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§ Private Profile · Raleigh, NC, USA
Agricultural biotechnology company that developed biological crop protection products for growers, using its GENESIS platform.
Based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, AgBiome is an agricultural biotechnology company that develops biological crop protection products by analyzing plant microbiomes through its proprietary GENESIS platform. The organization screens a database of over 80,000 microbial strains to create natural fungicides and insecticides, such as Howler and Theia, which serve as sustainable alternatives to traditional synthetic chemicals. Prior to a corporate restructuring, the enterprise raised over $250 million in total venture funding, including a $116 million Series D financing round in late 2021. AgBiome secured financial backing from notable investors including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Polaris Partners, and Novozymes. In April 2024, Ginkgo Bioworks officially acquired the company's core platform assets and its extensive microbial strain library. AgBiome was founded in 2012 by Scott Uknes, Eric Ward, Paul Skroch, and John Ryals.
AgBiome has raised $261.0M across 7 funding rounds.
AgBiome has raised $261.0M in total across 7 funding rounds.
AgBiome has raised $261.0M in total across 7 funding rounds.
AgBiome's investors include Blue Horizon, Marijn Dekkers, John Hamer, Polaris Partners, Forbion, ARCH Venture Partners, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Innotech Advisers, Monsanto Growth Ventures, Pontifax, UTIMCO, Vipula Shukla.
AgBiome has raised $261.0M across 7 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $120.0M Series D in September 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | $120M Series D | Blue Horizon, Marijn Dekkers | John Hamer, Polaris Partners | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2018 | $65M Series C | — | Forbion, Polaris Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Innotech Advisers, Monsanto Growth Ventures, Polaris Partners, Pontifax, UTIMCO | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2015 | $35M Series B | Vipula Shukla | Dcvc (data Collective), Forbion, Polaris Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Misti Ushio, Innotech Advisers, Monsanto Growth Ventures, Polaris Partners, Pontifax AgTech, Syngenta Ventures, UTIMCO | Announced |
| Nov 13, 2014 | $3M Series A | — | — | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2014 | $18M Series U | — | Dcvc (data Collective), Forbion, Polaris Partners | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2013 | $18M Series A | Amir Nashat | Forbion, Polaris Partners, Kristina Burow, Misti Ushio, Innotech Advisers | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2012 | $2M Seed | — | Dcvc (data Collective) | Announced |
AgBiome is a biotechnology company that develops biological crop protection products using microbes discovered through its proprietary GENESIS platform.[1][2][5] It serves farmers and the agriculture industry by creating eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides, such as biofungicides that control fungal diseases, insects, and nematodes while enhancing crop yields and sustainability.[1][3][5] The company solves the problem of environmental harm from synthetic chemicals by harnessing naturally evolved microbes, with products like the broad-spectrum fungicide Howler poised to match or exceed chemical efficacy.[3] Founded in 2012 and based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, AgBiome raised $236.5M before its acquisition by Ginkgo Bioworks in April 2024, marking strong growth in the microbiome-based agtech space.[1][2]
AgBiome was founded in 2012 by Eric Ward, a biotech veteran with decades of industry experience, who established the company to leverage plant-associated microbiomes for agricultural innovation.[2] The idea emerged from recognizing the untapped potential of environmental microbes—trillions competing and evolving over billions of years—to address crop protection needs amid rising global food demands.[2][5] Early traction came swiftly: in 2013, AgBiome secured its first financing from international ag investors; by 2014, it partnered with Syngenta for high-value trait products; and in 2015, it gained visibility at the RTP 180 AgBio event while receiving Series B investment from the Gates Foundation.[2][4] These milestones built on Ward's vision, positioning AgBiome as a leader in microbe-driven solutions.[2]
AgBiome stands out in agtech through its focus on isolated, fully sequenced microbial strains rather than metagenomic surveys alone, enabling deeper genomic insights and more reliable product development.[3]
AgBiome rides the microbiome revolution in agriculture, where startups mine plant-associated microbes to create bio-inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, and seed traits that replace chemicals amid climate pressures and pesticide resistance.[3] Timing aligns with surging demand for sustainable farming: global food needs are exponential, regulatory scrutiny on synthetics intensifies, and agtech funding flows to precision biology (e.g., AI-driven soil analysis complements their work).[1][2] Market forces favor them—Gates Foundation backing signals impact investing in food security, while North Carolina's agtech hub (robotics, automation) amplifies their ecosystem.[1][4] Post-acquisition by Ginkgo Bioworks, AgBiome influences synthetic biology's scale-up, accelerating microbe commercialization and inspiring competitors like Biome Makers and Trace Genomics.[1][3]
With Ginkgo Bioworks' resources post-2024 acquisition, AgBiome is primed to launch products like Howler at scale, expand beyond crops into animal/human health, and integrate GENESIS with advanced automation for faster discoveries.[1][3][5][6] Trends like AI-enhanced microbiome mapping, regulatory tailwinds for biologics, and climate-resilient ag will propel growth, potentially dominating bio-pesticides as chemical bans rise. Their influence could evolve from pioneer to platform enabler, responsibly feeding a growing world through microbial innovation—echoing their founding mission to partner with nature for human benefit.[2][5]