CroBio receives £671,356 grant to enhance soil health technology

Cheshire-based AgTech startup CroBio has been awarded a £671,356 ($0.8M) grant to further develop its microbial-based soil amendment technology. The funding, provided in partnership with the University of York and the Biorenewables Development Centre, comes from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme, supported by Innovate UK.

This investment will assist CroBio in advancing its solution aimed at improving soil health, reducing fertilizer dependence, and enhancing environmental sustainability. Dr. Daniel J. Upton, Senior Scientist at CroBio, highlighted the collaborative nature of the project, which brings together a team focused on addressing key challenges in agriculture.

The technology under development seeks to improve nutrient management and soil health while reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. CroBio plans to scale the technology for use across various farming systems.

CroBio’s development and past funding

Founded in 2019 by Ross Mulhall with early support from his father, Wayne Mulhall, CroBio initially secured funding from Catapult Ventures GM&C Life Sciences Fund in 2020 to develop bacterial strains for greenhouse trials. In 2023, the company received a $540,000 investment from SOSV and participated in the IndieBio accelerator program in New York City.

The company’s soil amendment technology involves enhanced microbes that produce bacterial cellulose, a material that retains water and nutrients around plant roots. This amendment, applied once per growing season, is cost-effective and compatible with standard farming equipment. It has shown potential for improving soil biodiversity, increasing carbon sequestration, and significantly enhancing water retention, particularly in sandy soils, according to CroBio’s greenhouse studies.

Focus on regenerative agriculture

CroBio’s technology aligns with regenerative agriculture principles by improving soil carbon content, which in turn supports crop productivity and resilience. The bacterial cellulose produced by the microbes degrades after each growing season, enriching the soil and contributing organic carbon to the microbiome.

This grant represents CroBio’s first government-funded project and is intended to further the company’s efforts toward climate-resilient farming practices. The funding will aid the development of microbial strains suitable for agricultural use across the UK and Europe, expanding CroBio’s contribution to sustainable agriculture.

The company’s team includes Wayne Mulhall, Ross Mulhall, Amritpal Singh, Anna Alessi, Andrea Harper, Debs Rathbone, Mark Hodson, Rosie Nolan, and Richard Bramley. CroBio has also acknowledged the support of various partners and stakeholders involved in the project.