Rize raises US$31M in Series B funding to scale sustainable rice farming
The financing will support the company’s ambition to scale sustainable rice production while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from one of the world’s most important staple crops.
SINGAPORE – Rize, an agri-tech start-up based in Singapore, has successfully closed a US$31 million Series B funding round to accelerate the adoption of sustainable rice farming practices across Southeast Asia.
Comprising US$20 million in equity and US$11 million in debt financing, the capital injection brings the start-up’s total funding raised to date to US$47 million.
The new investment will support Rize’s efforts to expand its regional footprint, build AI-driven agricultural tools, deepen field-to-buyer traceability, and advance carbon certification initiatives.
The equity financing was led by BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts, alongside participation from The Rockefeller Foundation and existing investors Temasek and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
Debt financing was provided by the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), Temasek Foundation, and United Overseas Bank (UOB).
Founded in late 2022, Rize aims to tackle one of the most pressing agricultural climate challenges: traditional rice cultivation, which accounts for roughly 12% of global methane emissions, a footprint comparable to the entire global aviation sector.
Rize addresses these environmental impacts through its technology platform and agronomic support, which equip smallholder farmers with low-emission techniques like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation.
Endorsed by international research institutions, AWD cuts methane emissions by up to 50% and reduces water consumption by 20% to 30% while simultaneously increasing farmer yields and incomes by up to 30%.
The company also helps farmers comply with strict Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) standards, enabling them to sell premium low-emission rice to international markets.
Over the past two years, Rize has scaled its operations more than tenfold, currently supporting nearly 17,000 smallholder farmers across more than 50,000 hectares in Vietnam and Indonesia. The company has already exported over 1,500 metric tons of fully traceable, low-emission rice to buyers across Europe, Canada, Australia, and Singapore.
According to co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Dhruv Sawhney, the newly secured funds will enable Rize to expand into new markets and unlock the next phase of growth.
By 2030, the company targets expanding its footprint to 300,000 hectares and improving the livelihoods of 150,000 smallholder farmers.
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