholders and to see such an incredible global commitment to creating a climate-smart, sustainable, and equitable food system,” said Eaton. “The time is now for ambitious climate projects, and we intend to lead the charge for smallholder farmers.”