Mycoverse secures €2.4m to decarbonise potato production

Mycoverse, a Danish agri-tech spin-out from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has raised €2.4 million in pre-seed equity funding to accelerate the transition away from chemical pesticides in European potato production.

The funding round, co-led by Future Food Fund and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) with participation from PINC (Paulig’s venture arm), will fund two years of field trials aimed at commercialising biological alternatives to traditional chemical treatments.

The company’s initial focus is potato late blight, one of the most destructive diseases in Europe, costing an estimated $1.9 billion globally. As chemical crop protection products are increasingly phased out due to regulatory pressure and rising resistance, Mycoverse is utilising an AI-driven discovery platform to identify fungal strains that provide superior biological protection.

This fungal-based approach offers a vital lifeline for farmers facing a shrinking chemical toolkit. By leveraging bio-actives and advanced fungal production technology, Mycoverse aims to deliver solutions that match the field performance of chemicals while drastically reducing the systemic environmental pressure on soil and water.

The investment reflects a broader industry shift toward the Planetary Boundaries framework, which prioritises food production that operates within Earth’s safe environmental limits.

“As a food company reliant on sustainable agricultural value chains, we see significant potential in technologies that reduce chemical inputs without compromising reliability,” said Rosemari Herrero, senior investment manager at PINC. “Solutions that help maintain yields while supporting soil health and biodiversity are essential for a resilient food system.”

Mycoverse’s platform has already demonstrated high efficiency, identifying and screening potent biological candidates for potato blight in just five months.

• Greenhouse validation: lead fungal candidates have already shown strong performance in controlled environments.
• Field trials: the new funding will support rapid expansion into field-scale testing to ensure these bio-solutions fit seamlessly into existing farming systems.
• Future expansion: beyond potatoes, Mycoverse plans to adapt its AI platform to address disease pressures in other sectors, including grapevines.

“The need for new solutions has never been clearer,” added Kim Wagenaar, investment director at Future Food Fund. “Mycoverse combines AI-driven discovery with advanced fungal production technology to deliver biological solutions that can match field performance while reducing systemic environmental pressure.”

By providing reliable, cost-effective bio-based tools, Mycoverse is positioned to lead the European agribusiness shift toward a future where chemical dependency is a thing of the past.