Mycoverse, an agritech
spin-out from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) developing fungal-based
biological crop protection, has raised €2.4 million in pre-seed equity funding.
The round was co-led by Future Food Fund and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF),
with participation from PINC, the venture arm of Paulig, bringing the company’s
total funding to €4.3 million.
The crop protection
landscape in Europe is evolving in response to regulatory changes and growing
demand for more sustainable agricultural practices. At the same time, farmers
continue to require reliable and cost-effective tools to manage persistent disease
pressures.
Potato late blight remains
a major challenge and represents an estimated $1.9 billion global market,
underlining demand for innovative bio-based solutions that can support crop
resilience while reducing environmental impact.
To address this need,
Mycoverse is developing fungal-based biological crop protection solutions using
an AI-driven discovery platform and advanced fungal production technology. The
company focuses on identifying promising fungal strains and developing bioactive
solutions designed to replace chemical pesticides while integrating into
existing farming systems.
Its platform is built to
support scalable, data-driven applications across multiple crops, with an
initial focus on potato late blight and potential future use in grapevine. The
company reports that its lead candidates have demonstrated strong performance
in greenhouse trials.
The new funding will
support the development of Mycoverse’s first solution targeting potato late
blight, one of Europe’s most destructive crop diseases, as the region faces
increasing pressure to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.