Davis, Calif.-based agricultural technology company BioConsortia has secured a US$15 million investment to help bring two of its microbial crop products to farmers around the world more quickly.

The funding comes from an entity connected to investor John Pasquesi, who already backs the company through Otter Capital. The money will go toward speeding up the global rollout of Zaffre, a biostimulant product, and Always N, a seed treatment that helps crops take nitrogen from the air rather than relying solely on synthetic fertilizer.

“This financing is a strong vote of confidence from an investor that knows our business, technology and patent portfolio extremely well,” said Marcus Meadows-Smith, CEO of BioConsortia. He explained that Always N is already building momentum in New Zealand and other markets, while Zaffre is on track for its own launch, and that the new funds will let the company expand its manufacturing, regulatory and sales capabilities to keep up with demand.

The company points to strong field performance behind the investment. In corn trials run over three growing seasons, Zaffre increased yields by an average of 4.4 bushels per acre, while also helping crops get off to a stronger start and cope better with cold or heat stress.

Always N has shown similarly encouraging results. The seed treatment, which can last more than two years in storage and up to two additional years once applied to seed, works with existing industrial seed treatment equipment. It’s also offered in both conventional and gene-edited forms so it can meet different countries’ regulatory requirements.

That flexibility appears to be paying off in New Zealand, the company noted, where BioConsortia’s partner H&T has seen farmer adoption of Always N climb sharply – from about five percent of growers in 2024 to roughly 50 percent in 2025, with the company projecting adoption could reach 80 percent in 2026. The product is also expanding into the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia, backed by a commercial partnership with fertilizer giant The Mosaic Company in the Americas.

Beyond its two lead products, BioConsortia is working with partner Nichino to advance a foliar biofungicide in select markets, and is running expanded trials with other partners worldwide on seed treatments aimed at fungal disease, nematodes and insects.

According to the company, the new capital will be used not just to launch products, but to build out the manufacturing, regulatory and commercial infrastructure needed to scale them – while continuing to invest in BioConsortia’s broader pipeline of biofertilizer, biostimulant and biocontrol technologies.

Meadows-Smith framed the investment as a turning point for the company. “This next phase of our company is about converting the strength of our science into commercial scale, global partnerships and measurable impact for growers,” he said.