PlasmaLeap Technologies, an Australian clean-chemical technology company developing zero-emissions ammonia and nitric acid production systems, has secured almost A$30 million (US$20 million) in Series A funding to advance its decentralized fertilizer and sustainable-fuels platform. The round was led by the Gates Foundation, Investible, and Yara Growth Ventures, the venture arm of Yara International, alongside investors including Twynam, GrainCorp Ventures, Uniseed/UniSuper, Artesian, SVG Ventures, and Agnition Ventures, part of Ravensdown.
The proceeds will support the development of first-of-a-kind fertilizer hubs in New South Wales and Tasmania, expansion of field trials, and continued advancement of PlasmaLeap’s modular reactor technology. The company also plans to accelerate longer-term applications in sustainable fuels, energy systems, and industrial chemicals.
Spun out of the University of Sydney, PlasmaLeap enables farmers to produce sustainable nitrogen fertilizer directly on farms or at local hubs using only air, water, and renewable electricity. The company says this approach reduces emissions, lowers input costs, and decreases reliance on global supply chains.
Nitrogen fertilizer production, transport, and application account for roughly 2.5% of global CO2e emissions, driven largely by fossil fuel-intensive manufacturing processes and long-haul transport. PlasmaLeap’s technology is designed to address these challenges by decentralizing production and integrating with existing fertilizer supply chains.
The global ammonia market, the primary input for most nitrogen fertilizers, is valued at approximately US$69 billion annually and is projected to triple over the next two decades. PlasmaLeap’s patented reactor systems produce ammonia and nitrate through a modular design intended to scale across agricultural and industrial markets.
Beyond agriculture, the company is exploring the production of synthetic hydrocarbons derived from biogas, syngas, and other low-carbon feedstocks, targeting decarbonization opportunities in hard-to-abate sectors. PlasmaLeap also expects its systems to generate high-quality carbon credits through emissions reductions across production, transport, and application.
PlasmaLeap says its platform could improve national food security, reduce exposure to international price shocks, and stabilize fertilizer input costs for growers as geopolitical and supply chain disruptions continue to affect global markets.
KEY QUOTES:
“The backing of these strategic and institutional investors is strong validation of both the PlasmaLeap technology and the scale of the opportunity. This funding allows us to move from successful trials into real-world deployment, demonstrating how clean, decentralized fertilizer and chemical production can transform agriculture, reduce emissions, and guarantee sovereign security of critical resources like food and fuel.”
Frere Byrne, CEO & Co-founder, PlasmaLeap Technologies
“PlasmaLeap has developed a breakthrough platform for fertilizer with lower CO2 emissions, delivering step-change improvements in energy efficiency. We see strong potential for this technology to scale competitively and reduce the climate impact of farming.”
Stian Nygaard, Investment Director, Yara Growth Ventures
“Decarbonized and distributed liquid nitrogen production is the new frontier in agriculture. The PlasmaLeap technology can unlock opportunities for scaling-up fertigation and precision farming globally.”
Martin Debaig, Fertigation Director, Yara International
“PlasmaLeap is unlike anything we’ve seen in the green ammonia space and their technology is defining a new category in distributed sustainable fertilizer production. We first met the team through Greenhouse Tech Hub. As our tenth investment in a Greenhouse member, it reinforces our model of pairing early access and capital with a purpose-built innovation ecosystem.”
Ben Lindsay, Investment Principal, Investible
