Ascribe Bio, a pioneer in natural crop protection technologies, announced the successful closing of a $12 million oversubscribed Series A financing round, co-led by Corteva, through its Corteva Catalyst platform, and Acre Venture Partners. The funding round also saw participation from a strong syndicate of new and returning investors, including Syngenta Group Ventures, Trailhead Capital, Silver Blue LLC, Cultivation Capital, and The Yield Lab.
This financing represents a major step forward for Ascribe Bio as it scales its small-molecule technology platform and prepares for the commercial launch of Phytalix®, a breakthrough product designed to redefine the standards of biological crop protection.
Transforming Crop Protection with Phytalix®
Phytalix®, described as a “biofungicide without compromise,” bridges the gap between biological and chemical crop protection products. It combines the sustainability and plant health benefits of biologicals with the reliability, affordability, and ease of use associated with traditional synthetic fungicides. This hybrid approach offers farmers a new level of efficacy and flexibility in disease management without sacrificing environmental or economic performance.
Unlike conventional biofungicides that often struggle with consistency and shelf stability, Phytalix® is formulated using Ascribe’s proprietary small-molecule platform, which enables high potency, broad-spectrum control, and predictable field performance. The product aims to deliver tangible yield improvements while helping growers reduce dependency on traditional chemical inputs.
Strategic Investment from Leading Agriculture Innovators
The Series A round underscores strong investor confidence in Ascribe’s science, leadership, and vision for the future of crop protection. The participation of major global agriculture companies—particularly Corteva and Syngenta Group Ventures—reflects the industry’s growing commitment to next-generation natural and biological solutions that can deliver on both performance and sustainability.
“Ascribe’s approach to biological solutions provides farmers with smart and sustainable choices for disease control,” said Tom Greene, Senior Director at Corteva and Global Leader of Corteva Catalyst. “This investment illustrates our ongoing commitment to advancing next-generation biological and nature-inspired products for growers around the world.”
Alex Bondar, Partner at Acre Venture Partners, added, “Ascribe’s lean team has been strategic and disciplined, advancing Phytalix from the lab to the field. They’ve demonstrated dramatic yield gains versus other biologicals. You can see that progress reflected in the caliber of this investor syndicate.”
Fueling Global Commercialization and Scale
With the newly secured capital, Ascribe Bio will expand manufacturing capacity and accelerate early commercialization efforts, positioning the company for global rollout. The first regulatory approval for Phytalix® is anticipated later this year in Brazil, one of the world’s largest agricultural markets. Additional approvals in the United States and other key regions are expected to follow.
“We’re excited to secure these resources to fund the global launch of Ascribe’s technologies and are delighted to earn the support of renowned global agriculture leaders like Corteva and Syngenta Group Ventures,” said Jay Farmer, CEO of Ascribe Bio. “This investment accelerates our mission to bring highly effective and sustainable crop protection to farmers worldwide.”
Meeting the Demand for Sustainable Agriculture
The global agricultural sector faces increasing pressure to reduce chemical inputs, combat resistance, and improve soil and environmental health while maintaining high productivity. Biologicals have emerged as a vital part of that transition, yet many existing products have fallen short of the efficacy and consistency growers require.
Ascribe Bio’s platform technology directly addresses these limitations, using naturally derived small molecules that mimic biological activity but maintain the reliability of synthetic chemistry. The result is a new generation of crop protection products that are both environmentally sound and economically viable—helping farmers transition toward sustainable practices without compromising performance or profitability.
A Promising Future for Ascribe Bio
The oversubscribed Series A financing not only validates Ascribe’s scientific and commercial approach but also provides the necessary resources to bring Phytalix® to market at scale. As the company moves closer to its first regulatory milestone, it is poised to make a significant impact on how growers manage crop disease, improve yields, and protect the planet’s natural resources.
By combining the strengths of biology and chemistry, Ascribe Bio is redefining what’s possible in agricultural innovation—ushering in a new era of “natural protection without compromise.”
