Artisanal
Open-pit kilns
- Price
- Low
- MRV
- Minimal
- Methane risk
- High
- Co-benefits
- Strong
Limited scale & monitoring
Small units can offer local benefits, but methane control and traceable monitoring can constrain a certifiable business model.
Investment case | Impact investors
PrimeBiochar Materials Ltd.
An operating biochar business with a long-term growth thesis: local feedstock, agricultural products and carbon removals. Founded by Global Woods in 2026 and today Uganda's largest biochar producer.
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PrimeBiochar Materials Ltd. is the operating company and investment vehicle. In addition to biochar, the initiative produces carbon removal credits under the Ugandan Biochar Alliance, currently undergoing its Verra VM0044 (Methodology for Biochar Utilization in Soil and Non-Soil Applications) audit.
Back to the carbon project01 / 10 - The problem
Degrading soils and imported inputs leave smallholders exposed.
Uganda's farms face two pressures at once: soils that hold less water and fewer nutrients, and fertilizer prices that recent supply disruptions pushed up by more than 25%.
Degrading soils
As the climate worsens, degraded soils lose their capacity to hold water and the nutrients crops need.
Imported fertilizer dependency
Uganda imports most of its fertilizer. Recent supply disruptions pushed import prices up by more than 25% in a very short time.
Exposed smallholders
Failing soils and unaffordable inputs squeeze the smallholder farmers who supply coffee, tea and maize to global chains.
02 / 10 - The solution
Biochar works as a nutrient and water sponge.
Biochar is the charcoal-like residue of pyrolysis: biomass heated without oxygen. Its porous structure holds water and nutrients in the root zone instead of letting them wash away.
Hover & click to zoomGranular biochar - light, black and stable for centuries in the soil.
Less fertilizer
Nutrient-loaded biochar holds inputs in the root zone, so less fertilizer is needed and fewer emissions are released.
More water in the soil
Biochar can hold up to three times its own weight in water, which cushions crops against dry spells.
Better harvests
Healthier soil raises crop yields, which is what secures a smallholder's income.
Because the credit revenue sits on top of the product revenue, the price a farmer pays for the biochar-fertilizer can be cross-subsidised - which is what makes premium inputs reachable for smallholders.
03 / 10 - The evidence
Published trials show 20%+ higher yields in tropical soils.
The yield response is not our claim - it is the published record. Tap a crop to see the study behind the range, and follow the link to read it.
Yield ranges as cited in the PrimeBiochar pitch deck; each crop links to the published study behind it.
04 / 10 - Feedstock edge
Biomass logistics determine the success of the business case.
High biomass costs are what kill most biochar projects. PrimeBiochar starts from a partner network with long-term biomass supply in close proximity to production.
Sourcing radius
Max. 20 km to the kiln
05 / 10 - The right scale
Medium scale, decentralised - the Africa-proof route.
Artisanal kilns are too small to certify, industrial plants depend on rare parts and long biomass hauls. We work in the middle: closed, robust kilns placed close to where residues arise.
Distributed
Closed medium-scale kilns
- Price
- Medium
- MRV
- Medium
- Methane risk
- Managed
- Co-benefits
- Strong
Africa-proof - our focus
Robust kilns fit local farm structures as a partnership model. Locating facilities close to residues keeps biomass logistics lean.
Industrial
Centralised facilities
- Price
- High
- MRV
- Rigorous
- Methane risk
- Minimal
- Co-benefits
- Limited
Higher capital & logistics needs
Specialist parts, engineering and large feedstock catchments can make centralised facilities harder to operate economically in this setting.
Qualitative comparison, not numerical scores.
Comparison based on the biochar technology spectrum published by Supercritical.
06 / 10 - Target markets
One material, five target markets.
Soil products sell today; livestock, water and industrial applications are in development - each with its own buyers, alongside verified carbon removal credits.
Selling todaySoil & nurseries
Better soil structure, water retention and nutrient cycling.
In developmentLivestock
Lower ammonia, drier bedding and better manure quality.
In developmentWater filtration
Local filter media for community and wastewater systems.
In developmentAgro-industrial filtration
Media for acidic wastewater, fats and organic loads.
In developmentHeavy industry
Adsorption of heavy metals, solvents, dyes and hydrocarbons.
Plus a second revenue stream: verified carbon removal credits from every tonne produced.
Explore PrimeBiochar applications07 / 10 - The market
Reaching Uganda's agricultural markets.
Coffee, staple crops and horticulture offer routes to farmers who need healthier soils. The pitch deck estimates a $300M fertilizer opportunity; this is a company estimate, not an independently verified market valuation.
Crop households - pitch-deck estimates
Beans: 4.0 million households estimated in the pitch deck.
The household counts and $300M market value are company pitch-deck estimates. The sources below provide independent context, not verification of those figures. Crops overlap, so household counts must not be added together.
- UBOS Annual Agricultural Survey 2019
Official agricultural household and crop statistics.
- IFDC Uganda fertilizer factsheet 2023
Fertilizer trade context. It does not substantiate the deck's 300,000-tonne annual estimate.
Coffee, beans, matooke and maize: the value chains smallholders sell into, and where a yield response shows up in household income.
08 / 10 - Modular scale
A modular model that scales site by site.
Each production facility is a standard module placed close to its biomass partners. Once a module runs, the same set-up can be replicated at new biomass clusters - in Uganda and beyond.
Standard module
One proven facility design, built and operated the same way at every site.
Close to biomass
Each module sits within its own biomass catchment, keeping logistics lean.
Replicable
New modules are added where partners and biomass are secured - scaling as demand grows.
09 / 10 - Roadmap to scale
Our Roadmap to Scale
The 2026 phases are complete or underway. Tap a phase to read what it covered.
Initial revenue from biochar sales generated and the carbon certification process started to co-finance the business model.
Next step
Finalise biomass supply and site planning for additional production modules, and complete the carbon audit so the first credits can be issued.
First biochar sales are made. First carbon credits are targeted for Q1 2027, subject to verification.
10 / 10 - Management team
The management team.
The people leading PrimeBiochar's strategy, operations, production site, commercial partnerships and carbon certification.
Eduard Merger
Certification, Production (Biochar)
- Biochar lead for partners and the delivery team
- 15+ years in private sector and NGO nature-based and biochar projects
- Biomass partnerships, technology selection, product design and field applications
Moriz Vohrer
Strategy, Investments, Standards
- 20 years in investment structuring and carbon standards
- Former Technical Director, WWF Gold Standard
- Construction delivery and political networks
Leodinas Tukyarimunsi
Country Manager Uganda
- Leads feedstock suppliers and on-site partners
- Drives operations readiness, budget tracking and QA/QC
- Ensures dMRV and delivers SOP training
Shifa Nambusi
Production Site Manager
- Runs day-to-day production at the Kiteezi site
- Leads kiln crews, safety and product quality on site
- Coordinates feedstock intake and biochar dispatch
Max Rau
Finance, Sales & Strategic Partnerships
- Carbon removal offtake agreements and sales execution
- Builds retail and distribution partner channels for biochar products
- Commercial planning, pricing and market development
Teddy Birungi
Procurement, Accounting & Sales Support Assistant
- Handles procurement and supplier administration
- Supports accounting and financial documentation
- Assists sales coordination and customer care
Friedrich Scherzinger
Certification, Production (ARR)
- Operations lead for production, safety and QA
- Carbon certification and dMRV execution
- Environmental and social compliance and audit documentation
The wider team
14 people in total
Alongside management, our staff and on-site workers in Uganda handle biomass, run the facility and support research trials and sales.
Investors & partners
Seeking investors and partners to scale.
PrimeBiochar Materials Ltd. is the operating company and investment vehicle. We are looking for impact investors and partners who want to help grow biochar production in Uganda and beyond. Details are shared personally.
- Operational since October 2026; first biochar sales made
- First carbon credits targeted for Q1 2027, subject to verification
- Modular model with short biomass supply chains
- Expansion potential across Africa
An early-stage operating business for investors considering long-term growth alongside agricultural and climate impact. Carbon issuance, customer adoption and expansion remain execution risks; returns are not guaranteed.
Discuss the investment case
Arrange a confidential introductory call with Moriz to review the business plan, capital requirements and key risks, alongside a personal presentation of the pitch deck.
Moriz Vohrer
Strategy, Investments, Standards