Offstream

What do they actually do

Offstream provides software and expert support that help carbon project developers move from idea to certified credits and incentives, then stay audit‑ready. Teams use Offstream to assess eligibility across standards and tax programs, run life‑cycle assessments (LCAs), generate registry documentation, submit for certification, and manage ongoing monitoring, reporting, and verification (dMRV) and tax‑credit compliance. The company positions itself as “Vanta for carbon compliance,” focused on project developers in areas like biochar, BECCS, and DAC who need to navigate registries and incentives Offstream homepage, product page, YC profile.

A typical workflow includes: an intake/eligibility scan, dynamic LCA scenarioing, document generation with expert review, submission support, and ongoing dMRV and reporting. Offstream aims to replace spreadsheet‑ and consultant‑heavy processes with a system of record plus targeted expert reviews so projects can certify more predictably and maintain compliance over time Offstream product, Offstream homepage.

Who are their target customer(s)

• Small or early‑stage carbon project developer (biochar, BECCS, DAC): Needs a fast read on eligibility, volumes, and timelines but faces fragmented registry and tax‑credit rules, often relying on slow, expensive consultants or spreadsheets.
• Mid‑sized developer running multiple projects: Wants a repeatable, low‑touch process to add sites without scaling headcount; today each site demands bespoke paperwork and manual data wrangling.
• Operations or compliance lead at a project owner: Must capture and store operational data to stay audit‑ready; ad‑hoc Excel/PDF workflows make verifications risky and time‑consuming.
• Finance/developer business lead or marketplace seller: Needs defensible credit volumes and clean, registry‑ready documentation for buyers and investors; current estimates and filings are inconsistent and slow.
• Tax‑credit or incentives manager: Must prove compliance with evolving rules (e.g., labor/content) to claim credits; assembling evidence and tracking requirements is error‑prone.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Founder‑led, high‑touch pilots via YC/network intros and direct outreach; offer a free eligibility scan and a fixed‑price pilot to take one project through documentation and submission, then convert to paid MRV.
• First 50: Stand up partner referrals (registries, brokers, marketplaces) and a targeted SDR/webinar motion; standardize a one‑week self‑serve eligibility to paid onboarding flow to reduce sales time per deal.
• First 100: Launch a low‑friction self‑serve tier (eligibility + templated LCA exports) and a certified‑partner program for consultancies/integrators, while adding registry/telemetry connectors to minimize human review per project.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Offstream addresses developer spend on eligibility, documentation, validation/verification prep, and ongoing MRV/compliance—not the face value of credits. With thousands of projects today and market growth expected, the services+software pool is already sizable and likely expanding MSCI, Reuters/Oliver Wyman.

Bottom-up calculation:

Using ~6,200 registered projects as a conservative baseline and assumed per‑project annual compliance/MRV spend of $10k–$100k yields scenarios of ~$62M–$620M/year; a reasonable midpoint is ~$155M/year at ~$25k per project MSCI. Registry fee schedules and MRV cost studies indicate this spend category exists and is material ACR fees, SRUC.

Assumptions:

• Addressable base approximated by ~6,200 currently registered projects incurring recurring compliance/MRV pressures.
• Per‑project annual spend on eligibility/docs/MRV averages ~$25k, with a plausible range of ~$10k–$100k depending on complexity and stage.
• TAM reflects developer spend on software plus expert support (not credit value or buyer‑side spend).

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Carbonfuture: Digital trust infrastructure and marketplace for durable carbon removal; provides supplier tools to manage operations, automate reporting, and fast‑track certification, including digital MRV Carbonfuture.
• Isometric: Carbon removal registry with rigorous protocols and a supplier platform; offers monthly verification and digital MRV/registry tooling for developers and suppliers Isometric suppliers, dMRV article.
• South Pole: Large consultancy and project developer that supports project design, documentation, registration, and verification across standards—an established services alternative to software‑first approaches South Pole.
• DNV: Accredited validation and verification body offering VVB services and advisory across major standards; a key incumbent for project assurance and compliance needs DNV.
• Perennial: Full‑service MRV provider focused on soil carbon projects, offering adaptable monitoring and verification approaches aligned to protocols and on‑the‑ground realities Perennial.