Sistema.bio, a social enterprise, has raised $12 million in Series A investment round. The company develops affordable and high-quality bio-gas equipment customised for small and remote farms, making them more environment-friendly and profitable for farmers.
Sistema.bio is a social enterprise that was set up in Mexico and works with small farmers to address the challenges of poverty, food security and climate change by providing innovative bio-digester technology, training and financing.
Sistema entered India through the acquisition of a startup, Sustain Earth Energy Solutions, floated by Piyush Sohani and Koushik Yanamandram, which has become a subsidiary of Sistema. Sistema.bio was incubated at the Tata Trusts’ Social Alpha incubation centre in Pune.
“The investment will enable Sistema.bio to accelerate growth and impact in Latin America, East Africa, and India,” said Alexander Eaton, CEO and Co-founder of Sistema.bio.
Bio-digester technologies improve crop yields and reduce reliance on traditional fuels, thereby improving the overall economic performance of the farm. However, there is currently a limited offer of bio-digesters and bio-gas appliances designed for this market. Sistema would be investing in manufacturing, operational reach and product development with these investments. In India, they have launched their small and medium scale bio-digesters targeting farmers with five to 200 cows, with easy availability of cow dung.
Sistema.bio is a hermetic hybrid reactor made with geomembrane that is UV resistant with piping and assembles made of hydraulic and sanitary PVC. The pre-fabricated kit components are easy to use and replace. The concrete bio-gas plants outlive their utility as they leak and cannot be repaired and there is nobody to service these, Sohani said.