Smallholder enhanced rock weathering by Mati Carbon: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Scale to 250,000 smallholder farmers

Mati Carbon founded2022Complete.
First basalt applications on smallholder farms2023Complete.
XPRIZE Carbon Removal grand prize awardedApr 2025Complete.
35,000+ smallholder farmers enrolledSep 2026Complete.
J.P. Morgan blended finance committed for global expansionMay 2025Complete.
Scale to 250,000 smallholder farmersTarget 2030Not yet reached.

Most important updates

J.P. Morgan commits blended finance to scale Mati Carbon's enhanced rock weathering across India and Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 2025
Mati Carbon wins $50M XPRIZE Carbon Removal grand prize for enhanced rock weathering on smallholder farmsApr 2025

Upcoming

2027Expansion to East Africa and new geographies (next)
2027Regional laboratory facilities operational in India and Africa
2030Scale to 250,000 smallholder farmers

Current obstacles

Engaging smallholder farmers in developing regionsBuilding trust, training, and communication with dispersed small-scale farmers requires on-the-ground presence and local partnerships.
Cost-effective monitoring at small scaleVerifying carbon and farm outcomes across small plots requires cost-effective monitoring—satellite, soil sampling, or farmer-reported data—that is reliable.

Physics limits

Weathering speed depends on rainfall and temperatureTropical and subtropical climates with high rainfall weather rock faster. Drier regions require longer timeframes, limiting reach.
Soil absorption limits application ratesOver-applying basalt can reduce yields. Optimal rates vary by soil and crop, requiring field-by-field calibration.
Carbon credit economics for small farmersBasalt application costs roughly $50–150 per ha. Carbon credit revenue must cover costs and deliver meaningful farmer income gains.

How it works

4 parts

Basalt selection

Volcanic rock from Africa and India

Mati sources basalt from local quarries, minimizing transport costs and supporting local economies. Basalt is crushed and applied to fields.

Free application

No cost to farmers

Mati applies basalt at no upfront cost to smallholder farmers. Removes adoption barriers and builds trust in developing regions.

Weathering and soil health

Improved yields and carbon removal

Basalt weathers over 10–50 years, releasing Mg, K and Si while converting atmospheric CO2 into stable carbonate minerals in soil.

Carbon monetization

Revenue sharing with farmers

Mati verifies carbon removal through field sampling and satellite data, generates Verified Carbon Units, and shares revenue with farmers.

Spec sheet

Spec	Smallholder enhanced rock weathering
Farmers enrolled to date	35,000+^R (reported)
Farmer income increase	Up to 20%^R (reported)
New income generated	$3,000,000+^R (reported)
Farmers target by 2030	250,000^R (reported)
XPRIZE grand prize	$50,000,000^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

2 updates

May 2025

Major: J.P. Morgan commits blended finance to scale Mati Carbon's enhanced rock weathering across India and Sub-Saharan AfricaPressCommercial

Apr 2025

Major: Mati Carbon wins $50M XPRIZE Carbon Removal grand prize for enhanced rock weathering on smallholder farmsPressCommercial

About Mati Carbon

The team behind Smallholder enhanced rock weathering

Mati Carbon

Enhanced rock weathering, carbon removal, smallholder farmers, basalt

Mati uses enhanced rock weathering to remove CO2 while strengthening agricultural livelihoods in the Global South. The company spreads crushed basalt on smallholder farms in India and Africa, improving soil health and farmer incomes. Mati won the $50M XPRIZE Carbon Removal grand prize in 2025.

Won $50M XPRIZE Carbon Removal grand prize (April 2025) for spreading basalt on smallholder farms, boosting income up to 20%.
35,000+ farmers across Asia and Africa generating millions in income through carbon credits. J.P. Morgan blended finance enables expansion.
Targets 250,000 farmers by 2030. Operations span USA, India, Zambia, Tanzania; expanding to East Africa and other regions.

maticarbon.com (opens maticarbon.com)Company profile →

Founded: 20224 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Raised: $50M2 rounds
Last round: J.P. Morgan blended finance facilityMay 2025
Works in: AgricultureMicrobes & soil
Coverage: 1 program · 2 updateslatest 1 May 2025checked 11 Oct
Lead investors: J.P. MorganSchmidt Family FoundationXPRIZE
Partners: XPRIZE (opens xprize.org)
Investors: Schmidt Family Foundation (opens schmidtfamilyfoundation.org)J.P. Morgan (opens jpmorgan.com)
People: Shantanu Agarwal (opens allamericanspeakers.com)Founder & CEORwitwika Bhattacharya (opens energycapitalhtx.com)Co-founder

Spec

Smallholder enhanced rock weathering

Farmers enrolled to date

35,000+^R (reported)

Farmer income increase

Up to 20%^R (reported)

New income generated

$3,000,000+^R (reported)

Farmers target by 2030

250,000^R (reported)

XPRIZE grand prize

$50,000,000^R (reported)