Proba lands €1M to drive sustainable solutions in agri-food industry

Supporting efforts in decarbonisation

In a recent investment round led by Future Food Fund and Yield Lab Europe, Amsterdam-based carbon finance company Proba raised €1M in funding to continue its efforts to decarbonise the agri-tech industry. 

Established by Sijbrand Tieleman and Rutger Beens, Proba focuses on insetting solutions to help decarbonise the agri-food sector, with an emphasis on fertiliser-related emissions. While offsetting involves supporting external climate initiatives, insetting focuses on emission reductions within a company’s own supply chain. Proba helps agri-food businesses measure, verify, and fund their sustainability efforts, converting them into certified, tradable certificates. 

Studies show that fertilisers can harm the environment in multiple ways, including runoff into rivers, lakes, and oceans, leading to eutrophication that disrupts marine ecosystems. Additionally, fertiliser production generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. By working with stakeholders across the supply chain, Proba facilitates emissions reductions at every stage through insetting.

Moving forward with food

Proba’s latest investment will contribute to the expansion of its insetting services, supporting agrifood businesses in funding sustainability efforts and reducing emissions. The company follows established carbon accounting standards, including the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), ensuring measurable and credible impact. With partners like Corporate Value Associates, the International Fertilizer Association, and Agrifirm already using the platform, Proba is making strides toward a more sustainable fertiliser industry.

The future of food is in Amsterdam

Proba joins a thriving community of Amsterdam startups and out of the box thinkers who are also coming up with solutions to tackle the climate crisis. Such as Overstory who are using AI to monitor vegetation, helping prevent power outages and wildfires by managing tree growth near power lines and Cradle, whose AI platform optimises protein design, accelerating biotech research and development. Amsterdam is emerging as a key player when it comes to new technologies that benefit the health of our planet. 

Read more about Amsterdam's agri-tech ecosystem.