CroBio funding news – Cheshire-based CroBio Secures €805k in New Funding

The grant comes from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)’s Farming Innovation Programme, in partnership with the University of York and the Biorenewables Development Centre. The funding, supported by Innovate UK, will help CroBio advance its work in improving soil health and nutrient management.

Dr Daniel J Upton, Senior Scientist at CroBio said, “This project brings together a diverse and multidisciplinary consortium and addresses key challenges facing agriculture. The project will see CroBio’s technology be developed for nutrient management purposes, with the aim to support farmers by reducing the need for fertiliser while providing benefits to soil and environmental health. I am excited to get started on this project and to be supporting CroBio in developing its technology to be applicable across widespread territories and with multiple benefits”.

In 2020, it received an initial investment from Catapult Ventures GM&C Life Sciences Fund to develop their bacterial strains for greenhouse trials. In 2023, they secured €505k from SOSV and joined the IndieBio program, a start-up accelerator based in New York.

It’s living soil amendment is a liquid applied once per growing season. It lasts two years and works with common equipment and processes. Its low cost and ease of use make it a good choice for large crop fields.

At the end of each growing season, the bacteria in the product break down, increasing organic carbon in the soil. This carbon-rich soil helps improve crop productivity, stabilize yields, and support climate-friendly farming.

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It’s living soil amendment absorbs CO2 from the air, creating a healthier environment for plants. It helps build soil rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients, improving soil biodiversity. In greenhouse tests, CroBio increased water retention in sandy soil by 200%.

Farmers apply this liquid product once per growing season, after planting. The living microbes then grow alongside the plants.

These microbes take in the plant's root exudates and produce bacterial cellulose, a sponge-like material that holds 1,000 times its weight in water. This cellulose forms a structure around the plant roots, helping retain water and nutrients when the plant needs them most.

This grant comes after CroBio raised €1.4 million in Seed funding in April 2023. It will help improve their living soil amendment, a technology that boosts nutrient and water retention, as well as carbon capture in soil.

This is CroBio's first government-funded grant, showing their commitment to sustainable farming, climate resilience, and future food security. The funding will help develop their technology for use in the UK and Europe, expanding CroBio’s impact on regenerative farming.

About CroBio

CroBio uses biotechnology to prevent crop loss caused by drought. Their living soil amendment works with plant roots to create a sponge-like environment that holds water and nutrients for better crop growth.