Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the agriculture sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we want to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising biofertilizer solutions.
Heat Map: 5 Top Biofertilizer Solutions
Using our StartUs Insights Platform, covering 1.116.000+ startups & emerging companies, we looked at innovation in the field of biofertilizers. For this research, we identified 87 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies were chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and technology among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & emerging companies developing innovative biofertilizer solutions. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 87 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
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Kula Bio – Nitrogen Biofertilizers
As a crucial crop nutrient, nitrogen enables plants to maintain required metabolic activities, develop vital tissues and membranes, as well as stimulate photosynthesis and increase the production of seeds. Startups work to address nitrogen deficiency issues of soils with nitrogen biofertilizers. They use microorganisms like Rhizobia, Azotobacter, or Azospirillum, among others, to fix nitrogen in the soil and attain sufficient nitrogen saturation for more productive crop development.
The US-based startup Kula Bio develops a proprietary bio-fertilization solution based on active microorganisms and renewable energy. Their reactor technology feeds on solar energy and the microbes utilize this energy to produce and fix nitrogen in the soil efficiently. Owing to sufficient energy supply, the solution extends the lifetime of active microorganisms, thus, boosting the effects of bio-fertilization.
Fertoz – Phosphorus Biofertilizers
Phosphorus in soil performs the functions of forming essential oils, sugars, and starch in plants, as well as contributes to adequate root growth. Farmers and agronomists usually struggle to utilize the whole potential of phosphorus fertilizers due to their incomplete soil solubility issues. This is where emerging companies find opportunities to innovate and offer new biofertilizers that employ phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to facilitate fertilization.
Canadian startup Fertoz creates rock phosphate-based fertilizers in granular, micronized, and powdered forms. One of Fertoz’s recent developments is phosphate biofertilizers coated with live microbes. This solution aims at improving soil performance, increasing phosphorus solubility, and availability to plants. Besides, the company also produces specialty biofertilizers, including gypsum, potash, elemental sulfur, humates, and biologicals.
Ficosterra – Algae Biofertilizers
The toxic effects of conventional chemical fertilizers on food supply chains force agriculture specialists to use more natural fertilizers. One example is blue-green algae that regulate moisture, aeration, and temperature of soils, and additionally produces beneficial plant nutrients. Startups also combine other kinds of algae, like red or brown, with active microbes to create new types of sustainable biofertilizers that act as biostimulants to improve yield and use renewable marine resources.
Spanish startup Ficosterra develops the Biological Crop Booster (BCB) technology that amplifies or restores the natural fertility of soils. BCB amalgamates the advantages of agarophyte algae and active microbes to attain synergic soil and water regeneration effects. Consequently, the biofertilizer aids in balancing natural cycles, the ground environment, and by supplying regular nutrients to plants.
Earnest Earth – Vermicompost Biofertilizers
Earthworm-mediated vermicomposts enhance the soil with high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, micronutrients, and enzymes that regulate harmonious plant growth. Since fruitful interactions between earthworms and microorganisms lead to improved crop productivity, startups across the world strive to obtain the best of both worlds and produce microbes-enhanced vermicomposting biofertilizers.
The US-based startup Earnest Earth addresses drought resistance, pathogen suppression, and soil productivity challenges with its patented biofertilizer product. Earnest Earth’s bioreactors convert local farms’ agricultural waste into a fertilizer, which is later strengthened with dedicated microorganisms. Additionally, the company applies machine learning algorithms to prepare an optimal mixture.
Groundwork BioAg – Fungi Biofertilizers
The symbiotic relationships between plants and Mycorrhizal fungi allow the latter to effectively absorb and transfer the needed nutrients from the soil to crops and consequently extend vegetation roots. With the help of these natural properties, plants not only obtain stimuli for better growth but also develop immunity to root-cause pathogens and resistance against changing moisture or salinity conditions. Emerging companies experiment with fungi microbiology in biofertilizer solutions to boost natural soil biodiversity.
Israeli startup Groundwork BioAg develops Rootella, a series of mycorrhizal inoculants that facilitate bio-fertilization of soils. It utilizes endomycorrhizae as the main component to amplify the transfer of nutrients. In total, Rootella ameliorates crop productivity, enhances stress resistance, and lowers water and fertilizer inputs.
What About The Other 82 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence so you can achieve your goals faster. The 5 biofertilizer solutions showcased above are promising examples out of 87 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.
