Oxford University spinout Wild Bioscience has closed a $60 million Series A round led by Larry Ellison's Ellison Institute of Technology.
The funding positions the agtech startup to accelerate field trials and expand its evolutionary AI platform that makes crops more productive under climate stress.
How Wild Bioscience Tackles Food Security?
Wild Bioscience uses machine learning to mine genetic traits from wild plant relatives that have adapted to extreme environments over millions of years.
The company then introduces these resilience traits into commercial crops like wheat, maize, and soy through precision breeding.
Their approach has already demonstrated over 20% improvements in photosynthetic efficiency, translating to faster growth and higher yields in field trials.
Founded in 2021 by CEO Ross Hendron and Professor Steve Kelly, Wild Bioscience employs 25 people and operates labs at Milton Park near Oxford.
Wild Bioscience Funding History
| Round | Amount | Date | Lead Investor | Key Milestone | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series A | $60M | Oct 2025 | Ellison Institute of Technology | Global field trials launched | Current round |
| ARIA Grant | £6M | Jun 2025 | Advanced Research + Invention Agency | OPTIMiSE chloroplast project | Awarded |
| Seed | £12M | 2021 | Oxford Science Enterprises, Braavos Capital | Company launch, initial trials | Completed |
Why EIT Backed This Round?
The Ellison Institute of Technology's investment signals confidence in Wild Bioscience's market approach at a time when traditional crop breeding has exhausted much of its genetic variation.
Larry Ellison is investing $1.3 billion into Oxford's science ecosystem, with sustainable agriculture as one of four focus areas.
The Series A capital will fund global field trials, expand the team, and scale the platform to address additional crop varieties and stress conditions.
Wild Bioscience recently partnered with Oxford University on OPTIMiSE, a £6 million ARIA-funded project to enable chloroplast genome breeding for the first time.
Quick Deal Facts
Who led the Series A?
Ellison Institute of Technology led the $60 million round with participation from Oxford Science Enterprises and other existing investors.
What problem does Wild Bioscience solve?
Climate change is reducing crop yields globally while population growth demands 50% more food by 2050. Wild Bioscience addresses the genetic bottleneck limiting conventional breeding programs.
The Path Forward for Wild Bioscience
The company is now moving from lab demonstrations into large-scale commercial field trials across multiple geographies and crop types.
Success in these trials will position Wild Bioscience to partner with major seed companies and agricultural players for global distribution.
With climate volatility accelerating and traditional breeding methods reaching biological limits, Wild Bioscience's evolutionary approach represents a critical innovation for food security.
Connect with Wild Bioscience
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Website | wildbioscience.com |
| linkedin.com/company/wild-bioscience | |
| Location | Oxford, United Kingdom |
