AgroSpheres Inc. (AGS), a leading biotechnology company for sustainable crop health and protection, today announced the closing of a $37 million Series B financing round, led by Zebra Impact Ventures, which invests through the Regenerative Growth I strategy in collaboration with Mirabaud Asset Management.

Other long-standing investors in the company, such as Lewis and Clark AgriFood, Ospraie Ag Science Ventures, FMC Ventures, BIDRA Ventures and Cavallo Ventures, also participated in the round, demonstrating the continued confidence in AgroSpheres' growth as a benchmark in the crop health sector.

This new financing will allow AgroSpheres to boost the development of new products, invest in just-in-time biomanufacturing facilities, expand into new markets and continue to advance the development of its innovative AgriCell platform, designed to improve land performance and respond to the growing global demand for sustainable agricultural solutions.

Payam Pourtaheri, co-founder and CEO of AgroSpheres, said: “We are delighted that Zebra Impact Ventures has led this round of funding, and we appreciate the continued support of our current investors.” He also highlighted that “impact is at the core of our mission, and Zebra’s vision will be key to realizing our goal of achieving a future built by “nature’s technologies.” This investment will allow us to scale our operations, advance our R&D capabilities, and bring our innovative technology to farmers around the world. Our purpose is to redefine the future of agriculture with products that offer high performance and environmental sustainability.”

AgriCell, AgroSpheres’ patented technology, is a highly scalable and cost-effective platform for the production of encapsulated biomolecules. Its key agronomic features include:

- Stabilized biomolecules that offer superior field performance under diverse environmental conditions.

- Completely biodegradable products, without microplastics or petrochemicals. Crop health solutions that safely degrade into organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphate, supporting plant and soil restoration.

For his part, Ameer Shakeel, co-founder and CTO of AgroSpheres, highlights that “AgroSpheres brings a new perspective that responds to the need for sustainability in both the way we farm and the way we build companies. We are very excited about the work we are doing, the culture we are building and our collaboration with Zebra, based on a shared vision driven by impact. On our horizon we have the construction of our manufacturing facilities, the launch of new products and the strengthening of our strategic alliances.”

Lionel Artusio-Payot, managing partner of Zebra Impact Ventures, also highlighted the transformative potential of AgroSpheres in the crop protection industry: “After spending time with the AgroSpheres team at their headquarters in the US and completing our due diligence process, the talent and determination of the founders became clear. We believe that its innovative technology is the key link to delivering reliable field performance and opening up new markets for high-performance biopesticides. We see it as one of the most important innovations in crop protection products in the last four decades.”

“We see AgroSpheres as having a decisive impact for the entire organic industry, both for its environmental potential and for its growth prospects in terms of value and possible strategic exits, such as private equity deals, IPOs and M&A,” adds Pierre Jouve, Investment Director at Zebra Impact Ventures. “We are excited to support AgroSpheres with our impact and regulatory expertise, as well as helping to expand its presence in the European market.”

Thanks to this significant Series B investment, AgroSpheres is well positioned to boost its growth, launch new products and strengthen its partnerships with key industry players.

AgroSpheres imagines a future built on natural technologies. Headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, the company's mission is to revolutionize agriculture with reliable and affordable biological solutions. AgroSpheres' broad range of biomolecules and its proprietary AgriCell platform facilitate the development of biological pesticides with multi-year shelf-life and high efficacy in the field. The company's platform makes it cost-effective to deploy novel biomolecules, plant extracts, and small molecules in the field at significantly reduced doses.

Investment in partnership with Zebra Impact Ventures

Zebra Impact Ventures has formed a a unique strategic partnership with Mirabaud Asset Management, the Swiss family bank’s asset manager. Together, they have the expertise to deliver meaningful change and powerful impact results. Regenerative Growth I, an SFDR Article 9 strategy, invests in growth-stage technology companies addressing the transformation of global food systems.