Brisil Technologies, a climate tech startup focused on producing sustainable silica from rice husk ash, has raised a Rs 3 crore pre-seed round from Momentum Capital. This company said that the investment will be used to expand Brisil’s production capacity using its proprietary zero-waste chemical process, strengthen its team, and scale operations to address the rapidly growing global demand for silica.

Tanmay Pandya, CEO of Brisil, said, "This funding round is a massive vote of confidence in our technology and vision by the investors. We believe their deep expertise in this segment will be highly valuable as we continue to grow. It will enable us to scale our operations and serve the growing demand for green silica from various industries." He added, "With a lot of global Fortune 500 firms pledging sustainability and looking to source raw materials like silica through greener methods, we want to take up the responsibility of being that source."

Brisil’s proprietary, eco-effective chemical process that produces highly dispersible and precipitated silica is highly sustainable. It uses bio-waste as the raw material for silica production, reduces carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional silica manufacturing and contributes to fuel efficiency in vehicles that use green tyres by lowering friction and wear. In footwear applications, green silica improves durability and stiffness, enhancing overall performance.

"Brisil’s mission is perfectly aligned with our thesis of investing in companies that solve critical environmental challenges through deeptech innovation," said Ankur Shrivastava, Managing Partner at Momentum Capital. "The agricultural waste & resultant environmental problems are present and rapidly escalating issues. Brisil, with its unique, innovative technology and clear go-to-market strategy, is one of the few companies in the world pioneering sustainable silica, which is projected to grow by 2033 to a $85 bn in market size. We believe the time is ripe for Brisil to push the envelope, as the industry is increasingly adopting its solution. We’re thrilled to partner with them to build a circular economy for the silica industry."

Founded in 2016 by Tanmay Pandya, Brisil has developed and commercialised proprietary technology for sustainable silica production. The company currently serves a mix of domestic and international customers, including well known players in the footwear and tyre segments. Along with Momentum Capital, Fondation Botnar, represented by Sushant Sharma, also participated in the round, with Sagana acting as advisor. The investment round was closed in September 2025.

India is among the world’s largest producers of rice, with production reaching 145 million tonnes in 2024–25. During rice milling, the outer layer known as rice husk is separated as agricultural waste. Rice husk is widely used by rice mills and power plants to generate steam, electricity, and bioethanol. However, a rice husk based power plant generates between 5 and 100 tonnes of rice husk ash (RHA) as daily residual waste. This waste is often disposed of in open dumps, landfills, or water bodies, leading to severe environmental issues such as air pollution and groundwater contamination.

But promisingly, owing to the high (80-90%) silica content of RHA, there is potential to instead develop silica from RHA and circumvent its disposal pollution. In fact, production of silica from RHA is a truly sustainable alternative to current methods of silica production, which utilise high quantities of river sand & quartz, as well as cause high greenhouse gas emissions too.

Brisil is currently one of the select suppliers of green silica to the global footwear and tyre industries. The company operates a commercial facility with a production capacity of 400 tonnes per month and plans to scale this to 3,000–5,000 tonnes per month to meet increasing demand from customers across tyres, footwear, paints, and allied industries. It also plans to initiate commissioning of an industrial scale manufacturing facility in Vadodara.

“Brisil’s silica production process delivers material carbon reductions while eliminating major health hazards inherent in conventional methods. The company serves multi-billion-dollar end markets including automotive, oral care, and footwear. With a cost-competitive, high-quality product, Brisil is positioned to capture meaningful market share alongside measurable environmental impact," said Wolfgang Hafenmayer, co-founder of Sagana.

With a monthly demand pipeline of 6,000 metric tonnes, Brisil plans to further expand its international presence, with a focus on customers across South East Asia and Europe.