Feed additive that reduces enteric methane by 90% raises $29m

The funding round was led by venture capital funds DCVC, DCVC Bio and Cleveland Avenue and brings the total amount raised by the start-up to $47m. Cleveland Avenue will join the CH4 Global board of directors as part of the investment plan.

CH4 Global, Inc.’s main product is Methane Tamer, an enteric methane suppressor made of the entire Asparagopsis plant, itself a type of red seaweed. The plant has been scientifically demonstrated to prevent methane from being formed in the animal’s rumen, reducing emissions by up to 90% in beef and dairy cattle as well as sheep. The feed additive was first sold commercially in June 2022.

In April 2023, the start-up launched Methane Tamer Beef Feedlot, a formulation for beef cattle, which is available in Australia only, with plans for global expansion in the works. The aim is to scale the product up to reach 10% of cattle worldwide (around 150 million cows), the company claiming that around 1 gigaton of CO2 equivalent emissions would be removed in doing so.

CH4 Global is currently building several facilities called CH4 Global EcoParks, including in New Zealand, where the company is building a land-based aquaculture park to grow and process Asparagopsis seaweed. The company will use the funds from the recent funding round to complete the construction and to validate that EcoPark, we were told. 

Steve Meller, PhD, co-founder and CEO of CH4 Global, said the company has been receiving interest from governments, food producers and farmers who want to take action to avoid ‘a climate tipping point’. “The pressure is on with new regulations and the desire to produce at a measurably lower impact,” he said. “We are formulating our unique feed supplement products to meet the specific needs of each cattle market segment, starting with feedlot operations, beef and dairy, as well as for grazing dairies. Eventually, we will also formulate for remote and generally unattended cattle around the world.”