Woodchuck, the AI-driven climate-tech startup transforming how the construction and manufacturing sectors manage wood waste, announced that Michigan Rise, the venture investment arm of the MSU Research Foundation, has made a growth-round investment. This funding will accelerate Woodchuck’s expansion across the United States, reflecting the company’s rapid adoption among top contractors and its growing influence in reshaping waste management, cost reduction, and carbon tracking in construction.
Since its launch, Woodchuck has successfully diverted over 13,000 tons of wood waste from landfills, helping contractors reduce waste-hauling costs by 30–40%, while supplying clean biomass energy to regional power producers. The startup’s AI-powered smart containers, contamination-prevention systems, and processing sites are now actively deployed with leading contractors, including Walbridge, Barton Malow, Ford, Amazon, and major data-center developers.
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Calvin VanderWal, venture associate at the MSU Research Foundation, emphasized why the team backed Woodchuck. “What impressed us is how quickly Woodchuck is executing on an idea that reframes construction waste,” he said. “Todd and his team are moving with urgency, and their model is already being shaped by feedback from multiple flagship partners. They’ve paired that momentum with strong co-investors and a deliberate decision to put down roots in Grand Rapids. It’s a compelling combination that positions them to scale a new standard for how waste can be managed and monetized.”
The investment comes as contractors nationwide face rising landfill fees, stricter diversion mandates, and increasing demands for transparent carbon reporting. Consequently, AI-driven waste diversion is shifting from a “nice-to-have” tool to an operational necessity. With this support, Woodchuck will expand from the Great Lakes into major national markets, including hubs for EV battery manufacturing, semiconductor production, and data-center construction.
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Additionally, Woodchuck will accelerate the rollout of its AI image-recognition and contamination-prevention systems, which have proven capable of raising diversion rates from under 30% to over 95%. The company also plans to establish more on-site processing hubs, allowing contractors to convert wood waste into energy-ready biomass directly at project sites, reducing emissions, site congestion, and fuel consumption.
Todd Thomas, Woodchuck CEO, explained the impact of the Michigan Rise partnership. “This funding allows us to scale exactly where the market is demanding it most,” he said. “Contractors are under pressure to cut costs, hit diversion targets, and report carbon impact with accuracy. Our AI solves those problems right on the job site, not in some distant facility. The Michigan Rise venture investment team immediately understood that Woodchuck is not just a waste solution—we’re a competitive advantage for builders.”
Woodchuck’s platform transforms construction wood debris into measurable renewable energy, delivering real-time insights on BTUs, carbon avoided, and diversion metrics. VanderWal added, “We think Woodchuck represents the future of job-site operations. It’s rare to find a company that is simultaneously reducing emissions, lowering costs, and building critical renewable-energy infrastructure.”
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