Some 90% of the world’s soil could be degraded by 2050, jeopardizing food production. Puna Bio makes organic biofertilizers with microorganisms that have survived the extreme conditions of Argentina’s La Puna high altitude desert, from which it takes its name.
The “extremophiles” help rejuvenate acidic and saline soils to boost yields for crops like wheat, barley, cotton, soybeans and beans and make them more resilient to environmental stress. Corteva Catalyst, the investment subsidiary of American agrochemicals company Corteva, led Puna Bio’s Series A round to help the startup expand its product portfolio.
Field results
The undisclosed amount of funding will support Puna Bio’s expansion to the US, Brazil, and Paraguay. Dalus Capital, alongside existing seed-stage investors Builders VC, At One Ventures, SOSV and SP Ventures, also participated. Corteva’s Tom Greene cited Puna Bio’s strong results with technology to “enhance farmer profitability while promoting soil health and environmental sustainability.”
Corteva Catalyst launched in 2023 to bring to market agricultural innovations like genome editing. Its portfolio includes UK’s biopesticide company SOLASTA Bio, French natural crop protection company Micropep and American gene editing startup Pairwise.
