Singapore-based agri-tech startup Rize has raised $31 million in Series B funding to expand its sustainable rice platform across Asia. The investment will help the company scale low-emission farming practices, strengthen carbon certification, improve traceability, and support hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers while reducing methane emissions from one of the world’s most carbon-intensive crops.

Key Overview

• Rize raised $31 million in Series B funding.
• The round included $20 million in equity and $11 million in debt.
• The company helps farmers reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation.
• Rize aims to reach 150,000 farmers across 300,000 hectares by 2030.
• Funding will expand traceability, carbon certification and sustainable farming.

Rize Secures $31 Million to Expand Sustainable Rice Farming

Singapore-based agri-tech startup Rize has raised $31 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate the adoption of low-emission rice farming across Asia.

The funding will enable the company to expand its technology platform, strengthen carbon certification, improve supply chain traceability and help more farmers adopt climate-smart cultivation practices.

The raise brings Rize’s total funding to $47 million since its launch.

Rice Farming’s Climate Challenge

Rice is the world’s most widely consumed staple food and represents an annual market worth more than $300 billion.

However, rice cultivation is also one of agriculture’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 12% of global methane emissions—a climate impact comparable to that of the global aviation industry.

Methane is primarily produced in flooded rice paddies where oxygen-free conditions allow microorganisms to break down organic matter. Additional emissions are generated through rice straw burning and excessive fertilizer use, making rice farming a significant contributor to climate change.

Reducing emissions therefore requires improving farming practices across millions of smallholder farms while maintaining food production and farmer incomes.

Technology Supporting Climate-Smart Agriculture

Founded in 2022 through a partnership involving Temasek, Wavemaker Impact (formerly 100×100), Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and GenZero, Rize develops data-driven solutions that help farmers grow rice more sustainably.

The company’s platform combines agronomic expertise with digital Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) technology to measure emissions reductions and support carbon certification.

Its primary markets currently include Indonesia and Vietnam, with expansion planned into India.

Rize’s approach centers on Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), an irrigation technique endorsed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and CGIAR.

The farming practice can:

• Reduce methane emissions by up to 50%
• Lower water consumption by 20–30%
• Increase farmer incomes by up to 30%
• Maintain crop yields

The company also helps farmers meet Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) standards required by premium international export markets.

Funding to Accelerate Growth

The Series B round consists of:

• $20 million in equity financing led by BNP Paribas Asset Management
• Participation from The Rockefeller Foundation, Temasek, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures
• $11 million in debt financing provided by UOB, BIDV and Temasek Foundation

According to Rize, the capital will be used to:

• Expand field-to-buyer traceability
• Scale Alternate Wetting and Drying adoption
• Increase MRL compliance
• Advance carbon certification
• Open its platform to new ecosystem partners

The company aims to support 150,000 smallholder farmers across 300,000 hectares by 2030.

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Rapid Expansion Across Southeast Asia

Rize said it has expanded operations more than tenfold since its Series A funding two years ago and has become one of Southeast Asia’s largest sustainable rice platforms.

Today, the company works with nearly 17,000 smallholder farmers across more than 50,000 hectares in Indonesia and Vietnam.

Its low-emission rice is fully traceable to the field level, with export shipments already reaching buyers in Europe, Canada, Australia, and Singapore.

Carbon Markets Add Credibility

Rize is also positioning itself within the growing voluntary carbon market.

Its Sustainable Rice Production in Southeast and South Asia project has received a BeZero Carbon A.pre rating, indicating a high likelihood that future carbon credits will achieve their intended emissions reductions.

The project is also progressing toward Gold Standard certification, with the company forecasting the issuance of more than one million carbon credits over the next five years.

Independent verification and internationally recognized certification are expected to strengthen buyer confidence at a time when carbon markets face increasing scrutiny over project quality and environmental integrity.

Investors Back Sustainable Agriculture

Rize’s investors view the company as operating at the intersection of sustainable agriculture, carbon markets and food supply chain transparency.

BNP Paribas Asset Management said the company aligns closely with its natural capital investment strategy by protecting ecosystems while generating competitive financial returns.

The Rockefeller Foundation highlighted the importance of improving resource management, market access and farmer incomes through technology-enabled regenerative agriculture, particularly for smallholder farmers who remain among the most vulnerable to climate change.

Growing Importance of Low-Emission Rice

Demand for sustainably produced agricultural commodities continues to increase as governments, food companies and consumers seek lower-carbon supply chains.

Rice is expected to become an increasingly important focus because of its significant methane footprint and its central role in global food security.

Technology platforms that combine emissions measurement, carbon finance, farm advisory services and traceable supply chains are increasingly viewed as essential tools for reducing agricultural emissions while protecting farmer livelihoods.

Outlook

Rize’s latest funding positions the company to significantly expand sustainable rice production across Asia while addressing one of agriculture’s largest sources of methane emissions. As carbon markets mature, food companies strengthen sustainability commitments and governments pursue climate-smart agriculture, demand for verified low-emission rice is expected to grow rapidly. By combining advanced digital technology, carbon certification, traceable supply chains and farmer support services, Rize is well positioned to help accelerate the decarbonization of rice farming while improving food security, farmer incomes and climate resilience across the region.

FAQs

1. How much funding did Rize raise?

Rize raised US$31 million in Series B funding, bringing its total capital raised to US$47 million.

2. What does Rize do?

Rize develops technology that helps rice farmers reduce methane emissions, improve yields, conserve water and produce traceable, low-emission rice.

3. How will the new funding be used?

The funding will expand sustainable farming practices, improve traceability, advance carbon certification and support growth across Southeast Asia and India.

4. Why is reducing emissions from rice farming important?

Rice cultivation produces about 12% of global methane emissions, making it one of the largest agricultural contributors to climate change while remaining essential for global food security.

Sources:ESG today, OneStop ESG, Rize Farm 

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