Wild Bioscience raises $60m in Series A funding to develop climate-resilient crops
The round was led by the Ellison Institute of Technology and will fund research and commercial expansion.
An Oxford spinout applying artificial intelligence and evolutionary biology to develop climate-resilient crop varieties. The firm aims to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability for farmers worldwide.
Oxford spinout Wild Bioscience has secured $60m in a Series A funding round led by the Ellison Institute of Technology, with participation from Oxford Science Enterprises, Braavos Capital, and the University of Oxford. The financing represents the first joint investment between the Ellison Institute of Technology and Oxford Science Enterprises.
The capital will be directed towards accelerating research and development and expanding the company's commercial footprint. Wild Bioscience intends to scale its experimental breakthroughs into market-ready seeds designed to withstand environmental stresses such as heat and drought.
Founded in 2021 by Ross Hendron and Steve Kelly, the company has grown to a 30-member team conducting field trials across four countries. By examining the genetic traits of hardy wild plant species, the firm uses precision breeding to enhance modern crops for higher yields and reduced environmental impact.
From the founder
"Advancing agriculture has limitless potential to help people and the planet. So to achieve meaningful, scalable impact, we need the right investors who are truly aligned with that big vision. I’m deeply grateful to EIT and to our current investors for sharing our excitement about what we’ve accomplished so far, and for their united support as we embark on this ambitious growth journey together."
Ross Hendron
Co-Founder and CEO at Wild Bioscience
Investor perspective
"Wild Bio is using AI to better understand the lessons learned over millions of years of evolution encoded in plant genomes. Those insights, combined with precision breeding, have enabled Wild Bio to develop new varieties of crops with both higher yields and climate resilience. The ultimate goal is to grow these new crop varieties on a commercial scale and help provide food security around the world. EIT is committed to working with Wild Bio to reach this goal."
Larry Ellison
Founder, Ellison Institute of Technology
Use of funds
- 01Fund research and development
- 02Expand into international markets
Investors
Larry Ellison
Ellison Institute of Technology
Oxford Science Enterprises
Braavos
University of Oxford
About the company
Wild Bioscience
Wild Bioscience develops climate-resilient crop varieties using evolutionary biology and artificial intelligence.