ZukunftMoor

ZukunftMoor

FutureMoor is a startup aiming to accelerate the rewetting of drained moors and establish profitable paludiculture. Founded in 2023 in Germany, the company's team, led by Venture Builders Lucas Gerrits and Paul Waldersee, includes experienced entrepreneurs Aljoscha Kaplan, Florian Forstmann, Niko Waesche, and Christian Wessel. Partnering closely with the Greifswald Moor Centrum, ZukunftMoor is uniquely positioned to merge entrepreneurship, agriculture, and moor expertise for a pioneering project in Germany.

Background: Moors serve as a significant natural Carbon-Capture-Technology, sequestering biomass into peat over thousands of years. Moreover, moors provide vital ecosystem services for biodiversity, regulate water systems and regional climates, and offer essential recreational areas for people.

The Problem: With 95% of German moors drained for peat extraction, settlement, and agriculture, the environmental impact has become apparent. Dry moors account for nearly 7% of Germany's greenhouse gas emissions and 38% of agricultural emissions. Addressing this, at least 50,000 hectares annually need rewetting, a stark contrast to the current 1,000 to 2,000 hectares per year. To expedite this process, involving the 80% of agricultural land users is crucial. Paludiculture, wetland agriculture, must offer a viable economic perspective to motivate their participation.

Future Goals: ZukunftMoor aims to accelerate rewetting and establish value chains for paludiculture. It seeks to acquire a 1,000-hectare drained moor area for rewetting and implement its paludiculture operation as a flagship project. Simultaneously, the company plans to collaborate with industrial partners to establish utilization chains, providing genuine alternatives to other farmers. The recent Pre-Seed Round investment on 10 January 2024 was led by Expedite Ventures.

(Photo credit: Tobias Dahms.)