Kisumu-based climate-tech firm Tera has etched its name into the global carbon market narrative by becoming the first independently validated African project developer to be listed on the ‘Riverse’ Registry. 

This landmark achievement not only authorizes the company to issue verified carbon credits but also signals Africa’s growing capacity to lead in climate innovation and carbon removal.

With a mission rooted in trust, transparency, and tangible impact, Tera’s milestone underscores a broader shift—from Africa being a passive recipient of climate finance to an active architect of carbon solutions that benefit both people and the planet.

“It’s a crucial step toward scaling carbon removal in a way that works for people and the planet,” said Rob Palmer, Tera’s CEO, as the company sets a new precedent for credibility and accountability in African climate markets.

Tera, which was founded last year converts sugarcane bagasse, the fibrous byproduct of sugar production, into biochar, a stable carbon-rich material that improves soil health, increases yields, and removes carbon from the atmosphere for over a thousand years.

The project combines nature-based solutions with digital innovation to bring scale, rigour, and opportunity to rural communities across East Africa. 

The third-party validation, carried out by an accredited Validation and Verification Body (VVB), affirms the environmental integrity and impact of Tera’s operations and enables the company to begin issuing high-quality carbon removal credits.

This validation underscores the effectiveness of Tera’s proprietary digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) system that captures robust carbon removal data and logs it immutably on a digital ledger. It provides buyers and investors with a transparent, auditable trail, setting a new standard for traceability in emerging carbon markets.

With validation complete and credit issuance underway, Tera is now open to climate-aligned investors and buyers seeking high-integrity carbon removal projects on the continent. 

“Tera exemplifies the kind of climate innovation Riverse was designed to support. They’re transforming agricultural waste into durable climate value and doing so with full transparency and deep community benefit. Their use of digital MRV provides the credibility and traceability the carbon market urgently needs,” said Clément Georget, Co-founder and Head of Standard Development at Riverse.

Tera’s production facility in Kisumu is strategically located within Kenya’s sugarcane belt, providing reliable access to feedstock while driving inclusive economic growth. The company is now scaling its model across Africa with a focus on restoring degraded land, empowering smallholder farmers, and delivering long-term carbon removal.

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