The funds will allow Agrobiomics to bring its nature-derived biomolecules technology to the market and help farmers mitigate the impacts of climate change on crop yields.
It comes as Agrobiomics prepares to scale-up and commercialise its first two products for soybean and tomato, with future expansion to cereals, fruits, and vegetables across salinity- and drought-prone regions in Europe and beyond.
From “snake oil” to robust and proven
Biostimulants have often been met with scepticism due to inconsistent performance and limited field validation – often earning the industry the nickname of “snake oil”.
Agrobiomics hopes to change that narrative. Its nature-derived biomolecule, isolated from Streptomyces bacteria commonly found in soil, works by priming plant stress responses, increasing yield under drought and salinity. Greenhouse and field trials have so far shown consistent improvements in crop resilience with its first product, Fortify, leading to up to 20% yield increases in tomatoes and around 10% in soya.
Its biomolecule offers a promising alternative to resource-intensive solutions such as irrigation, synthetic chemicals, or expensive genetic modification, the company said. The FAO and IPCC report that up to 30% of current global crop production is at risk annually due to climate-induced stresses.
Agrobiomics claims that thanks to low application rates, the biomolecule is easy to integrate across the entire value chain.
A highly competitive programme
EIC funding under the Accelerator programme is a significant EU initiative providing mixed grant and investment finance to high-potential innovators primarily in start-ups and SMEs to boost deep technology and strategic innovation in Europe.
In the latest round, 40 companies were selected, receiving nearly €230 million in funding, with a focus on blended finance (grant and equity).
Agrobiomics is the only “pure” ag company to get funded, with Polish apiculture company Apisense and France-based Protein Resources, which makes animal feed protein from agricultural waste, also making the cut.
“We are going to spend this money in scaling up our technology and preparing for a market launch in 2027 in Europe and Brazil,” CEO Ananda Scherner told AgTechNavigator.
“It is the first time we are getting EU support and it’s huge validation because the programme itself is highly competitive. Less than 4% of the companies that apply for it get it.”
