Sucking up CO2Measure soil carbon in a snap.
Big Picture
In theory, soils have the capacity to suck up to three times more CO2 than is currently swirling around the atmosphere. This potential has fueled hype around the idea of soils as a massive, low-cost solution to our global carbon conundrum. The primary obstacle holding back greater investment in soil carbon is that costly and time-intensive measurement techniques make it hard to monetize solutions.
How it Works
Yard Stick is designing a hand-held probe that can accurately and instantly measure soil carbon levels on-site. They use spatial analysis to assess optimal locations in a field for carbon measurement, and resistance sensors and cameras attached to a handheld drill to collect data. The results feed into a monitoring platform that helps farmers manage soil carbon levels without ever sending samples to a lab.
Unfair Advantage
Best practices today start with extracting soil from the ground at multiple locations, sending samples to be burned at a lab, and then measuring the CO2 released. Yard Stick is building a cheaper, simpler, higher- fidelity way to determine how much carbon is in soils. Their technology enables a platform for monitoring and verification that, as it grows, could power a marketplace for soil carbon credits.
05
Gigatons of CO2e
potentially monitored annually
CHRIS TOLLES CEO & CO-FOUNDER
Chris is a designer by training and previously founded and sold Sundaily, a skincare company.
Follow: @chrismtolles
KEVIN MEISSNER CTO & CO-FOUNDER
Kevin previously worked at SpaceX, Planet, and Capella Space. He was also the co-founder and CTO of Charm.
Follow: @pwnkip
EVAN ARNOLD HEAD OF SOFTWARE & CO-FOUNDER
Evan is a specialist in taking an idea to MVP. He was previously CTO of Obie and Snapdocs.
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