Ecotone Renewables Exceeds Crowdfunding Campaign Goal to Repurpose Consumer Food Waste

By Thomas Price | Monday, 25 October 2021 | Link to Sustainability & Environment, Startup

Ecotone Renewables is an agritech startup that has created a sustainable solution to consumer food waste through its unique Seahorse System. The company recently surpassed its crowdfunding campaign goal to expand business operations and scale up the size and scope of its food repurposing system.

How Ecotone Renewables Repurposes Consumer Food Waste

Agritech startup Ecotone Renewables collects food waste directly from users who wish to get rid of it. From there, the company mixes the food waste with water and begins grinding it down into a liquid. This liquid is then combined with bacteria in a dosing tank where it continues to break down. The remaining product is a concentrated, micronutrient fertilizer that works for gardening or general lawn care. 

In addition to the fertilizer, traditionally, the Seahorse System process creates methane and other gases that are normally released during the breakdown of food. The agritech startup instead captures this gas and converts it directly into energy, which helps power the machinery used to make the fertilizer. As a result of Ecotone Renewables’s process, converting food waste into fertilizer is carbon negative. 

The company currently has one operating Seahorse System location that has already proven to be effective. The agritech startup has processed over 20,000 pounds of food waste since opening its business in 2019. The Seahorse System has also helped to divert 80,000 of carbon dioxide directly into energy used for the business. Finally, all of the company’s efforts have resulted in the production of 5,200 gallons of the micronutrient fertilizer.

At its current business scale, the agritech startup can only produce around 2,600 gallons of fertilizer annually. The company recently launched its crowdfunding campaign to help finance the creation of more Seahorse System units alongside current revenue streams. 

Ecotone Renewables Crowdfunding Campaign and Future Plans

In its crowdfunding campaign, Ecotone Renewables raised over $13,000, surpassing its initial goal of $10,000. The crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo was backed by 105 supporters, including some organizations such as 412 Food Rescue, Chatham University, Carnegie Mellon University, and others. 

The agritech startup will use the new business funding to directly support the creation of new Seahorse System units by financing the purchase of storage containers, insulation materials, and piping. A portion of the funding will also be used to fulfill fertilizer purchases and other crowdfunding campaign perks and incentives. The company currently projects all of its pre-order fertilizer and other perks to be shipped by November of this year, with the absolute latest fulfillment dates to be sent in early December. 

In a campaign update from Ecotone Renewables on the future of its business plan, the company wrote, “We are so excited to announce that, with the help of all our supporters, we have met our $10,000 goal in less than one week! We could not have done it without your contributions to the campaign and all of your social media and email shoutouts”, later adding, “As we mentioned on the campaign page, our goal is to build a herd of these Seahorse systems that will serve different neighborhoods and businesses.”

About the Author

Thomas Price

Tom Price is a writer focusing on entertainment and sports features. He has a degree from NYU in English with a minor in Creative Writing. He has been previously published for Washington Square News, Dignitas, CBR, and Numbers on the Boards.