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Perwez-based Soil Capital, a Belgian B-Corp dedicated to advancing regenerative agriculture, has successfully closed a €15M Series B funding round. The company's mission centers on tackling social, environmental, and economic challenges for farms through low-carbon transition strategies.
Led by Trill Impact Ventures, the funding round saw participation from notable investors, including Société Fédérale de Participations et d'Investissement (SFPIM), Sandwater, Santander Alternative Investments, alongside returning backers Ring Capital, Edaphon, the company founders, and other shareholders.
With this fresh capital, Soil Capital is set to strengthen its position as a crucial partner for farmers and agri-food businesses, focusing on building a more resilient and sustainable global food system.
Dr. Alexander Domin, Partner at Trill Impact Advisory and Co-Head of Trill Impact Ventures, says, "We believe that Soil Capital is well positioned to champion the regenerative agriculture transition. With their large base of loyal farmers and high-integrity standards for certification, they help some of the world's largest food corporates reduce their net emissions and strengthen their supply chain's resilience to climate change."
"The investment in Soil Capital is a testament to Trill Impact's belief that business models addressing crucial climate challenges have great potential to become commercial winners. Together with our co-investors, we look forward to supporting the team's ambition to enable farmers around the world in their transition."
Capital Utilization:
Soil Capital has set an ambitious goal of transitioning 1 million hectares to regenerative agriculture by 2025. The newly secured funds will scale up its operations, enhance its data entry platform, and strengthen agronomic support for farmers.
The company plans to meet the growing demand for comprehensive metrics on greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and socio-economic factors. Additionally, the funding will fuel its global expansion efforts, enabling Soil Capital to reach and support more farmers worldwide.
Chuck de Liedekerke, CEO of Soil Capital, says, "As a team with longstanding experience managing farms, we have seen firsthand the reality and consequences of climate change. These are already very real. That's why we launched Soil Capital, with a vision to reshape the agricultural value chain."
"This new funding gives us the scope and capacity to take our impact to the next level, with an enhanced value proposition that will help to reimagine the relationship between society, land use, food systems, and nature."
This year, Soil Capital has paid over 800 farmers across the UK, France, and Belgium for implementing eco-friendly farming practices, a significant increase from 2022. The first quarterly payment of 2024 amounted to £2.4M, underscoring the company's growing footprint across Europe.
Regenerative Agriculture for a Sustainable Food System:
Soil Capital advocates for regenerative agriculture, which captures more carbon than it emits, boosts biodiversity, improves water retention, and enhances overall ecosystem health. Through its programs, the company has supported over 1,600 farmers in transitioning to this method, covering 350,000 hectares across France, Belgium, and the UK.
The company employs a robust methodology, certified by a carbon indicator, that aligns with corporate strategies to reduce scope three emissions—those indirect emissions associated with a company's operations but from external sources. Soil Capital's certificates are verified independently and meet the Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) requirements of the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
The certification ensures regenerative practices deliver tangible benefits, with yearly assessments of farms' carbon levels serving as critical indicators of soil health and the effectiveness of these practices. Each certificate quantifies improvements by representing one ton of CO2e, either reduced or removed, making it easier for companies to support these farms while enhancing supply chain resilience. By backing such initiatives, businesses can lower their scope 3 emissions and meet global standards like the SBTi while rewarding farmers for their sustainable efforts.
What the investors had to say?
Peter De Decker, Investment Manager at SFPIM, says, "We share Soil Capital's mission of supporting farmers in their transition to regenerative and sustainable agriculture. We are convinced that Soil Capital will enable change by unlocking a virtuous cycle."
"First of all, by placing the environment at the heart of its activities, but also by supporting farmers towards a future-proof farming model. We are very eager to collaborate with Soil Capital's team and the other investors on its ambitious plan."
Charlotte Lafont, Investment Director at Ring Capital, adds, "We're very proud to renew and increase our support for Soil Capital's very talented team. Since our initial investment in January 2023, we've contemplated the many successes of the company, confirming their capacity to unlock the great power of regenerative agriculture."
"We're glad to be joined by highly qualified investors such as Trill Impact, SFPIM, Sandwater, and Santander Alternative Investments to support Soil Capital in its expansion and accelerate the deployment of their program."
"Through its innovative program, Soil Capital not only addresses the environmental problems of our food system but also provides a viable and powerful solution to the social and economic challenges of the farming sector, thus combining comprehensive impact and scalable business model."
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