Farm Watt Innovations, a startup working to strengthen India’s bioenergy ecosystem, has raised ₹32.5 crore in a funding round co-led by IAN Alpha Fund and Rainmatter, the investment arm associated with Zerodha. The fresh capital will help the company expand its agricultural biomass collection network and build infrastructure to support the growing renewable energy sector.

Tackling India’s Agricultural Waste Challenge

India generates an estimated 500 million tonnes of agricultural residue every year, but a significant portion remains underutilised. Around 92 million tonnes of crop residue is burned annually, contributing to air pollution, soil degradation and carbon emissions.

Farm Watt Innovations aims to turn this largely unused agricultural waste into a valuable resource for the bioenergy industry.

The company connects farmers who have surplus crop residue with businesses that require a reliable supply of biomass for renewable energy applications.

Building a Reliable Biomass Network

Founded in 2023 by Kumar Neelendu, Farm Watt focuses on aggregating agricultural residue from farmers, processing the material and supplying it to downstream bioenergy businesses.

Its customers and potential applications include compressed biogas (CBG) plants, bioenergy facilities and other circular economy enterprises.

The startup currently operates 15 hubs across six states in northern, central and eastern India. With the new funding, it plans to expand its network across Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Bihar.

Supporting India’s CBG Expansion

The growth of India’s compressed biogas industry has created a growing need for organised biomass procurement. The government’s SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) initiative has encouraged the development of CBG facilities, but reliable access to quality feedstock remains a challenge.

Farm Watt aims to address this supply-chain gap by creating an organised network capable of collecting, processing and delivering agricultural residue at scale.

The company believes its model can benefit both farmers and bioenergy companies by creating additional value from crop waste while improving the availability of renewable feedstock.

Expanding Into a Circular Bioeconomy

Farm Watt plans to use the fresh capital to strengthen its supply chain, establish additional aggregation hubs, purchase machinery and expand its workforce.

Over the longer term, the company plans to develop its own portfolio of compressed biogas, bio-pellet and biochar plants. It also intends to explore digital biomass supply-chain solutions, carbon credits, biomass preprocessing and other bioenergy opportunities.

Turning Waste Into an Economic Resource

With increasing focus on renewable energy, carbon reduction and sustainable agriculture, Farm Watt is positioning itself at the intersection of farming and clean energy.

By creating a structured market for agricultural residue, the startup aims to reduce crop burning, generate additional opportunities for farmers and provide bioenergy companies with dependable access to biomass.

The ₹32.5 crore investment is expected to accelerate this vision and help Farm Watt build a larger, integrated circular bioeconomy platform across India.

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