Singapore’s Rize, an agricultural technology company working to reduce emissions from rice cultivation, has raised $31 million in a Series B round comprising $20 million in equity and $11 million in debt financing.
In a statement on Thursday, Rize said the latest round increased its total funding to $47 million. The Rize will utilize the proceeds in export market expansion, AI tools for farmers and field teams, carbon and innovation initiatives, and organizational growth. Rice cultivation accounts for approximately 12 percent of global methane emissions, according to Rize.
The equity portion is led by BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts and joined by The Rockefeller Foundation, alongside returning investors Temasek and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Debt financing is provided by Vietnam’s Bank for Investment and Development (BIDV), Temasek Foundation, and UOB.
Rize works with approximately 17,000 smallholder farmers across more than 50,000 hectares in Vietnam and Indonesia, deploying irrigation technique Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD). AWD can reduce methane emissions by up to 50 percent, cuts water consumption by 20 to 30 percent, and increases farmer income by up to 30 percent without reducing yield.
Rize also works to ensure its rice meets Maximum Residue Limit standards required by export markets. The firm has completed initial export shipments of 1,500 metric tons to buyers in Europe, Canada, Australia, and Singapore.
Dhruv Sawhney, Co-Founder and CEO of Rize, said the investment would allow the company to expand scale, develop market linkages and exports, and invest in technology to improve outcomes across the value chain.
Alexandre Martin-Min, Head of Natural Capital and Impact Investments at BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts, said the firm sees Rize as positioned at the intersection of sustainable agriculture, carbon finance, and commodity trade, aligned with its strategy to protect and sustainably manage natural ecosystems while generating financial returns.
Rize emerged in late 2022 from a collaboration between Temasek, 100×100, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The company has 250 staff across technology, agronomy, and field operations in Vietnam and Indonesia.
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