Carbon Gold, a supplier of biochar to gardeners and professional crop growers alike, has surpassed its crowdfunding goal of £200,000, raising a total of £722,468.
The company began fundraising in December 2020 to increase its retail marketing efforts, and fund international development and manufacturing. In just one month it has attracted over 1,000 investors, far exceeding the initial funding target.
Founded by Craig Sams, ex-chairman of the Soil Association and founder of Green & Blacks Chocolate, Carbon Gold provides biochar products to gardeners as well as commercial crop growers, professional tree care experts, sports turf greenkeepers and even competition veg growers.
"The Crowdcube initiative was spurred on by an incredible year for Carbon Gold’s retail offering to home-growers and gardeners, who are increasingly discover uniting the benefits of biochar, with retail sales increasing 253% in 2020," managing Director Mike Hartshorn, says. “We’re thrilled to have shot past our fundraising target by over half a million pounds. It’s fantastic that the company’s story and our biochar products have been so well received by investors and the general public.”
“2020 was a tough year for people, and the various lockdowns put a lot of strain on them. But those lucky enough to have a garden were spending more time outside and were researching what products to use and it seems lots of them have unearthed the best kept secret of the professionals – biochar.”
Biochar is a high-carbon form of charcoal that is Soil Association approved for organic growing, peat-free and scientifically proven to boost plant health and vitality. Plants grown in biochar have been shown to be more resistant to a wide range of plant diseases and pests. It’s also so high in carbon that using it lowers your carbon footprint: for every kilo you put in the ground, 3 kilos of CO2 are permanently sequestered from the atmosphere.
Craig Sams says, “Every investor is a potential customer and an ambassador for the brand. There is no recommendation like peer-to-peer recommendation. We are delighted to have a body of satisfied customers as well as investors to support our future growth.”
Carbon Gold