Key Takeaways
- Funding Milestone: Mycoverse has raised approximately $2.78 million (€2.4 million) in a pre-seed equity round co-led by Future Food Fund and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF).
- Target Disease: The capital will support biological solutions for potato late blight, a disease impacting a $2.2 billion ($1.9 billion EUR) global market.
- Technology Stack: The company utilizes an AI-driven discovery platform and proprietary fungal production technology to create scalable bioactives.
- Strategic Participation: PINC, the venture arm of Paulig, joined the round to support the reduction of chemical inputs in the food supply chain.
- Future Pipeline: Beyond potatoes, the DTU spin-out plans to expand its biological protection platform to other high-value crops like grapevines.
Mycoverse Accelerates Biological Solutions for Agriculture
Mycoverse, an agri-tech spin-out from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has announced the successful closure of a $2.78 million (€2.4 million) pre-seed funding round. The investment was co-led by Future Food Fund and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with additional participation from PINC, the venture arm of Paulig.
The company specializes in developing biological crop protection using fungi. By leveraging an AI-driven discovery platform, the team identifies fungal strains and develops bioactives designed to integrate into existing farming systems. This funding is earmarked for the development of its first commercial solution targeting potato late blight, a destructive disease currently facing increased resistance to traditional chemical treatments in Europe.
Scaling the Mycoverse AI Discovery Platform
The efficiency of the discovery process is a core component of the company’s growth. Mycoverse's lead candidates for potato blight were developed in five months and have already shown performance in greenhouse trials. The platform’s ability to screen high-performing biological candidates quickly is intended to meet the urgent demand for sustainable agricultural alternatives.
