Mati Carbon, an Indian-led climate initiative, has captured global attention by winning the $50 million grand prize in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. The company’s innovative approach not only stood out among more than 1,300 teams from 112 countries but also set a new benchmark for climate solutions that merge environmental impact with social empowerment. At the heart of Mati Carbon’s mission is a commitment to support smallholder farmers—those most vulnerable to climate change—while advancing the science of carbon removal at scale.
Enhanced Rock Weathering:
Mati Carbon’s breakthrough lies in its use of Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), a process that accelerates the natural breakdown of rocks to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide. The company distributes finely crushed basalt rock, free of cost, to smallholder farmers in India, Tanzania, and Zambia. When spread across farmland, this basalt reacts with CO₂ in the air and soil, locking the carbon away for thousands of years. The process not only removes carbon from the atmosphere but also releases vital nutrients into the soil, rejuvenating degraded farmland and boosting crop yields by an average of 20 percent.
This dual benefit—climate action and agricultural improvement—has proven transformative for the smallholder farmers who partner with Mati Carbon. Many of these farmers operate on less than three hectares of land and are disproportionately affected by extreme weather, drought, and flooding. By improving soil fertility and resilience, Mati’s model helps farmers increase their incomes, pay off debts, and invest in better farming practices, all while contributing to global efforts to limit climate change.
Scaling Up: From 16,000 Farmers to a Global Vision
Since its founding in 2022, Mati Carbon has rapidly expanded its reach. The initiative has already partnered with over 16,000 farmers and aims to double that number by the end of the year. The ultimate goal is ambitious: to benefit 100 million smallholder farmers by 2045. This vision is particularly significant in the Global South, where more than 500 million smallholder farmers face mounting climate risks and lack access to the resources needed for adaptation.
Mati’s approach is built on collaboration and technological innovation. The company has developed a proprietary platform called “matiC,” which streamlines everything from farmer engagement and logistics to laboratory analysis and AI-powered field verification. This robust system ensures that every step—from the delivery of basalt to the measurement of carbon removed—is transparent, traceable, and scientifically rigorous. Partnerships with leading institutions like IIT Kanpur and Yale University have further strengthened Mati’s monitoring, reporting, and verification framework, ensuring that the carbon credits generated are both credible and durable.
The sale of these verifiable carbon credits to global buyers such as Shopify, Stripe, and H&M provides a sustainable revenue stream, allowing Mati to offer its services to farmers at no cost. This model not only accelerates the adoption of ERW but also channels climate finance directly to those who need it most.
Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead:
While Mati Carbon’s XPRIZE win is a major validation of its science and mission, scaling the solution across India and beyond presents significant challenges. India’s agricultural landscape is highly fragmented, with uneven infrastructure and limited access to credit or fertilizers in many regions. Building trust with farmers, ensuring consistent delivery and application of basalt, and maintaining rigorous scientific standards all require robust systems and local partnerships.
Despite these hurdles, Mati Carbon’s leadership remains optimistic. Founder and CEO Shantanu Agarwal emphasizes that the XPRIZE recognition will help the company accelerate its work, attract new partners, and inspire more smallholder farmers to join the movement. Chief Science Officer Jake Jordan underscores the durability of the ERW approach, noting that the carbon captured through this process is sequestered for up to 10,000 years—a critical advantage as the world seeks lasting solutions to the climate crisis.
