Rize Secures $31 Million to Cut Methane Emissions from Rice Farming

Takeaways

• Rize has secured $31 million in Series B funding to expand its platform that helps reduce methane emissions from rice farming.
• The company plans to scale sustainable rice cultivation across Southeast Asia, with India identified as a future growth market.
• The funding will support traceability, carbon certification, and climate-smart farming practices to help farmers improve productivity while lowering emissions.

Singapore-based agri-tech startup Rize has raised $31 million in Series B funding to accelerate its mission of reducing the climate impact of rice cultivation. The investment will help the company expand its technology platform, enabling more farmers to adopt sustainable rice farming practices while improving yields and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Rice is the world's most widely consumed staple crop and represents a market worth more than $300 billion annually. However, it is also one of agriculture's largest sources of methane emissions, contributing an estimated 12% of global methane output, a climate impact comparable to that of the global aviation sector.

Read More: Methane Emissions Climb in Brazil’s Beef Sector

Founded in 2023 through a joint venture involving Temasek, Wavemaker Impact, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and GenZero, Rize develops data-driven solutions that support farmers in reducing emissions while maintaining productivity. The company currently focuses on Indonesia and Vietnam and plans to expand into India as part of its regional growth strategy.

Rize's platform combines agronomic expertise with measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) technology to guide farmers in adopting low-emission cultivation methods. The company also works to create financial incentives throughout the agricultural value chain, encouraging wider adoption of climate-smart agriculture.

Since closing its Series A funding round two years ago, Rize says it has expanded its operations more than tenfold and established one of Southeast Asia's leading platforms for sustainable rice farming.

The latest funding will allow the company to strengthen field-to-buyer traceability, increase the adoption of Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation techniques, improve Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) compliance, and advance carbon certification capabilities. Rize also plans to open its platform to more ecosystem partners as it works toward supporting 150,000 farmers across 300,000 hectares by 2030.

Co-Founder and CEO Dhruv Sawhney said the latest investment represents more than financial backing, describing it as validation of the company's progress and its vision of building a more resilient and sustainable food system for smallholder farmers. He added that the company is now well-positioned to connect farmers, supply chains, and sustainability initiatives more effectively.

The Series B round included $20 million in equity financing, led by BNP Paribas Asset Management, with participation from The Rockefeller Foundation, Temasek, and Breakthrough Energy. A further $11 million in debt financing was provided by UOB, BIDV (Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam), and Temasek Foundation, bringing Rize's total funding to $47 million.

Also Read: Climate Curve Prize: Methane Set to Boost Solutions for Agricultural Emissions

Alexandre Martin-Min, Head of Natural Capital & Impact Investments at BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts, said Rize operates at the convergence of sustainable agriculture, carbon finance, and growing consumer demand for food traceability. He noted that the investment aligns with the firm's strategy of supporting solutions that protect natural ecosystems while delivering long-term financial value.

With fresh capital in hand, Rize aims to expand the reach of its rice farming technology, helping farmers reduce methane emissions, improve productivity, and contribute to a more sustainable global food system.

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Source: ESGtoday