Regen Insight - Environmental analytics for regenerative agriculture

Agriculture is one of the world's largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the widespread adoption of climate-friendly practices could transform agricultural soils into one of the largest carbon sinks in the world, effectively removing carbon from the atmosphere. In response to this urgent need for climate action, Regen Insight from RootCamp Batch #5 aims to help farmers make the transition to regenerative agriculture. The developed MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) platform helps farmers understand their carbon footprint and develop actionable plans funded by carbon credits linked to their environmental impact. Using advanced technologies, including satellite and soil data, Regen Insight accurately measures emissions reduction and carbon storage on farms, ensuring the credibility of sustainable actions. Learn how Regen Insight empowers farmers to transition to regenerative practices and discover their future plans in our interview with CEO and founder Etienne Variot.

Why did you decide to start a startup, and how did the idea for Regen Insight come about?

After 5 years working in finance, I wanted to use my skills for a cause that mattered to me: protecting our environment and restoring our natural ecosystems. Launching a start-up was clearly the most action-oriented approach and offered interesting challenges. Following eight months of discussions with experts, deep dives into climate change, biodiversity, and natural capital, and exploration of various solutions, my co-founder Samuel and I came to understand that farmers would play a key role in meeting our collective environmental ambitions. We realized that farmers did not have any simple solution to understand and track their carbon footprint, and they faced a financing gap to transition to regenerative agriculture.

Can you explain the process of how your MRV platform works and how it benefits farmers?

The Regen Insight platform is designed for any farming organization to onboard and assist farmers in transitioning to carbon farming through a white-label solution. We strengthen and support their relationship. Within the platform, farmers can calculate their carbon footprint, devise action plans, and track their progress. Our partners can engage with farmers at every stage, offering guidance on pertinent farming practices. Additionally, once the transition project is underway, partners can generate and trade carbon credits to reward farmers for their carbon performance.

What makes your solutions stand out from the existing ones on the market?

We have two major strengths. Firstly, we've invested over two years exclusively in refining the user experience, resulting in a seamless process where farmers independently create their action plans in under an hour. This breakthrough enables partners to rapidly scale operations and significantly reduce technical support costs on farms. Partners can focus primarily on advising farmers rather than data collection. Our pilot project in France showcased remarkable results, with one partner effortlessly engaging 60 farms in just three months.

Secondly, we boast one of the largest scientific teams in the field. As the first Tier 3 MRV (the highest ranking) in Europe and pioneers in utilizing satellite imagery to automatically verify regenerative practices implementation, we quickly aligned with leading carbon accounting standards such as ISO 14-064 and the GHG Protocol. This creates trust in the carbon credits we generate.

Could you share some success stories or case studies of farms that have benefited from Regen Insight's services?

Our pilot project in France showcased remarkable results, with one partner effortlessly engaging 60 farms in just three months. They achieved this with very limited costs, as only two part-time technicians offered farms this new service, seizing the opportunity to strengthen their relationship with farmers. To illustrate this success story with clear figures, their carbon program covers nearly 25,000 hectares and allows for the generation of 30,000 carbon credits per year. In terms of value, this new commodity represents over €1 million per year that will be paid to their farms.

The RootCamp Accelerator program is almost over. How has the program been helpful to you?

RootCamp has been a valuable partner over the past few months as we've initiated our expansion across Europe. Not only is RootCamp a gateway to Germany, providing numerous introductions to local players, but it has also offered highly relevant advice, particularly in refining and communicating our value proposition. Despite being a team of seasoned entrepreneurs, with almost 5 years into the project now, the level of expertise from participating experts enabled us to keep improving.

What's coming up next? 

We started our European expansion with rooted operations in France and Eastern Europe. We are pleased to support new partners eager to begin producing and benefiting from this new carbon commodity. Additionally, we are closely monitoring the evolution of the CRCF (the European framework for carbon credits in agriculture), with the intention of deploying it across Europe as soon as it comes into force. We are thrilled to witness our vision coming to life as more and more farmers confidently engage in regenerative agriculture.

Benefit from the RootCamp Accelerator program like the startup Regen Insight. Startups from the Agtech and Bioeconomy sectors can apply for the new batch until May 30th.