FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 14, 2025
North Wilkesboro, NC: Verenovo Energy, a forward-thinking leader in advanced biochar solutions, has been awarded a $20,000 Rural Impact Grant from NC IDEA, with the generous support of Wells Fargo. This funding will directly support finalizing product sample requests to meet increasing industry demand, positioning Verenovo at the forefront of biochar innovation for high-value industrial applications.
“We are grateful to NC IDEA and Wells Fargo for recognizing that biochar is more than just a catch-all sustainability solution—it’s a high-performance material that, when engineered correctly, can drive meaningful change in industrial sectors,” said Brewer Logan, CEO of Verenovo. “This grant will help us refine and tailor biochar formulations for targeted applications, ensuring our materials meet the stringent technical and performance requirements of industries like water filtration, green steel production, and regenerative agriculture. Verenovo is not just another biochar producer—we are an advanced materials company, leveraging scalable technology to deliver industry-specific, high-performance carbon solutions.”
Unlike traditional “one-size-fits-all” approaches, Verenovo’s biochar is meticulously designed for purpose-product fit, ensuring that each formulation is optimized for specific industrial and environmental challenges. With 92%+ fixed carbon and approximately 2% ash content, Verenovo’s biochar provides exceptional material performance, whether in coking coal formulations for steelmaking, pre-inoculation processes for soil restoration, or advanced filtration for targeted contaminant removal. The company’s methodology starts at the feedstock level—hardwood, softwood, crop residues, and organic materials are individually evaluated and carbonized to maximize functional outcomes.
Beyond its direct financial impact, this grant elevates public awareness and credibility for both Verenovo and the broader biochar industry. Major corporations are increasingly investing in biochar as a viable carbon removal strategy, with companies like Google recently purchasing carbon credits from agricultural waste biochar projects. This growing momentum underscores biochar’s potential not only in climate mitigation but also in disaster recovery and decentralized energy infrastructure.
In Western North Carolina, biochar is being positioned as a critical tool for hurricane recovery efforts, helping restore degraded landscapes, control erosion, and stabilize watersheds in the wake of extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene. Additionally, as pulp mills continue to close across the Southeast, biochar presents a sustainable alternative to revitalize forestry economies, creating new revenue opportunities for landowners while providing high-performance industrial materials.
Verenovo is not just scaling biochar production—it is redefining what’s possible in sustainable materials and carbon innovation. This funding represents another step in the company’s mission to integrate biochar into large-scale industrial applications, contributing to climate resilience, sustainable infrastructure, and economic revitalization in rural communities.
This latest grant builds on Verenovo’s continued momentum, following its receipt of the Wood Innovations Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service in May 2024, and the NC IDEA MICRO grant in April 2023, which helped establish its early-stage development.
For more information, visit verenovoenergy.com.
ABOUT
Verenovo: Verenovo Energy is a North Carolina-based green technology company specializing in biochar production, carbon sequestration, and sustainable solutions. Using patented pyrolysis technology, the company transforms biomass into high-quality biochar, serving industries ranging from agriculture and water filtration to construction and energy. Verenovo is positioned as a pioneering investment opportunity in biochar and carbon markets, delivering consistent, third-party validated products and advancing scalable climate solutions.
NC IDEA: NC IDEA is a private foundation that supports entrepreneurs across North Carolina through grants, mentorship, and ecosystem-building initiatives. The Rural Impact Grant program provides funding to early-stage startups in rural areas to drive economic growth and innovation.
Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo is a leading financial services company committed to supporting small businesses and economic development through strategic philanthropy and community investments.
