Tag: microbiome

Why Dan Vradenburg joining Trace Genomics as CEO is a big deal

October 9, 2019

Daniel Vradenburg is the former president of Wilbur-Ellis and the board chair of Cavallo Ventures and now he's joining soil science startup Trace Genomics.

How AgBiome develops microbial tech to help African farmers combat sweet potato weevil

September 12, 2019

The sweet potato weevil is a very difficult pest to control and it is a serious pest in Africa. So the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation asked AgBiome if they’d be willing to work on it. They're now entering phase 2.

Climate Corp Acquires Soil-Analysis Business of Solum, Inc.

Biome Makers secures $4m Series A in another sign that investors are digging soil science startups

August 7, 2019

Are you a terroir-ist? If so, you’ll understand — along with almost any winegrower — how sexy soil can be.

Kapsera Raises €700k for Microbe Encapsulation Technology in Agrinnovation Fund’s 1st Investment

March 26, 2019

Kaspera is focused on the microbe-based biofertilizer and biopesticide markets with patented technology enabling the encapsulation of the microbes.

Thiel-Backed Breakout Ventures Invests in Phylagen $14m Series A with Cultivian, AgFunder For Microbe-Based Traceability

February 14, 2019

Microbiome data analytics company Phylagen has raised a $14 million Series A round led by Peter Thiel-backed Breakout Ventures, agrifood tech venture pioneer Cultivian Sandbox, supply chain innovation fund Working Capital with participation from AgFunder.

Pivot Bio’s PROVEN Microbes Can Reduce Negative Impacts of Fertilizer Overuse and Leaching

February 7, 2019

Nitrogen fertilizer is widely used in row crop production and is a key expense farmers face each year. But often that fertilizer is wasted, washing away after heavy rains or leaching due to irrigation or poor soil quality.

Indigo Acquires Satellite Imagery Startup TellusLabs for ‘Living Map of World’s Food Supply’

December 13, 2018

Indigo Agriculture, the microbial ag products startup-cum-agribusiness marketplace has acquired TellusLabs, a startup using satellite imagery to monitors the world's croplands.

8 Transformational Food Tech Startups

November 22, 2018

This Thanksgiving, we at AgFunder are thankful for our portfolio companies. Over the last year, we have invested in transformational food system companies, operating across the supply chain, from farm to fork.

AgFunder Invests in Trace Genomics $13m Series A for First Scalable Soil Microbiome Test

November 15, 2018

Trace Genomics has built the first scalable soil microbiome test to help farmers predict soil disease, soil health, and crop quality, using high-throughput DNA sequencing and machine learning.

UPDATE: AgFunder Opens New Food Tech/AgTech Fund to Investors, Commitments Reach $4m in 1 Week

November 1, 2018

On our mission to democratize venture capital and increase investment in the food and agriculture industry, our fund is open to accredited investors as well as institutional investors, and we already have commitments from both.

Billionaire-Backed Fund Invests in Pivot Bio’s $70m Series B to Address ‘One of Largest Sources of GHGs on Planet’

October 2, 2018

“Pivot Bio is addressing one of the largest sources of GHGs on the planet – the potent nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions associated with the use of synthetic fertilizers,” said Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

AgBiome Raises $65m Series C

July 19, 2018

The plant microbiome research and products company counts the Gates Foundation as an investor.

Senate Passes Farm Bill with Incentives for Farmers to Build Soil Health, Sequester Carbon

June 21, 2018

These provisions include funding for a new USDA pilot project that will incentivize farmers, through payments, to adopt agricultural practices aimed at improving soil health and sequestering organic soil carbon.

Indigo Ag Raises $156m Series D First Close to Expand Product Line Globally

September 26, 2017

The round takes the startup's total funding to over $300 million after it raised $156 million last year in Series C and D funding.

What is Agriculture Biotechnology?

September 7, 2017

Agriculture biotechnology (ag biotech) applies to all technologies used on the farm involving biological or chemical processes.

Noble Foundation’s Buckner: Soil Health Must No Longer Take a Back Seat to Plant Science

April 13, 2017

There's still a long way to go before we have a complete understanding of soil health and how it interacts with plant growth, according to Bill Buckner, president and CEO of the Noble Foundation.

AgFunder Innovation Awards 2016 Winners Announced

January 19, 2017

Your nominations were counted and verified, and the top five companies in each category are...

Agtech Funding Sheet: Valagro Raises from Metalmark as Abraaj Invests in African Fertilizer Company, more

October 20, 2016

Soil and crop technologies led the week with two crop enhancement technologies raising funding in Italy and Africa.

Biome Makers Raises $2.2m for Microbe Database Service for Vineyards

October 18, 2016

The ag bioinformatics startup for the wine industry will be hiring new staff at its San Francisco and Spain locations to build out its microbial database and global service.