Climate solutions startup Windfall Bio announced today that it has raised $28 million in a Series A funding round, with proceeds from the financing aimed at supporting the commercialization of its solution to capture and utilize methane from emissions-intensive industries.

Rapid reduction in methane emissions is seen as one of the most effective near-term actions that can be taken in order to help achieve the global climate goal to limit warming to 1.5°C. Methane, emitted from activity such as agriculture, fossil fuel production and transport, coal mining and landfills, is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, with as much as 80x the warming power of CO2.

Founded in 2022, California-based Windfall Bio provides a nature-based solution to capture methane emissions and transform it into organic fertilizer. The company’s solution utilizes methanotrophs, naturally occurring soil methane eating microbes, or “mems,” that capture methane from any source, along with nitrogen from the air, to produce bioavailable nutrients for plants, enabling industries ranging from agriculture and oil and gas to waste management to reduce their emissions footprint, while providing farmers with the ability to improve profitability and reduce environmental impact.

The company said that it will use the new capital to expand pilot deployments across methane intensive industries, as well as to build out its team, and its manufacturing capacity and supply chain to meet growing global customer demand for methane mitigation solutions.

Josh Silverman, co-founder and CEO of Windfall Bio, said:

“While addressing methane emissions is the most impactful strategy available today to tackle near-term climate change, it has remained a critically underappreciated and underfunded problem for global warming, only recently gaining significant attention in climate discussions. However, methane represents an important resource that can create significant value for customers if they are given the right tools.”

The Series A round was led by Prelude Ventures, and included participation from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Global Brain, Incite Ventures, and Positive Ventures, as well as from existing investors including B37 Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mayfield, and UNTITLED.

Mark Cupta, Managing Director at Prelude Ventures, said:

“Windfall Bio is a cost effective and simple methane mitigation solution that increases the efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of methane emitting industries. Uniquely, Windfall’s approach can rapidly scale globally across large industries to meaningfully reduce methane emissions.”

Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund’s Nick Ellis added:

“Windfall Bio’s approach to methane mitigation creates an exciting greenhouse gas emissions reduction opportunity for agricultural customers and other industries. We look forward to piloting Windfall Bio with our Whole Foods Market suppliers, and delivering results together in the coming years.”