Mycoverse, a Danish agri-tech spin-out from Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has secured €2.4 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate its biological crop protection platform. The round was co-led by Future Food Fund and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with participation from PINC, the investment arm of the food company Paulig.
The company now brings its total fundraising to €4.3 million, including earlier backing from the BioInnovation Institute.
The raise enables two years of field trials to move Mycoverse’s first product toward commercial validation. Its initial target is potato late blight, a disease responsible for an estimated €1.9 billion in global losses annually. Future applications already extend to grapevines.
A new approach to crop protection
As Europe tightens regulations on chemical pesticides, farmers face increasing pressure to manage disease without compromising yields or cost efficiency. Founded by Svend Petersen and Niels Bjerg Jensen in 2024, Mycoverse aims to address this gap using a biological approach: fungal-based crop protection.
At the core of the company’s strategy is an AI-driven discovery platform that identifies promising fungal strains and develops bioactives to protect crops more sustainably. This system is supported by Mycoverse’s advanced fungal-production technology, designed for scalable deployment within existing farming workflows.
Early signals are strong, and its lead candidates have shown compelling performance in greenhouse testing, demonstrating the potential to replace or reduce chemical treatments while offering reliable disease control.
Why is late blight the first battleground?
Potato late blight remains one of agriculture’s most persistent threats, forcing growers to depend on frequent applications of chemical fungicides. Costs, regulatory pressures and environmental impact make the disease a prime target for bio-based alternatives.
Mycoverse’s solution uses fungal-derived bioactives designed to strengthen crop resilience without the harmful externalities associated with chemical pesticides. With a market of more than €1.9 billion annually, even modest adoption could significantly shift how late blight is managed across Europe and beyond.
Building a platform for the next generation of bio-protection
Mycoverse plans to expand its platform beyond potatoes. The company is preparing to adapt its fungal-based solutions for grapevines and, later, for additional crops, as Europe pushes toward more sustainable agricultural systems.
Over the next 12 months, the team will focus on industrial-scale production (>100 m³), regulatory clearance, including FDA pathways, and first sales.
Svend Petersen, CEO and co-founder of Mycoverse, commented: “This funding allows us to rapidly expand our field trials program, bringing us closer to delivering reliable biological crop protection products that farmers can adopt without changing their existing practices.”
“We are impressed by the scientific depth of the team and the speed with which they are able to identify and screen high-performing biological candidates,” said Christian Kannemeier, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF. “The rapid development of their potato blight candidates, achieved in just five months, demonstrates the strength and efficiency of their platform.”
As chemical crop protection products are phased out and growers are increasingly dealing with resistance to products that are still on the market, the need for new solutions has never been clearer,” said Kim Wagenaar, Investment Director at Future Food Fund. “Our investment strategy is guided by the Planetary Boundaries framework, supporting innovations that allow food production to operate within Earth’s safe limits. Mycoverse combines AI-driven discovery with advanced fungal production technology to deliver biological solutions that can match field performance while reducing systemic environmental pressure.”
“As a food company reliant on sustainable agricultural value chains, we see significant potential in technologies that reduce chemical inputs without compromising reliability. Solutions that help maintain yields while supporting soil health, biodiversity and long‑term food security are essential for a resilient food system. Mycoverse’s approach combines strong science with a clear route to scale, making it a compelling addition to our portfolio,” said Rosemari Herrero, Senior Investment Manager at PINC.
