OlsAro closes US$5.6M seed investment to scale climate-resilient cereal genetics
The investment will support international field trials, research and development, and partnerships with seed companies as the business expands its portfolio of crops designed to withstand environmental stresses.
SWEDEN – OlsAro, an agricultural technology company developing climate-resilient cereal varieties, has successfully closed a €5 million (US$5.6M) seed funding round to accelerate its SeedAX platform and bring its flagship salinity-resilient wheat product to commercial markets.
Swedish venture capital fund Industrifonden led the investment round, with Nordic Foodtech VC as co-lead.
Existing investors also participated, including Future Food Fund, PINC (the venture arm of Paulig), AgFunder, and GU Ventures.
Building on a €2.5 million (US$2.8M) pre-seed round completed in April 2024, the latest funding brings OlsAro’s total capital raised to approximately €7.5 million (US$8.4M).
Global agricultural production faces escalating pressures from climate change, with soil salinity already affecting nearly a tenth of the world’s cropland, alongside rising instances of extreme heat and prolonged drought.
Salt-affected soils are estimated to cover approximately 1.38 billion hectares worldwide, according to research cited by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN).
These conditions can reduce crop yields, limit the productive use of agricultural land and increase pressure on farmers to maintain food production.
OlsAro addresses these challenges through its SeedAX platform, which combines extensive genetic data, AI-driven trait discovery, and specialized plant breeding technologies.
The platform identifies and integrates climate-resilience traits into elite seed lines, enabling commercial seed companies to significantly accelerate crop development cycles.
OlsAro’s lead commercial product, a salt-tolerant wheat variety, has demonstrated impressive field performance.
In field trials under high-salinity conditions in Bangladesh, the company recorded yield increases of up to 41% over moderately salt-tolerant baseline varieties.
Ongoing field trials are expanding across multiple key global agricultural markets as the company prepares for broader commercial adoption.
The newly secured seed capital will support international field trials, facilitate commercial partnerships with major global seed distributors, and expand the company’s intellectual property portfolio.
Furthermore, OlsAro plans to expand its research and development pipeline beyond salinity and heat tolerance. Future breeding targets will include drought tolerance and nitrogen-use efficiency, while expanding SeedAX to other crucial staple cereal crops, such as rice.
“This round is about turning our capability into a platform seed companies can use repeatedly,” said Elén Faxö, CEO of OlsAro. “By expanding SeedAX across more traits and markets, we can help our partners bring climate-resilient cereals to farmers faster and at much greater scale.”
The funding strengthens OlsAro’s efforts to commercialize its technology and address growing demand for crop varieties capable of performing under increasingly challenging climatic conditions.
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