Key Takeaways
- HGS BioScience, backed by Paine Schwartz Partners, has acquired Idaho-based Pharmgrade, a specialist in microbial consortium products, to strengthen its biological crop solutions offering.
- The acquisition builds on the late-2025 combination of HGS BioScience and NutriAg, advancing the company’s strategy to create a scaled, science-led biologicals platform.
- Pharmgrade adds more than 30 years of microbial development expertise, complementing HGS’s existing portfolio of humates, bionutritionals, and plant extracts.
- The combined platform is designed to help retailers and growers navigate a fragmented biologicals market with consistent, field-proven solutions.
- The company aims to leverage integrated R&D, manufacturing scale, and broad market access to deliver stacked biological technologies with measurable return on investment.
HGS BioScience Expands Platform With Pharmgrade Acquisition
Paine Schwartz Partners–backed HGS BioScience, a provider of biological crop solutions, has announced the acquisition of Pharmgrade, an Idaho-based innovator specializing in microbial consortium products. The transaction represents the next phase in HGS BioScience’s strategy to build a comprehensive biologicals platform serving agricultural retailers and growers across North America and select international markets.
The acquisition follows the successful integration of HGS BioScience and NutriAg in late 2025 and further expands the company’s technical and product capabilities in one of the fastest-growing segments of the agricultural inputs market.
HGS BioScience's Strengthening Capabilities in Microbial Technologies
Pharmgrade brings decades of experience in the development and optimization of microbial consortium products, adding depth to the company's biological portfolio. The company’s microbial expertise complements HGS’s established strengths in humates, bionutritionals, and plant extracts, enabling broader technology integration and product stacking.
Mike Steffeck, Chief Executive Officer of HGS BioScience, said, “Biologicals are growing rapidly, but the market remains fragmented and difficult to navigate—especially for retailers trying to determine what works, how to deploy it, and how to deliver consistent results.” He noted that the addition of Pharmgrade enhances HGS’s ability to deliver multiple modes of action and consistent field performance.
Kelly Tuttle, Founder and CEO of Pharmgrade, stated that joining HGS BioScience will allow Pharmgrade’s microbial technologies, developed over more than 30 years, to scale through a larger platform with expanded formulation, manufacturing, and market access.
A Broader, Integrated Offering for Retailers and Growers
With the addition of Pharmgrade, HGS BioScience now offers a portfolio spanning humates, bionutritionals, plant extracts, and microbials. The company emphasized its ability to intentionally combine these technologies to address agronomic challenges through multiple modes of action, delivered in liquid, powder, or granular formulations.
The platform also includes an integrated research and development organization combining agronomic expertise, field trials, formulation science, and microbial biology. According to HGS BioScience, this structure supports both innovation and consistent product performance at scale.
Manufacturing Scale and Market Reach
HGS BioScience operates a vertically integrated manufacturing footprint across North America, designed to ensure consistent quality, cost-competitive supply, and flexible delivery formats. The company also maintains partnerships with leading retailers, distributors, and technical partners across the United States, Canada, and international markets.
HGS BioScience stated that, together with Pharmgrade, the combined organization forms one of the more comprehensive and scalable biological crop solutions platforms in North America, positioning the company as a long-term partner for retailers and growers seeking reliable biological inputs.
