Robigo and Leaps by Bayer Announce Series A Financing to Advance Engineered Biologicals That Protect Yields and Reduce Costs
Robigo raises Series A capital to speed launch of engineered biopesticides and expand its ARGO platform-driven crop protection pipeline.
- Robigo’s engineered microbes for combatting Sudden Death Syndrome in soybeans match the performance of commercially available chemistries at half the cost, targeting launch in 2028.
- The second product in development, targeting the #1 fungal disease in lettuce and berries, increased yields by 3x compared to untreated control samples, targeting launch in 2029.
- Robigo's ARGO™ platform cuts new product development from an industry standard of three to five years to under 20 months, proving a scalable engine behind the initial products.
A comparison of a Robigo-treated crop and a standard commercial crop.
Biologicals, which have long been hailed as the next frontier in agriculture, add another tool to expand the farmer’s arsenal of technologies for targeted pest and disease control. The economic toll of crop disease is staggering, and new solutions to combat this are needed. Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in soybeans alone causes an estimated
Robigo's solutions to address crop diseases are rooted in a fundamentally new approach that leverages synthetic biology to precisely engineer the genetics of living microbes, giving them the traits needed to consistently control pests and disease. The company’s ARGO™ platform delivers rapid programmability with computationally designed active ingredients, enabling novel modes of action that silence the pathogen’s essential genes. The platform delivers unparalleled speed, shortening development from computational design through microbe engineering, lead validation, and field testing to under 20 months, compared with an industry norm of three to five years.
Robigo's engineered microbes are applied as a one-time treatment and continuously produce and deliver ARGO™-designed active ingredients where the plant needs them most. This approach provides season-long protection with no change to grower practices.
“At Robigo, we believe in building on nature’s foundation to engineer biological products that match or exceed the performance of today's chemistries. Growers shouldn't have to choose between a product that works and one that's affordable or sustainable," said Dr. Andee Wallace, Founder & CEO of Robigo.
"The scalability of the ARGO™ platform is what sets Robigo apart,” said Dr. Juergen Eckhardt, EVP and Head of Leaps by Bayer. “They are not just developing a single product but rather building an engine that can rapidly address diverse soil-borne pathogens across broadacre crops. Robigo’s pipeline of crop protection programs targets urgent, devastating diseases and offers a strong complement to Bayer’s crop protection portfolio. Robigo is moving quickly to provide farmers with the tools they need to protect their livelihoods, reduce environmental impact, and ensure a more resilient food system."
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About Robigo:
Robigo is crop protection without compromise. Powered by its proprietary ARGO™ platform, Robigo engineers biological solutions that outperform synthetic chemistries while delivering healthier soils and supporting a more resilient food system.
www.robigo.bio
About Leaps by Bayer:
Leaps by Bayer aims to solve ten huge challenges or ‘Leaps’ through scientific breakthroughs. As the strategic investment unit of Bayer, Leaps has invested over
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Media Contact:
Kira Peikoff
Deputy Director, Communications at Leaps by Bayer
973-791-3348
Kira.peikoff@bayer.com
Source: Bayer