Humify

Humify, based in Teltow, Germany, develops a patented hydrothermal humification process to convert residual biomass into artificial humic substances, known as Humify Humus. This superhumus is designed to regenerate degraded soil, accelerate fertility restoration, enhance carbon sequestration, and significantly reduce fertilizer needs. The technology aims to trap up to 50 tons of CO2 per hectare and can reduce fertilizer requirements by 80%. The company currently operates with a team of 10 people, including scientists and engineers, and is seeking €5 million for a pilot plant as a spin-off from the Max Planck Institute. Key figures include Professor Markus Antonietti, Harald Pinger, and Andreas Dittes, with Dr. Svitlana Filonenko leading scientific efforts. Humify was founded in February 2023 by Professor Markus Antonietti, Harald Pinger, and Andreas Dittes.

# Humify: Restoring Soil Through Green Chemistry

High-Level Overview

Humify is a climate-tech startup that has developed a groundbreaking process to transform biomass into artificial humic substances, addressing two interconnected global crises: soil degradation and climate change.[1][2] The company manufactures what it calls "Humify Humus"—a synthetic soil amendment that restores fertility to degraded agricultural land while simultaneously sequestering carbon in the soil.[2] Rather than selling to consumers, Humify targets the industrial agricultural sector, positioning its product as a scalable, cost-effective fertilizer that can be adopted at scale by large farming operations.[1]

The problem Humify solves is both urgent and massive: 75% of arable land is already degraded, with projections suggesting 90% degradation by 2050.[2] Traditional soil restoration through natural decomposition takes decades and yields minimal humic substances. Humify's proprietary Hydrothermal Humification (HTH) process dramatically accelerates this natural process, enabling rapid production of humic substances suitable for global-scale deployment in the gigaton range.[2] The company is still in early commercialization, with plans for an initial pilot plant capable of producing 3,000 tonnes of output annually.[1]

Origin Story

Humify was founded in 2023 in Potsdam, Germany, emerging from a fortuitous meeting between three complementary figures.[1] The venture was built on the scientific research of Professor Markus Antonietti, a chemist whose work on carbon binding and soil chemistry provided the technological foundation. Recognizing the commercial potential, Harald Pinger—an experienced manager and serial investor in promising startups—partnered with Andreas Dittes, a serial entrepreneur with deep roots in the green tech sector, to transform Antonietti's laboratory breakthrough into a scalable business.[1]

Pinger's involvement proved pivotal. As a former CEO and CFO of large, listed companies, he brought both capital and operational discipline to the venture, immediately focusing on the critical question: could this technology be made cost-effective and scalable?[1] This emphasis on commercial viability, rather than pure scientific achievement, shaped Humify's trajectory from inception. The founding team recognized that other carbon capture initiatives had failed primarily due to prohibitive costs, so they made cost-competitiveness a foundational design principle.[1]

Core Differentiators

Proprietary HTH Process

The Hydrothermal Humification process is Humify's core technological moat. Unlike natural decomposition, which takes years and produces minimal humic substances, the HTH process is continuous, efficient, and fast.[2] The company has already secured patent protection for this technology, providing legal defensibility as they scale.[1]

Cost-Competitive Model

While many carbon capture solutions have foundered on economics, Humify's founders deliberately engineered for affordability. The team is actively optimizing heat management during biomass processing—a critical cost driver—to achieve competitive unit economics.[1] This focus on "suitable heat management" distinguishes Humify from aspirational climate tech that remains perpetually uneconomical.[1]

Dual-Value Proposition

Humify's product simultaneously addresses food security and climate mitigation. The artificial humic substances restore soil fertility (solving the agricultural problem) while sequestering carbon (solving the climate problem).[2] This dual benefit makes the product attractive to both farmers seeking yield improvements and policymakers pursuing climate targets.

Scalability by Design

The HTH process is engineered for global-scale deployment, capable of operating in the gigaton range.[2] This is not a boutique solution; it's designed to reverse soil degradation across continents. The company's recognition that large-scale production facilities don't yet exist on the market led them to develop entirely new manufacturing technology—a significant engineering undertaking that positions them ahead of potential competitors.[1]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Humify sits at the intersection of three powerful macro trends: the climate tech boom, the agricultural technology revolution, and the growing recognition of soil as critical climate infrastructure.

The "4 per 1000 initiative" provides the scientific foundation for Humify's market thesis: if soil carbon storage in the top 30-40 centimeters increased by just 0.4% annually, the annual increase of atmospheric CO₂ would be significantly reduced.[2] This insight transforms soil from a passive agricultural input into an active climate solution. Humify is essentially monetizing this scientific insight by making it economically viable for farmers to participate in carbon sequestration.

The timing is particularly favorable. Industrial agriculture faces mounting pressure from both climate regulations and soil degradation—a squeeze that creates demand for solutions that address both problems simultaneously. Humify's positioning as a "superfood for the soil" that works within existing agricultural systems (rather than requiring farmers to abandon conventional farming) makes it more likely to achieve rapid adoption than more disruptive alternatives.[1]

The company also benefits from the broader venture capital embrace of climate tech and green chemistry. Recognition of Humify's innovation—it was named a top 10 innovation in chemistry in 2021—has elevated its profile within both scientific and investment communities.[2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Humify represents a rare climate tech opportunity: a company with defensible technology, cost-conscious leadership, and a massive addressable market. The transition from laboratory breakthrough to commercial production will be the critical test. The planned pilot plant producing 3,000 tonnes annually is a meaningful milestone, but the real inflection point will come when Humify demonstrates that its HTH process can be deployed at industrial scale while maintaining competitive economics.[1]

The company's success hinges on execution of its manufacturing innovation. If Humify can solve the heat management challenge and bring large-scale production facilities online, it will have cracked a problem that has eluded the carbon capture industry: making climate solutions economically attractive to industrial users without subsidies. In that scenario, Humify could evolve from a promising startup into critical infrastructure for global agriculture and climate mitigation.

The broader implication is significant: if soil can be restored profitably while sequestering carbon, the economics of climate action shift fundamentally. Humify is betting that green chemistry and sound business discipline can align profit with planetary restoration—a thesis that the agricultural sector will soon test at scale.