Japanese climate technology firm Asuene has announced its acquisition of US-based carbon management and accounting platform nZero, marking a strategic expansion into the North American greentech and corporate sustainability space.
Founded in Tokyo in 2019, Asuene provides tools and consultancy services to support corporations in achieving their net zero targets. These include greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions measurement and reporting, carbon reduction planning, and broader ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) advisory services. The company serves more than 10,000 clients globally, reflecting growing corporate demand for reliable emissions tracking and climate-focused data solutions.
nZero, headquartered in Nevada and launched in 2021, offers a real-time carbon accounting platform designed to streamline the collection and analysis of energy data. The platform uses artificial intelligence to optimise both energy costs and carbon emissions across an organisation’s operations. Crucially, the software can track emissions across all three emission scopes — Scope 1 (direct emissions), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy), and Scope 3 (all other indirect emissions throughout a company’s value chain) — providing detailed visibility which is increasingly expected under evolving international sustainability frameworks such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the forthcoming U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) climate disclosure rules.
The deal represents Asuene’s first major foray into the North American market. In a statement, the company highlighted that nZero’s capabilities are already being used by government agencies, NGOs and private enterprises across more than 20 U.S. states and cities. The platform has seen uptake in some of the country’s most energy-intensive sectors, including transportation, water and wastewater services, energy utilities, telecommunications, and data-centric industries such as cloud infrastructure.
Asuene CEO and founder Kohei Nishiwada described the acquisition as a pivotal moment in the firm’s ambition to become “the world’s leading climate tech company.” He noted that the strategic alliance would leverage the strengths of both companies to deliver “cutting-edge, data-driven solutions” to help businesses and public sector entities meet decarbonisation goals amid increasing pressure from regulators and investors.
“The partnership with nZero enables measurable outcomes by uniting our capabilities across Japan and the U.S.,” Nishiwada said. “We’re empowering stakeholders to reduce emissions, optimise energy use, and comply with growing regulatory and stakeholder demands.”
The timing of the acquisition is significant, as it comes during a period of political uncertainty for U.S. climate policy. While the Biden administration has advanced decarbonisation efforts through legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act — which includes nearly $370 billion in climate and clean energy investments — there remains a patchwork of approaches at the state and municipal levels. For instance, California and New York have robust emissions-reduction strategies in place, while other jurisdictions have been slower to act or even resisted federal climate initiatives. As such, businesses operating in the U.S. are faced with a complex regulatory environment, one that Asuene views as an opportunity for growth in demand for standardised and scalable carbon reporting technology.
Supporting this perspective, nZero CEO Josh Weber said the combination of the two companies provides momentum for scaling emissions management both in the U.S. and globally.
“This alliance allows nZero to accelerate GHG emissions measurement and the implementation of reduction strategies across Asuene’s international presence,” Weber said. “In an era of intensifying climate risk and evolving sustainability reporting standards, combining innovation and sector-specific expertise is critical to helping organisations take measurable steps toward net-zero emissions.”
The deal also comes amid rising demand for climate tech solutions globally. According to PwC’s 2023 State of Climate Tech report, investment in early-stage decarbonisation technologies reached a cumulative $222 billion between 2013 and 2022, with sectors such as energy, mobility and transport, and food systems attracting significant venture capital.
For Asuene, acquiring nZero positions the company to meet a growing market need — one where environmental accountability is no longer optional. As global supply chains face increasing calls for decarbonisation, and regulatory frameworks become more stringent and aligned with science-based climate targets, the ability to deliver granular, real-time emissions data is fast becoming a business imperative.
More on this story can be found on ESG Today.
