Climate tech startup Mitti Labs secured $9.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Aramco Ventures, the company announced. The US-based firm, which also operates a team in Bengaluru, plans to use the funds to expand its water-efficient rice cultivation technology across India and launch new projects in the Philippines and Indonesia.
The funding round included participation from Godrej Industries Group, Cisco Foundation, Volta Circle, and existing investor Lightspeed India. Mitti Labs employs an alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation technique that allows rice fields to dry to a measured depth before re-flooding, reducing water use by nearly 40% and methane emissions by over 50%, the company said. Cofounder Xavi Laguarta Soler highlighted the goal of transforming rice farming to lower emissions and water consumption while supporting 150 million smallholder farmers.
Founded in 2023 by Soler, Devdut Dalal, and Nate Torbick, Mitti Labs integrates AWD practices with its GeoAI platform to verify water-saving outcomes at scale. The startup’s approach addresses critical challenges in rice cultivation, a water-intensive crop, by promoting sustainable irrigation methods that maintain yields. The funding round reflects growing investor interest in climate tech solutions targeting agriculture’s environmental footprint.
Mitti Labs will allocate a portion of the capital to expand its AWD program and establish greenfield projects in Southeast Asia, aiming to scale its impact on water conservation and emission reduction in rice farming across multiple countries.