Key Takeaways
- Windfall Bio is auctioning lab and bioreactor assets as it ceases operations.
- The startup aimed to convert waste methane into organic fertilizer using proprietary technology.
- Despite raising $37 million, the company faced challenges, including a terminated government grant.
Windfall Bio’s Operations and Challenges
California-based Windfall Bio, a startup focused on converting waste methane from farms and landfills into organic fertilizer, is auctioning its substantial lab and bioreactor assets from its San Mateo headquarters and a Texas demonstration plant. Current auctions feature high-end research and development instruments, bioreactor systems, and lab equipment, including LC/MS/MS, GC/MS, and HPLC systems, as well as freeze dryers and incubators.
Founded in 2022 by Josh Silverman, Carla Risso, Ph.D, and Louis Stenmark, Windfall Bio has raised $37 million over two funding rounds, including a $9 million seed round in 2023 and a $28 million Series A in 2024, with backing from investors such as Prelude Ventures and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund. Construction of the demo plant began in late 2022 to showcase the company’s technology using multiple waste gas sources, and the firm was in the process of raising a Series B round.
In December 2024, Windfall Bio received a significant grant from the Department of Energy to enhance methane bioconversion as a flare replacement system. However, this project was later listed among 321 terminated awards as reported by Latitude Media in October 2025. Windfall has not provided a response to inquiries, yet sources indicate that the company ceased operations in April.
Windfall Bio’s unique approach leverages microbes that transform methane from manure lagoons and landfills into nitrogen-rich biomass, which can be converted into high-value organic fertilizer suitable for direct use in agriculture or for market sale. Silverman explained that while conventional methods to manage waste methane—such as flaring or converting it into renewable natural gas (RNG)—were popular in prior years, recent economic shifts diminished their viability.
In November 2025, Silverman expressed optimism regarding their technology, stating that it offered a more profitable and environmentally friendly alternative to simply releasing or flaring methane. The setup for their system is designed to be straightforward, requiring minimal investment for users. For dairy farms, Windfall’s reactors could be as simple as large plastic containers filled with compost or biochar, paired with a cover over manure lagoons to channel methane efficiently.
In landfills, the company implemented a liquid-based system to cultivate their proprietary FOUNDATION fertilizer. Silverman noted the high interest in their solution globally, emphasizing that billions of cubic meters of methane are flared or vented each year, leaving a significant opportunity for those generating it to find profitable uses.
Despite the innovative potential of Windfall Bio’s technology, the recent challenges encountered, including halted operations and funding setbacks, raise questions about its future impact on the market for waste methane conversion.
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