How Mitti Labs validated an emerging project type and unlocked demand

‍Company: Mitti Labs

Industry: Sustainable Agriculture & Carbon Project Development

Region: Global

Use Case: Pre-issuance credibility for rice methane reduction projects

Sylvera Products Used: Pre-Issuance, Connect to Supply

Impact: Accelerated buyer engagement, improved commercial credibility, and market validation of a novel project category

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As a project developer working with rice farmers to reduce methane emissions, Mitti Labs faced a two-fold challenge: build credibility in a relatively untested project category, and secure early buyer commitments to bridge the capital gap between implementation and credit issuance.

By partnering with Sylvera, Mitti Labs used a Pre-Issuance assessment to validate the integrity of their approach, communicate their methodology with credibility, and progress buyers through early commercial discussions. 

The result? A faster path from interest to due diligence – and stronger positioning in a market where trust is everything.

The Challenge

Earning trust in an unfamiliar project category

Mitti Labs supports rice farmers to adopt more sustainable, productive practices-and uses the resulting methane emissions reductions to create carbon credits. 

But as a new developer in a relatively under-recognized category - methane reduction from rice farming - they faced a unique challenge: proving the integrity of their work while educating the market on the credibility of the project type itself.

“We don’t just need to show that we’re a credible developer - we also need to help establish rice methane reduction as a legitimate part of the market.” - Xavi Laguarta, Founder, Mitti Labs

Many buyers in the voluntary carbon market are more familiar with established categories like REDD+ or afforestation. In contrast, rice methane credits require a different type of due diligence-particularly when it comes to understanding permanence, additionality, and measurability. For Mitti Labs, that meant every conversation started from first principles.

Internally, the team had deep scientific rigor and well-documented processes. But sharing materials directly with buyers had its limits-especially for a young company still building brand recognition. They needed third-party validation to give prospective buyers the confidence to engage more seriously.

At the same time, timing was critical. With a 12-month gap between project launch and credit issuance, Mitti Labs relied on early offtake agreements to unlock capital and scale operations. Accelerating buyer engagement wasn’t just a nice-to-have - it was essential to growth.

Mitti Labs needed a way to:

• Validate the integrity of their methodology and project structure
• Translate technical strength into buyer-friendly language
• Build market confidence in both the project and the broader rice methane category

Why Sylvera

A trusted partner to bridge the credibility gap

When Mitti Labs began exploring pre-issuance support, they weren’t just looking for a technical review-they needed a partner with market trust and credibility. 

Buyers needed independent validation. Marketplaces needed reassurance. And the Mitti Labs team needed a tool to help structure conversations and accelerate progress.

“We had confidence in our methodology - but it makes a real difference when that’s backed by someone the market already trusts.” - Xavi Laguarta, Founder, Mitti Labs

The decision to work with Sylvera wasn’t based on cost comparisons or an RFP process. It was grounded in reputation. From investor recommendations to peer endorsements, Sylvera stood out as the partner buyers already recognized.

Mitti Labs utilised Sylvera’s Pre-Issuance assessment to bring structure and credibility to their early-stage projects. 

The assessment gives developers a confidential, early-stage rating used to evaluate projects before credits are issued.

The detailed assessment helped them:

• Standardize how they communicate core project attributes like permanence, additionality, and measurability
• Translate technical documentation into a buyer-friendly format
• Move prospects from initial interest into deeper due diligence stages

“It’s not just helpful for marketing - it changed how we talk about our own projects.”

In parallel, Mitti Labs also began engaging with Sylvera’s Connect to Supply, opening the door to verified buyers looking for credible early-stage projects. This created a natural next step beyond the assessment-turning validation into real commercial traction.

The Solution

Structuring credibility and accelerating buyer engagement

Mitti Labs used Sylvera’s Pre-Issuance assessment to bring structure, objectivity, and clarity to how they presented their projects to the market. While the team already had strong technical foundations, the assessment helped translate those strengths into a format buyers could easily evaluate and trust.

Turning expertise into market-ready validation

The assessment gave Mitti Labs a structured, third-party review of their project’s integrity-covering permanence, additionality, measurability, and more. Rather than relying solely on internal documentation, they could now present a credible summary backed by detailed analysis.

“It helped us standardize how we talk about key attributes like permanence and additionality-and explain them in a way that resonates with buyers.”

This wasn’t just useful externally. Internally, the team began using the assessment to sharpen their own communications across marketing, sales, and fundraising.

Helping buyers move beyond surface-level interest

Mitti Labs found that while the full assessment was rarely shared in full, the top-level summary became a go-to asset for engaging buyers at the right moment-particularly in moving them from early interest into deeper diligence.

“The summary alone made a big difference. It helped us move buyers from awareness into real engagement - pricing conversations, technical reviews, even site visits.”

It wasn’t about creating demand from scratch-it was about helping serious prospects act with confidence.

Laying the groundwork for commercial scale

Mitti Labs also began using Sylvera’s Connect to Supply, a platform feature designed to match credible projects with qualified buyers. This offered a natural next step - turning validation into visibility in front of the right counterparties.

In parallel, Sylvera and Mitti Labs partnered on a dedicated explainer covering alternate wetting and drying (AWD) in rice cultivation, helping further educate the market on the climate potential of this underrepresented project type.

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Together, these tools gave Mitti Labs the credibility and structure they needed -not just to tell their story, but to tell it in a way that's grounded in facts, data, and analysis.

The Results

From early validation to commercial traction

Sylvera’s Pre-Issuance assessment gave Mitti Labs a credible foundation to accelerate buyer engagement and position their rice methane projects as high-integrity investments. While exact figures weren’t disclosed, the team saw clear commercial and operational benefits:

1. Faster movement through the sales funnel

The assessment became a key enabler in moving buyers from initial conversations into deeper diligence. Instead of relying solely on internal materials, Mitti Labs could point to an independent, structured review - one that helped buyers justify allocating time and attention.

“It helped us get buyers to the point where they were ready to seriously evaluate our project-pricing discussions, demos, even site visits.”

2. Improved positioning with marketplaces and ecosystem stakeholders

The assessment also helped build credibility beyond buyers - including with marketplaces and other actors in the VCM ecosystem.

“It’s had a noticeable impact with marketplaces. They’re more willing to engage now that we have this third-party validation.”

3. More confident storytelling, internally and externally

Beyond commercial outcomes, the assessment helped Mitti Labs sharpen their own narrative - aligning internal teams on how to speak to complex topics like permanence and measurability, and giving the company a strong baseline for future communications.

4. A launchpad for long-term ratings and scale

Mitti Labs sees the Pre-Issuance assessment as a first step toward eventual post-issuance ratings. It has already laid the groundwork for smoother future evaluations - and signaled to the market that Mitti Labs is committed to high standards.

“It’s been one of the best commercial investments we’ve made. It gave us a leg up at exactly the right time.”

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About Mitti Labs

Mitti Labs combines satellite technology, AI and operations on the ground to permanently reduce methane emissions from rice farming. By doing this, the company unlocks the potential of rice-based carbon credits for climate impact at scale. Mitti Labs is backed by Lightspeed, Voyager Ventures, Cisco, and Volta Circle in its mission to decarbonize the $300 Bn rice-growing industry worldwide. Visit mittilabs.earth to learn more.

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