Interview with Darukaa Earth: Bridging Finance, Technology, and Biodiversity

14 Oct

In the world of nature finance, biodiversity has long been the missing piece: hard to measure, often overlooked, and rarely given real economic value. Darukaa.Earth was created to change that. Founded by a team with backgrounds in investment banking, geospatial technology, and social impact, Darukaa is building a new bridge between conservation and capital. Their platform combines satellite imagery, bioacoustic monitoring, and blockchain tools to track ecosystem health in real time and bring radical transparency to nature-based investments. In this interview, the Darukaa team shares how they’re turning data into trust, restoring ecosystems from the Sundarbans to Sub-Saharan Africa, and helping nature finally find its place in the global economy.

Read on to see how technology and community insight are coming together to make biodiversity visible and valuable.

About Darukaa.Earth

Q. Please introduce Darukaa.Earth and describe the main challenges you are addressing in nature finance and biodiversity conservation. What inspired the founding of Darukaa, and what makes your approach unique in the climate tech space?

Darukaa.Earth is a nature tech company focused on bringing radical transparency to biodiversity and environmental monitoring. The primary challenge we address is that, unlike carbon, biodiversity has remained an ‘invisible’ pillar of environmental health. It's historically been unmeasured, undervalued, and underfinanced due to a lack of robust, scalable frameworks to quantify it.

The inspiration for Darukaa came from the diverse experiences of our co-founders in investment banking, geospatial technology, and last-mile social impact. We saw a critical disconnect: while capital markets were beginning to engage with carbon, natural capital was being ignored. We were inspired to build the bridge between finance and conservation.

Our approach is unique because we use a multi-modal method, integrating AI, satellite remote sensing, and cutting-edge bioacoustics, to deliver near real-time insights into ecosystem health.

We don’t just measure trees; we measure the life within the ecosystem, focusing on keystone species as powerful indicators. By combining this deep tech with genuine community engagement, we're creating a holistic model for sustainable conservation.

Q. Darukaa combines science, AI, and community engagement to advance nature-based finance solutions. Could you explain how your platform integrates advanced Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) with multi-modal environmental data?

Our platform is designed to turn diverse data into actionable impact. We begin by collecting comprehensive inputs from multiple sources: high-resolution satellite imagery provides a macro view of land use and canopy health, while on-the-ground sensors, particularly audio trackers, capture the sonic pulse of the ecosystem. We also incorporate data from image captures and citizen science initiatives.

Our AI-driven engine then integrates these data streams. For example, our algorithms analyze satellite data to assess carbon stock, while our proprietary bioacoustics models analyze soundscapes to detect the presence and abundance of key species. This creates a dynamic, multi-layered MRV system that goes beyond static, periodic assessments. It allows us to monitor ecosystem health, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity uplift in near real-time, providing a transparent and continuous record of a project's impact.

Q. Where are you currently focused geographically and in terms of ecosystems or project types? Can you share more about your flagship projects, such as your work in the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem?

Our geographical focus is on the world’s most critical biodiversity hotspots, starting in India with plans to expand across Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Our flagship project is a 500-hectare mangrove restoration pilot in the Sundarbans, India—a globally significant RAMSAR and UNESCO World Heritage site. Mangroves are incredibly effective at carbon sequestration, but they are also vital ecosystems for countless species. In this project, we are demonstrating our dual-credit model in action. We've deployed our technology to track both carbon gains and biodiversity improvements, analyzing over 1,000 environmental recordings with our AI. Crucially, the project is empowering over 300 locals by creating sustainable livelihoods through conservation, proving that ecological restoration and community prosperity can go hand-in-hand.

Building on this model, we are now expanding our partnerships to support the broader carbon development market. For example, in Jharkhand, we are partnering with one of India's largest carbon project developers to provide technology-backed biodiversity monitoring for their large-scale environmental programs. This, along with other ongoing projects in states like Odisha, demonstrates a growing demand from major industry players who are seeking to integrate robust, data-driven biodiversity verification into their carbon projects.

Technology and Innovation

Q. Your platform utilizes satellite imagery, drone data, IoT sensors, and AI driven analytics. How do these technologies come together to provide accurate, transparent, and accessible insights into carbon and biodiversity outcomes?

These technologies work in synergy to provide a complete picture. Satellite imagery gives us scale and consistency, allowing us to monitor large areas for changes like deforestation or restoration growth. However, a satellite can't tell you if a forest is empty or teeming with life.

That's where our IoT sensors, specifically bioacoustics monitors, come in. They provide the ground truth, capturing the "voice" of the ecosystem. Our AI models are the brains of the operation. They process the satellite data to quantify carbon and analyze the audio data to identify species, we can detect over 15,000 species, and identify anomalies like the sound of a chainsaw, indicating human intrusion.

This fusion of macro and micro data provides a robust, evidence-backed assessment of both carbon and biodiversity outcomes, which we deliver to our clients through an intuitive dashboard for actionable insights.

Q. Blockchain technology is part of your solution to ensure transparency and traceability of carbon credits. Could you describe how this enhances trust and integrity for investors and communities alike?

Transparency is non-negotiable for us, and we see blockchain as the ultimate enabling technology to deliver it. We are moving beyond strategy and into concrete implementation by collaborating with leaders in the field.

To bring this vision to life, we have partnered with Gainforest, the XPRIZE-winning platform for transparent nature finance. Our collaboration is deep; we are proud members of their Steering Guild, actively helping to shape the standards for on-chain ecological assets.

Our flagship Sundarbans project is a prime example of this partnership in action. By tokenizing the project's impact claims on-chain, we are creating a live, transparent mechanism for fundraising and verification. Here’s how this enhances trust and integrity:

For Investors and Donors: It provides a direct, verifiable link between their contribution and the on-the-ground work. Instead of donating into a general fund, they can see their support tied to a specific, tokenized project on an open ledger. This moves funding out of a black box and provides radical transparency.
For the Community: It creates a clear and auditable pathway for receiving financial support. They can have confidence that the value they are creating is being accurately represented and that the benefits are flowing directly to them as promised.

This is just the beginning. Our long-term vision is to integrate blockchain at every step of our core process, from the initial AI-verified data point to the issuance, sale, and final retirement of a nature credit. This will create an unbreakable, auditable chain of custody that builds unparalleled trust and assures every stakeholder that the value generated is real, unique, and directly benefits the ecosystems and communities we are all working to protect.

Q. How does Darukaa’s technology enable stakeholders, from local communities to global investors to participate meaningfully in nature-based projects?

Our platform is designed to be a bridge connecting these diverse stakeholders, who have traditionally been disconnected.

For local communities, our technology validates their stewardship. By quantifying the positive changes in their local environment through data like bioacoustic recordings, we translate their conservation efforts into measurable, monetizable assets. This empowers them to become direct beneficiaries of nature finance, shifting their role from passive recipients of aid to active partners in a new green economy.
For project developers, we provide a unified, cost-effective platform that streamlines the incredibly complex process of monitoring, reporting, and verification. This lowers the barrier to entry and allows them to focus on what they do best: restoring ecosystems.
For global investors and corporates, our platform provides the high-integrity, real-time data they need to make confident investment decisions. Our dashboards offer transparent insights into both financial returns and environmental impact, de-risking their investments in nature and providing them with credible, verifiable stories of impact for their ESG and CSRD reporting.

By translating the language of ecology into the language of finance, we enable all stakeholders to participate in a shared, data-driven mission.

Impact and Real-World Application

Q. Could you share some key outcomes or lessons from your ongoing projects, particularly in the Sundarbans? What indicators of biodiversity or ecosystem health have you been able to track and improve?

A key lesson from the Sundarbans is the power of sound as a leading indicator of ecological recovery. Long before tree canopy fully matures, the return of specific bird songs or insect calls can signal that the ecosystem is becoming healthy again. We track these bioacoustic indices alongside more traditional metrics like canopy density and carbon sequestration. By tracking the presence of keystone species, we get a much richer, more immediate understanding of ecosystem health.

The most significant outcome is the successful demonstration of our integrated model. We've shown that it's possible to generate high-integrity data for both carbon and biodiversity while directly benefiting the local community whose stewardship is essential for long-term success.

Q. How do you see your platform contributing to closing the nature finance and nature data gaps your sector faces?

We close the nature data gap by making biodiversity measurement scalable and cost-effective. Our technology can be deployed in remote areas where manual surveys are impractical, generating the robust data needed to make nature a visible and verifiable asset.

By closing the data gap, we help close the finance gap. By quantifying biodiversity uplift, we enable the creation of high-integrity biodiversity credits. These can be "stacked" with carbon credits, creating a dual revenue stream that can increase a project's ROI by approximately 20%. This makes conservation and restoration projects far more financially attractive, unlocking new streams of private capital that are desperately needed to fund nature-based solutions at scale.

Community and Collaboration

Q. Darukaa actively collaborates with carbon project developers and biodiversity focused partners. What types of partnerships are most critical for scaling your impact and advancing the nature finance agenda?

Scaling our impact relies on a tripod of critical partnerships. First are the on-the-ground project developers and NGOs who are the stewards of restoration. We provide them with the technology to measure, verify, and monetize their incredible work, from large-scale ecosystem restoration to highly specialized conservation projects. We are excited to be applying our technology for niche applications like wildlife monitoring and pollinator health tracking, showcasing the versatility of our platform.

Second are the corporates, financial institutions, and investors who represent the demand side. We partner with them to build confidence in this emerging market and help them meet their ESG, CSRD, and nature-positive commitments with high-quality, verifiable credits.

Finally, we collaborate with academic institutions and regulatory bodies to help shape and standardize the methodologies for biodiversity credits, ensuring the entire market is built on a foundation of scientific rigor and integrity.

Q. What excites you most about joining the Nature Tech Collective community, and how do you hope to engage with other members?

We are thrilled to join a community of innovators who share our passion for harnessing technology for nature. What excites us most is the opportunity for collaboration and knowledge sharing. The challenges we face are too big for any single organization to solve alone.

We hope to engage with other members by sharing our expertise in integrated MRV and bioacoustics, while learning from leaders in complementary fields. We are keen to collaborate on pilot projects, contribute to working groups on biodiversity credit methodologies, and connect with potential partners who can help us scale our solutions globally.

Ambitions and Future Outlook

Q. What are Darukaa’s key ambitions for the next 12 to 24 months? How do you plan to expand your technology, projects, or partnerships during this period?

Our next 12 to 24 months are mapped out with clear, ambitious milestones focused on two parallel tracks: deepening our technological capabilities and expanding our geographical footprint.

On the product and technology front, our roadmap is focused on creating a seamless, end-to-end platform for nature finance. In the near term, we are launching our full in-situ analysis dashboard and securing "TNFD-aligned" status for our reporting module to meet the highest market standards. This will be followed by filing our first foundational patent for bioacoustics-based biodiversity scores, protecting our core innovation. Looking further ahead, our ambition is to launch a mobile application to streamline field data collection and develop an MVP of a global marketplace platform, making high-integrity nature credits more accessible.

In terms of geographical and market expansion, we are building on our success in India to establish a global presence. We are firmly focused on launching our first pilots in the global south, targeting critical biodiversity hotspots in Southeast Asia and Africa. This expansion will be driven by establishing formal partnerships with leading on-the-ground project developers and international conservation bodies. To support this growth, we will be strategically expanding our team to ensure we can deliver impact and value across diverse ecosystems and markets worldwide.

Q. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in scaling your platform and achieving wide adoption?

Our challenges are reflective of the emerging nature of the biodiversity market itself.

First, market education is a significant hurdle. The concept of biodiversity credits is still new to many corporates and investors. A core part of our work is educating the market on why biodiversity is a critical, investable asset and demonstrating the scientific and financial rigor behind our methodologies.

Second is the standardization of methodologies. As pioneers in this space, we are contributing to the creation of new standards. Gaining broad consensus and regulatory acceptance for tech-forward, multi-modal MRV requires persistent engagement with scientific bodies, industry alliances, and potential buyers.

Finally, scaling our community-first approach is a welcome challenge. Our model's success is deeply tied to authentic engagement with local communities. Maintaining this depth and integrity as we expand across diverse cultures and geographies is a complex operational task that we are committed to getting right. It requires building strong local partnerships and ensuring our technology remains accessible and empowering for all users.

Q. How can the Nature Tech Collective community best support Darukaa’s mission and growth trajectory?

The NTC community can support us in three key ways:

Connections: We are actively seeking introductions to corporate partners and investors looking to pioneer the biodiversity credit market, as well as project developers in our target geographies of Southeast Asia and Africa.
Thought Leadership: We would welcome opportunities to co-author articles, speak at events, and participate in panels to help educate the market and build momentum for nature-positive investments.
Collaboration: We are looking for technical and strategic partners to help us refine methodologies and scale our impact. If you're working on nature finance, MRV, or community-led conservation, we would love to connect.

Personal and Inspirational

Q. What motivates you personally and as a team in this work, given the complexity and urgency of biodiversity and climate challenges?

Our motivation is deeply personal and rooted in the diverse backgrounds of our founding team, spanning investment banking, geospatial technology, and last-mile healthcare and social impact. We have all seen, from different angles, the disconnect between the world of finance and the realities of environmental degradation on the ground.

What drives us is the conviction that we can, and must, bridge this gap. We are motivated by the challenge of solving a complex puzzle: how to make nature an economic asset without commodifying it. It’s about assigning it a value that reflects its true worth to our planet and our survival.

Seeing our technology empower a local community in the Sundarbans or provide an investor with the confidence to fund a restoration project, that is what fuels us. The urgency is immense, but the opportunity to create a system where both people and the planet can thrive is a powerful, motivating force for our entire team.

Q. Are there any books, thought leaders, or experiences that inspire your approach to nature tech and climate action?

Absolutely. Our thinking is shaped by a blend of economic, ecological, and philosophical influences.

The framework of "Doughnut Economics" by Kate Raworth is a major inspiration, challenging us to build a business model that operates within both social and planetary boundaries. The urgency of our mission is constantly reinforced by books like "The Sixth Extinction" by Elizabeth Kolbert, which starkly outlines the biodiversity crisis we are working to address.

We are also deeply inspired by the work of organizations and frameworks that are creating the architecture for this new nature-positive economy, especially the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Their efforts to integrate nature into financial decision-making align perfectly with our mission.

Ultimately, our biggest inspiration comes from the synthesis of our own experiences: realizing that the tools of finance, the power of technology, and the wisdom of local stewardship do not have to exist in separate worlds. Our work is to weave them together.

Darukaa’s work shows what’s possible when technology, science, and local stewardship come together to redefine how we value nature. By combining satellite data, on-the-ground sensors, and blockchain-backed transparency, their platform is enabling high-integrity biodiversity measurement while directly benefiting the communities protecting ecosystems. From their flagship mangrove restoration project in India’s Sundarbans to new partnerships across Asia and Africa, Darukaa is proving that ecological restoration and financial innovation can grow hand in hand.

Explore their work at darukaa.earth and connect with the team through LinkedIn to collaborate on advancing robust, transparent, and inclusive nature finance solutions.

Megha Chadha