Waste-to-Energy Startup Secures FasterCapital EquityPilot Support to Turn Municipal Waste into Renewable Power
San José, Costa Rica & Dubai, UAE - Sep 20, 2025
Agropecuaria Setenta Cuarenta y Ocho Sa and FasterCapital today announced a strategic partnership through FasterCapital’s EquityPilot program to accelerate the León Cortés Waste-to-Energy gasification project across Costa Rica. The collaboration will fast-track financing, technical scale-up and stakeholder engagement to convert municipal solid waste into syngas-based electricity.
Market opportunity & problem statement
Costa Rica generates roughly 4,000 tons of municipal solid waste daily, with limited local solutions for energy recovery. Municipalities currently rely on distant landfills, incurring high transportation costs, emissions and environmental risks. Growing regulatory support for comprehensive waste management and renewables has created a white-space opportunity for mid-scale waste-to-energy projects that reduce landfill volumes, improve recycling rates and provide dispatchable renewable power. The León Cortés project targets a high-need regional market with an estimated 175 tons/day processing capacity and strong replication potential across the country.
Startup solution & differentiation
Agropecuaria Setenta Cuarenta y Ocho SA’s León Cortés project deploys thermal gasification to convert residual municipal waste into synthesis gas (SYNGAS) for power generation while extracting recyclables and producing compost. Unlike traditional incineration or landfill-only models, gasification delivers higher energy recovery, lower emissions and modular scalability. The project is permitted for site location, has completed preliminary technical and geotechnical studies, and projects a near-term capacity of ~25.9 MW installed-equivalent output (financial modeled at ~27,000 MWh/year). The developer’s local roots, municipal waste contract with León Cortés, and partnerships with suppliers (Macpresse, BESI) create defensible operational advantages and rapid replication potential.
FasterCapital partnership value
Under the EquityPilot program, FasterCapital will provide strategic capital-raising support, technical validation, GTM coaching, and access to its global investor network. FasterCapital’s selective due diligence and track record of scaling deep-tech and cleantech ventures provide independent validation of the project’s commercial and technical viability. The collaboration targets a 12–18 month acceleration window to finalize financing (raise the remaining $3M seed round), complete construction permitting, and commence commissioning. FasterCapital’s mentorship will also support municipal contracting, tariff structuring and ESG disclosures to mitigate public opposition risk.
Executive quotes
“Harnessing municipal waste for reliable, renewable power aligns perfectly with FasterCapital’s mission to scale commercially viable cleantech solutions,” said Hesham Zreik. “Agropecuaria Setenta Cuarenta y Ocho combines local legitimacy and proven technical partners; EquityPilot will fast-track capital access and operational readiness to unlock regional impact.”
Luis Guillermo Aguilar Murillo, Founder and President of Agropecuaria Setenta Cuarenta y Ocho SA, added: “This partnership validates a decade of R&D and moves León Cortés from feasibility into construction. FasterCapital’s global resources and investor channels are critical to delivering cleaner waste management, new jobs, and affordable power for our communities.”
Growth trajectory & future plans
Near-term priorities include closing the $3M equity tranche, finalizing SETENA environmental clearance, and completing EPCM contracting to begin construction within 6–9 months. The team targets commercial operations within 18–24 months and immediate replication to neighboring cantons via bundled municipal contracts. Longer term, the company intends to pursue power purchase agreements, regional exports of system design, and franchised replicas across Costa Rica and Central America.
About Agropecuaria Setenta Cuarenta y Ocho SA
Founded in 1985 and led by Luis Guillermo Aguilar Murillo, Agropecuaria Setenta Cuarenta y Ocho SA develops the León Cortés Waste-to-Energy gasification project to process municipal solid waste, recover recyclables, produce compost and generate renewable electricity. The company focuses on local impact, regulatory compliance and scalable replication across municipal markets.
About FasterCapital
FasterCapital is a global startup accelerator and investor specializing in technology commercialization and early-stage funding. Through programs like EquityPilot, FasterCapital provides capital-raising support, technical mentorship, and access to a curated investor network to accelerate commercialization. The firm has a track record of validating deep-tech startups and scaling ventures across energy, AI and cleantech sectors.