Jord Bioscience Secures Series B Funding to Advance ‘Interacting Microbes’ Research

Key Takeaways

Jord Bioscience is innovating in microbial crop protection by developing customizable solutions that enhance soil bacteria interactions.
The company recently completed a $7 million Series B funding round to accelerate commercialization and product development.
Jord’s unique biology playbook leverages microbial interactions to improve crop productivity and address challenges faced by farmers.

Innovative Approaches to Crop Protection

Microbes play a crucial role in biological crop protection and plant health. Dr. Keri Carstens, president and CEO of Jord Bioscience, emphasizes that microbes do not exist in isolation; they interact with one another in nature. This interaction can enhance beneficial soil bacteria, promoting plant health and offering protection against pests and diseases.

Founded in 2019, Jord Bioscience builds on the research of Dr. Laura Kinkle from the University of Minnesota, which dates back to the 1990s, focusing on the ecological relationships of microbes and their benefits for crops. The company aims to bring more of these natural microbial interactions into crop biologicals through customizable solutions designed for crops like soybeans, canola, and wheat.

Currently, Jord is conducting field trials and has successfully closed a $7 million Series B funding round to advance its commercialization efforts. This capital will facilitate product development, which Jord claims can be accelerated from the industry-standard timeline of seven years to about 10 months.

The Microbial Symphony

Carstens describes the complex relationships among microbes similarly to an orchestra, where certain microbes act as conductors, guiding others in their interactions. Jord’s offerings include a diverse collection of over 6,500 microbes, allowing companies to choose specific strains that can enhance their existing products or create new biological solutions.

Carstens notes that while many products use single-strain microbes, often those strains do not perform at their best without the right partners. Jord works with companies to optimize performance, facilitating quicker development and greater efficacy of biological offerings.

Improving Farmer Tools

Jord also introduces its “biology playbook,” which departs from traditional chemistry-based strategies to focus on the unique interactions of living organisms. This biological approach aims to enhance productivity and ensure consistent performance across varying agricultural environments.

Carstens stresses the need for farmers to have better tools to address ongoing challenges like climate change, emerging diseases, pest resistance, and regulatory hurdles affecting synthetic chemicals. Successful adoption of biological products hinges on their consistent performance, which is critical for farmers to trust and utilize these alternatives.

Jord’s innovative strategies aim to provide both regenerative and conventional farmers with enhanced solutions that can effectively tackle these pressing issues in agriculture.

Moving Towards Commercialization

Francis Goelet, director at Silver Blue, the venture capital firm that led the Series B round, highlighted Jord’s potential to offer a fast and economically efficient approach to product differentiation and revenue generation within the agricultural sector. The funding for Jord will support its ongoing field trials, product development, and plans for bringing its innovative solutions to market.

With its focus on leveraging microbial interactions and a commitment to farmer-centric tools, Jord Bioscience stands out as a pivotal player in the future of sustainable agricultural practices.

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