GREENBORO — Urban Offsets, a Greensboro-based company launching a carbon-offset validation and trading platform aimed at cities and schools,  has raised a $300,000 seed round led by early stage investor, Cary-based Cofounders Capital.

The company will use the funds to launch its carbon-offset trading platform and ramp up sales nationally.

Urban Offsets is the first company to develop a marketplace for cities to plant, grow and maintain trees. Each new tree produces carbon offsets by absorbing and storing the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. It focuses on college and univserityl grounds, parks and tree-poor urban communities.

Its software lets cities and schools track and sell actual and potential CO2 emission reductions.

The company partnered with the Duke University Carbon Offset Initiative earlier this year to develop and test the foundations of its program.

“Schools care deeply about where their offsets come from” says Charles Adair, program manager of the DCOI and developer of the Duke University Carbon Offset protocol. “The protocol we developed for academic institutions was a necessary step in creating the carbon offsets Duke prefers, “Charles added. “Now our partnership with Urban Offsets is activating the protocol locally, supporting our climate goals, and allowing us to invest in the future of North Carolina communities.”

David Gardner, general manager of Cofounders Capital, agrees, “Hundreds of institutions hav taken the pledge to become carbon neutral and these universities will not be able to entirely eliminate emissions. Purchasing carbon credits is an important part of their plan.” Gardner continued, “Working closely with the DCOI, Urban Offsets has created a transparent and verifiable standard that legitimizes the local carbon credit market. Universities, companies and other institutions can now take action to reach their established carbon neutrality goals while supporting their local communities at the same time”.

The company is currently developing pilot projects in North Carolina and Arizona communitie and further developing its trading platform. Urban Offsets expects to publicly release its pioneering trading platform later this winter.

On the Web: http://www.urbanoffsets.co/