News and Analysis on Global Agri-Tech Innovation, Investment and Regulation
Start-up profile
As peptides, dsRNA and other fragile biological actives move closer to market, Italian nano‑biotech Nanomnia believes growth will increasingly come from developers who need delivery to be enabling, not incremental
SP Ventures’ Managing Partner discussed the power of Brazilian agricultural innovation and why the EU-Mercosur trade deal could provide tailwinds to the sector
A new partnership between crop‑protection heavyweight Certis Belchim and agri‑biotech specialist Elicit Plant aims to fast‑track a next‑generation bio‑solution designed to help potato growers withstand intensifying climate pressures
PI AgSciences is expanding the availability of its biochemical for parasitic nematodes from Mexico and Brazil to the North American market
Ag companies are making appointments to go after opportunities in robotics, carbon removal, crop inputs, and regenerative agriculture.
ProGro Bio’s product pipeline is humming, with the bio-inputs company launching two products ahead of the 2026 U.S. growing season
Ag companies from John Deere to Groundwork BioAg closed the year making major appointments, as they ready for growth in 2026
As climate volatility and aggressive pathogens threaten global banana production, SynTech Research Group is investing in drone spraying, digital monitoring, and precision agriculture – while expanding its biologicals portfolio – to safeguard one of the...
The November edition of AgTechNavigator’s movers & shakers column features personnel appointments from Bayer, NatureSweet, and Micropep Technologies
The crop protection giant has partnered with French biotech Amoéba to bring a next-generation biological to EU and UK farmers – aiming to tackle septoria and yellow rust while easing resistance pressure and regulatory constraints
Scottish biotech Rhizocore Technologies is using tailored fungal networks to boost tree survival and growth. With fresh funding, the company plans to scale production and expand into North America’s vast forestry market
As the US moves to approve the world’s first protein-based biofungicide, Biotalys’ flagship product remains in Europe’s regulatory pipeline. Is cautious oversight holding back innovation?
New study outlines how biologicals are reshaping pest management; why Brazil is leading the charge, and what other markets can learn
Start-up profile
Despite phosphate fertilisers being a staple of global agriculture, their inefficiency and environmental toll have long gone unchallenged. US-based Ostara is rewriting the rules with a root-activated, water-insoluble alternative – but its rapid rise has...
Biological adoption continues to rise, with Alltech tapping into market demand in the U.S., Brazil, and other countries
ECCA urges EU to remove barriers to post-patent plant protection products PPPs, arguing it will boost farm profitability, sustainability – and attract younger farmers
Indigo Ag expanded its Biotrinsic portfolio with Nemora FP and is leveraging its seed treatment device Clips to boost biological adoption
Ascribe Bio is nearing regulatory approval for its biofungicide in Brazil and the U.S. and will use funds from a Series A round to support the launches
Ag biologicals overpromised and under delivered in the past, but ag companies like Summit Agro are changing that dynamic by demonstrating the potential of biological chemistries to improve plant health and yields
Industry leaders express cautious optimism as the European Commission signals intent to overhaul crop protection rules, potentially unlocking faster access to biopesticides and post-patent products
Corteva joins a growing list of companies that believe going alone is better than sticking together
The UK Agri-Tech Centre aligns its efforts with the UK’s industrial strategy, focusing on four to five key areas where technology can address pressing agricultural challenges, explains its engagement director Helen Brooks
Loveland Products’ microbial-based input Extract XC is providing farmers a way to store crop nutrients for next year’s season
Sustainable September
Lucent Bio is continuing its commercialization push beyond Canada with the help of recent research, as the agtech company looks to close its Series A round by the end of the year
The UK company says it sees real potential in cracking the “super tough conundrum” of bioherbicides after announcing the discovery of chemistries that could form an entirely new category of crop protection product
August 2025 was another big month for executive news across the agriculture industry, with biotech companies Groundwork BioAg, Switch Bioworks, and Ceradis appointing executives, while Corteva made a legal appointment and Redox Bio-Nutrients reinforced...
Methane-eating microbes (MEMs) are converting climate-harming gas into beneficial fertilizer
Farmer fury at the decision not to lift pesticide restrictions is a symptom of the lack of awareness of alternative solutions to neonicotinoid insecticides, claims bioinsecticide company Eden Research
Can legislation like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and an upcoming Farm Bill be the key to a more sustainable ag sector in the US?
Venture capital alone can’t scale and commercialise innovation in the biocontrol sector, says the asset manager after its acquisition of Spanish biological crop solutions platform Agronova
The “snake oil” days of biostimulants are well and truly over says Danish bio-ag firm Agrobiomics after sealing up to €7.5 million in blended finance from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator programme
ProGro Bio is moving into the fungicide and pesticide market, pending EPA approval of its Rhizol product for use as a biocontrol, as the company begins to fundraise for its Series A round
Puna Bio is deploying fresh capital to fuel market and product expansion, including the development of a cost-effective biofertilizer for African farmers
Micropep Technologies tapped an ag veteran with more than 20 years of experience to lead the company’s growth strategy, as it inches closer to releasing its first commercial product
World Agri-Tech South America Summit 2025
Latin America’s agtech sector is capitalizing on changing global trade dynamics, as Brazil is nearly a year away from its next presidential election that could breathe new life into the region’s start-up ecosystem
Flagship Pioneering – the US company behind RNA-based vaccine maker Moderna and ag trailblazers Indigo and Inari – has unveiled Terrana Biosciences after four years in stealth. Its RNA platform has a host of potential applications in agriculture, Terrana...
The Cropsafe project, created by Norwegian biorefinery owner Borregaard, has received €4.9 million in funding from the EU’s Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) to develop bio-based solutions for pest control in potatoes, tomatoes and bananas
World Agri-Tech South America Summit 2025
Seed and crop protection company Corteva eyes biologicals growth in Brazil, as ag biologicals start-up Symbiomics closes its Series A for an undisclosed amount of money and advances the use of biologicals in the region
Carbon nanodot technology is poised to make RNA-based biopesticides and other active ingredients more effective, believes a British spin-out
World Agri-Tech South America Summit 2025
Innovative technologies, government action and a willingness to embrace change are crucial to accelerating Brazil’s sustainable agriculture industry
Usage of Pivot Bio’s biologicals grew in 2024, reducing synthetic fertiliser dependence and associated environmental impacts, like nitrate leaching
Now in its fifth year, the event returns to São Paulo on June 24-25 where 700 leaders from across the global agtech landscape – including agribusinesses, cooperatives, start-ups, investors, government agencies, and technology leaders – will discuss the...
As crop protection company Adama introduces a new mode of action for cereal fungicides, we asked the company about the challenge of developing synthetic chemical solutions amid the growing demand for sustainable crop protection solutions with reduced...
By understanding how microbes, as living entities, work in the soil to enhance or detract from each other, Jord BioScience says it is creating solutions that have a superior win-rate in the field
RNA technology can control hard-to-kill weeds and be paired with conventional herbicides to enhance efficacy while reducing overall toxicity, herbicide load and farmer costs
Argentina-based biologicals start-up Puna Bio has announced that after “years of hard work, research, and dedication” it has closed its Series A, with Corteva Catalyst making its first foray into the region.
Biologicals players often complain that regulatory processes are slowing growth in this sector. There are fears that is set to worsen amid Trump’s deep cuts to the federal workforce.
AI was a big theme of the recent World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco, where attendees heard realistic discussions about how to put AI to best use in agriculture.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a loan of up to €35 million with GreenLight Biosciences España to support research and production of ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi)-based biocontrols.
Agroecology - a means of integrating more sustainability and nature into agricultural practices – does not need to be at the expense of yields, provided the right data and expertise is followed.