According to EU-Startups, Amsterdam-based climate tech startup Proba has raised €1.25 million in a funding round. The company, founded in 2022 by Sijbrand Tieleman and Rutger Been, certifies Scope 3 emission reductions specifically from fertiliser use in agriculture. The investment came from existing backers Future Food Fund, Yield Lab Europe, and Value Factory Ventures. CEO Sijbrand Tieleman stated the capital will accelerate their mission by enabling expansion into the United States and Brazil. This follows a €1 million round led by the same investors back in February 2025. The fresh funding will also help Proba support global companies across major crop value chains like coffee, corn, potatoes, and sugar.
The fertiliser problem and Proba’s fix
Here’s the thing: agriculture is a massive climate culprit, and a huge chunk of that comes from fertilisers. Proba points out that emissions from nitrogen fertilisers alone account for about 5% of global GHGs. For many staple crops, it’s the dominant part of their carbon footprint. The tech to lower these emissions exists, but adoption is slow. Why? Cost and messed-up incentives. Farmers often can’t afford the premium for low-carbon fertiliser, and the food companies buying the crops have no easy way to measure or claim the reduction.
That’s where Proba steps in. Basically, they turn the climate benefit of using better fertiliser practices into a certified, tradable asset called an “Impact Unit.” Each unit equals one tonne of verified CO₂ reduction. They use science-backed methods to quantify the savings, get it all verified by independent auditors, and then issue the certificate on a blockchain registry. So a food giant with tough Scope 3 targets can finally buy and claim real, verified reductions from their supply chain. It’s a way to make the green choice financially viable for everyone in the chain.
Credibility is everything
Now, the carbon credit world is, let’s be honest, a bit of a minefield. So Proba is leaning hard on credibility. Their whole system is built to align with the big standards: the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the GHG Protocol’s FLAG guidance for land use. They even scored a Conditional Endorsement from the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA) last year. Independent verification and a blockchain ledger for traceability are their answers to the greenwashing accusations that plague this sector. Kim Wagenaar from Future Food Fund nailed it by calling this an “under-accounted” source of emissions. Proba isn’t inventing new science; they’re building a credible accounting and financing bridge for science that already exists.
Why the Americas and what’s next?
So why the big push into the US and Brazil? It’s simple: scale and pressure. These are agricultural powerhouses responsible for a colossal share of the world’s food. The potential for impact is enormous there. But also, the regulatory and consumer pressure on multinational food corporations to clean up their supply chains is intensifying faster in those markets. These companies need compliant, traceable solutions, and they need them now. Proba’s move is a direct bet on that demand.
It’s a smart play. If they can become the go-to system for verifying fertiliser emissions in these massive markets, they become incredibly valuable. The focus on specific, high-volume crops like corn and coffee shows they’re targeting supply chains where the carbon math makes immediate sense. The challenge, as always, will be execution. Can they onboard enough farmers and agribusinesses at a pace that matters? This funding round says their investors think so. It’s a fascinating model that could finally move the needle on one of agriculture’s dirtiest secrets. You can learn more about their approach at their website.
