Tropical forest restoration company Rainforest Builder has successfully closed a Series A funding round, securing financial backing for its operations in West Africa.
The round was led by BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts (BNPP AM Alts) and also saw participation from the company’s existing investors.
Representing one of the largest private investments in a single forest restoration project to date, this transaction will enable Rainforest Builder to advance the scope of its ecosystem restoration activities in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
Specifically, the funding will serve the dual purpose of scaling operations and refining the company’s proprietary data platform called Chameleon.
This novel platform analyzes project operational and ecological data, allowing dynamic decision-making and providing comprehensive visibility into the performance and environmental impact of restoration projects.
Together with its investment in Rainforest Builder, BNPP AM Alts has also committed to financing the implementation of Project Colobus—Rainforest Builder’s 24,000-hectare restoration project in the Oti Region in Eastern Ghana, where it will focus on restoring the Asuokoko and Chai River Forest Reserves, located along the Akwapim-Togo Hills range.
In the long run, Project Colobus is expected to restore at least 70,000 hectares in both the Oti and Volta regions and is projected to be able to generate more than 7 million high-quality carbon removal credits under Verra’s VM0047 methodology and the CCB standard over its lifetime.
The Colobus initiative is the second large-scale ecosystem restoration project run by Rainforest Builder in Ghana, following a project called Akwaaba, which has been operating since 2023 in the Western North Region, employing around 1,000 people in 2025.
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Commenting on the successful Series A round, Ed Stephenson, Co-CEO at Rainforest Builder, shared, “We are thrilled to welcome BNPP AM Alts as an investor in Rainforest Builder and Project Colobus. Bringing institutional capital at this scale to ecosystem restoration in West Africa is a pivotal development for our company and the whole sector, demonstrating the value of tropical forests as natural infrastructure.”
He added ”Rainforest Builder’s four projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Guinea have established both operational and commercial traction, and with this investment, we are well positioned for continued growth in existing and new markets.”
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