Wild Bioscience Raises €51M To Improve Crop Varieties

The round was led by Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), with participation from Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), Braavos Capital, and Oxford University.

Dr Ross Hendron, Co-Founder and CEO of Wild Bio says: “Advancing agriculture has limitless potential to help people and the planet. So to achieve meaningful, scalable impact, we need the right investors who are truly aligned with that big vision. I’m deeply grateful to EIT and to our current investors for sharing our excitement about what we’ve accomplished so far, and for their united support as we embark on this ambitious growth journey together.”

Wild Bioscience’s €51M Series A ranks among Europe’s largest early-stage AgriTech financings this year. While most 2025 rounds (€2–10M) focus on AI, robotics, or data-driven tools Wild targets crop genetics and breeding.

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Compared to peers, Switzerland’s Ecorobotix raised €90M Series D for precision spraying, the UK’s Messium €3.8M for nitrogen management, and CroBio €805K for microbial soil solutions.

Wild stands out for funding size and scientific focus, using AI-guided, evolution-based breeding to boost crop productivity and resilience. The first co-investment by OSE and EIT underscores strong confidence in scalable, climate-resilient crop innovations.

Professor Steve Kelly, Head of the Plant Biology Institute at EIT and Co-Founder and CSO of Wild Bio, says: “Combining the groundbreaking research at EIT and Wild will create a powerful synergy that could reshape sustainable agriculture on a global scale. Together, we will accelerate our ability to bring new technologies to market and deliver innovative solutions that enhance crop resilience, boost yields, and promote environmental sustainability.”

Founded in 2021, Wild Bioscience transforms evolutionary biology into resilient, high-yielding crops. By combining plant evolution, machine learning, and precision gene editing, it develops climate-smart varieties supporting food security and sustainability.

Specializing in crop genetics, Wild Bioscience uses a data-driven platform to decode millions of years of plant evolution, identifying genetic improvements from wild species to guide precision breeding for modern elite crops.

Larry Ellison, CTO and Chairman of Oracle and Founder of the Ellison Institute of Technology, says: “Wild Bio is using AI to better understand the lessons learned over millions of years of evolution encoded in plant genomes. Those insights combined with precision breeding has enabled Wild Bio to develop new varieties of crops with both higher yields and climate resilience. The ultimate goal is to grow these new crop varieties on a commercial scale and help provide food security around the world. EIT is committed to working with Wild Bio to reach this goal.”

Wild Bioscience was founded at the University of Oxford by Dr. Ross Hendron and Prof. Steve Kelly, who spun out the company to bring their research from lab to farm.

Today, the Oxford-based team has grown to 30 employees, with leading crop projects in field trials across four countries.

Ed Bussey, Chief Executive Officer, OSE says: “We’re thrilled to partner with the Ellison Institute of Technology for the first time as co-investors in Wild Bioscience. Ross Hendron was one of OSE’s early Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and the company is a great example of how our venture-building engine helps Oxford scientists turn breakthrough ideas into world-class businesses.

“EIT’s investment is a strong endorsement of Wild’s scientific advantage and will accelerate its mission to enhance crop resilience and build a more sustainable food system.”

About Wild Bioscience

Wild Bioscience develops climate-smart, high-yield crops using evolutionary biology, AI and precision breeding. Their mission: increase food production, reduce environmental impact and create a sustainable, resilient agricultural future. Explore more and opportunities on their website.