Proba, an Amsterdam-based startup certifying Scope 3 reductions in the agri-food supply chain, has raised €1.25 million to expand into the United States and Brazil.
Existing investors Future Food Fund, Yield Lab Europe, and Value Factory Ventures participated in this round.
“Our ambition is to make fertiliser-related Scope 3 reductions standard practice in global agri-food supply chains. This funding accelerates that mission by enabling us to operate in the regions that matter most to our customers, particularly the United States and Brazil,” said Sijbrand Tieleman, CEO and co-founder of Proba.
Founded in 2022 by Sijbrand Tieleman and Rutger Been, Proba turns fertiliser emission reductions and other climate interventions into certified Scope 3 results.
According to the Dutch startup, agriculture is a significant contributor to climate change, with emissions related to nitrogen fertilisers alone accounting for approximately 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The company notes that expanding across the Americas presents an opportunity to deliver Scope 3 reductions at scale, in regions where a large share of the world’s food is produced.
Proba states that for many staple crops, fertiliser emissions, both from production and in-field use, account for a major portion of their total carbon footprint. While proven low-carbon fertiliser solutions are already available, adoption has been limited due to the cost involved and misaligned incentives across the value chain.
According to Proba, it enables agri-food companies to overcome these constraints by making fertiliser-related emission reductions measurable, financeable, and credible across supply chains.
Proba delivers certified Scope 3 impact for the agri-food supply chain by converting fertiliser-related emission reductions and other climate interventions into certified Scope 3 results through Impact Units.
Impact Units are traceable certificates that quantify, verify, and finance fertiliser-related emission reductions linked to the practices they’re connected to. Each Impact Unit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (1 tCO₂e) of verified emissions reduction. According to the company, every Impact Unit is recorded in a blockchain-secured registry and is verified by independent third-party auditors before issuance.
“Proba’s approach is designed for credible Scope 3 accounting, aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the GHG Protocol (FLAG guidance), with independent verification and a registry that supports traceability,” mentioned the company in the press release.
The company’s approach includes identifying high-impact supply chain opportunities and quantifying GHG savings using its science-backed methodologies. The results are then verified by independent auditors in line with SBTi, GHG Protocol (FLAG), and International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA) standards, after which certified Impact Units are issued.
The company then connects the issued certificates to buyers with Scope 3 goals. According to Proba, its blockchain registry and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) tools ensure credible climate claims.
Kim Wagenaar, Investment Director at Future Food Fund, commented, “Proba addresses one of the most material and under-accounted sources of emissions in the agri-food sector. Their approach combines strong scientific grounding with a practical pathway for companies to act on Scope 3. We see significant potential for their model as companies face increasing pressure to deliver verified results.”
Apart from being used for market expansion into the United States and Brazil, the fresh capital will also help the company strengthen its ability to support global agri-food companies in delivering compliant, traceable, and scalable fertiliser-related emission reductions across major crop value chains, including coffee, corn, potatoes, and sugar.
In February 2025, Proba raised €1 million in funding led by Future Food Fund and Yield Lab Europe, with continued support from Value Factory Ventures.
Last year, Proba received Conditional Endorsement from the ICROA for its carbon crediting programme. The company claims that its system is audited annually to meet the ICROA Code of Best Practice.
