LiveGrow Bio and Südzucker Collaborate to Combat SBR Disease in Sugar Beets Using Advanced Microbial Formulation Technology and Future Manufacturing Capabilities

Richland, WA — LiveGrow Bio, a leader in microbial formulation and manufacturing solutions, is excited to announce a collaboration with Südzucker, Europe’s largest sugar producer, to test microbial strains aimed at suppressing the bacteria responsible for Syndrome Basses Richesses (SBR) in sugar beets. This partnership exemplifies LiveGrow Bio's ability to accelerate microbial product development while positioning itself as a toll manufacturing partner for companies developing novel microbial products.

LiveGrow Bio’s patented microbial formulation technology allows Südzucker to use microbes already formulated into a product for their upcoming greenhouse trials this fall. This ensures the data generated will match the final product’s performance capability, significantly shortening the R&D process by bypassing the need for post-trial formulation development. If the greenhouse results are positive, field trials are planned for 2025, moving Südzucker closer to commercialization faster than traditional product development methods.

“Our goal is to save companies years of re-formulation work by providing them with ready-to-use microbial products that are tailored for trials and commercialization from the start,” said Andrey Pinchuk, CEO of LiveGrow Bio. “This collaboration with Südzucker highlights how we can accelerate R&D while positioning ourselves as a long-term manufacturing partner. Once a microbial product is ready for market, we can provide cost-effective manufacturing solutions, saving companies up to 95% compared to what it would cost them to produce non-spore-forming microbes using existing fermentation and formulation methods.”

In addition to these cost savings, LiveGrow Bio’s technology offers a superior shelf life of over two years at room temperature, with microbial concentrations of no less than 10^7 cfu/g. This ensures that products can be distributed through existing crop protection sales channels, which typically require at least two years of room temperature stability to take on a product.

LiveGrow Bio aims to become the go-to manufacturing partner for microbial R&D companies by offering a full range of services — from accelerating initial R&D with robust formulations to long-term, cost-effective toll manufacturing. “Our partnership model allows R&D companies to focus on innovation while we handle the formulation and manufacturing, ensuring their products reach the market faster and more efficiently,” Andrey added.

Südzucker Agricultural Research looks forward to the results of this collaboration and the benefits it could bring to sugar beet growers. The partnership success would provide a key tool in addressing SBR through innovative, cost-effective microbial solutions.

About LiveGrow Bio

LiveGrow Bio specializes in advanced microbial formulation and manufacturing technology that not only accelerates the R&D process for companies developing novel microbial products but also dramatically reduces manufacturing costs, offering a significantly faster and more effective path to market.

By providing ready-to-use, commercially formulated microbes from the start, LiveGrow Bio eliminates the need for post-trial re-formulation, saving years in development. This approach allows companies to quickly generate meaningful greenhouse and field trial data with the same formulation that will be manufactured and sold, significantly reducing time to market.

Once a microbial product is proven effective, LiveGrow Bio offers cost-effective manufacturing solutions, delivering up to 95% savings compared to conventional fermentation and formulation methods. Additionally, their proprietary technology ensures superior shelf life, with microbes remaining stable for over two years at room temperature at high concentrations of 10^7 – 10^8 cfu/g. This makes products easier to distribute through existing crop protection channels, which typically require long-term shelf stability.

About Südzucker

Südzucker is Europe’s leading sugar producer, known for its innovation and commitment to sustainable agriculture. With facilities across Europe, Südzucker is dedicated to improving sugar beet yields and supporting the agricultural community.

LiveGrow Bio Wins MassChallenge Switzerland Early Stage Accelerator

LiveGrow Bio Shines at MassChallenge Switzerland 2023 Awards

Lausanne, Switzerland, October 27, 2023 - LiveGrow Bio, a pioneering microbial fermentation and formulation company, was honored as a Platinum Prize winner at the prestigious MassChallenge Switzerland 2023 Awards Ceremony. The event, held in Lausanne and broadcast worldwide, celebrated innovative startups contributing to greenhouse gas reduction and sustainable solutions.

LiveGrow Bio secured the Platinum Prize of CHF 100,000 for its groundbreaking technology that manufactures microbes into agricultural biopesticides and biostimulants. The company's products achieve cost parity with chemical alternatives while boasting an impressive shelf life of over two years at room temperature[6].

In addition to their Platinum Prize win, LiveGrow Bio was recognized as a top 6 finalist for the Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) Climate Resilience Prize, standing out among more than 1,200 competing companies. This achievement further underscores the company's potential to drive significant change in sustainable agriculture.

The 2023 MassChallenge Switzerland Awards distributed a total of CHF 400,000 in equity-free cash prizes among 12 early-stage startups. The Diamond Prize of CHF 120,000 was awarded to Impossible Materials for their plant-based formulation ingredients[6].

Matt Lashmar, Managing Director of MassChallenge Switzerland, commented on the event's success: "This year's results are a testament to the power of collaboration between startups and industry experts. With 58% of startups exceeding their initial accelerator objectives, we're seeing real progress in the pursuit of reduced emissions and societal benefits[8]."

Since its inception in 2016, MassChallenge Switzerland has accelerated over 720 startups, which have collectively raised more than CHF 1.2 billion in funding and created over 50,000 jobs[8].

LiveGrow Bio's recognition at this event highlights the growing importance of sustainable agricultural solutions in addressing global challenges. As the company continues to develop its innovative microbial products, it is poised to make a significant impact on the future of farming and environmental sustainability.

For more information about LiveGrow Bio and its revolutionary technology, visit www.livegrowbio.com.

Sources

[1] LiveGrow Bio https://livegrowbio.com

[2] Sustainable Food Solutions Challenge 2023: the 6 Winners will pitch in person for the Final - MassChallenge https://masschallenge.org/news/sustainable-food-solutions-challenge-2023-the-6-winners-will-pitch-in-person-for-the-final/

[3] MassChallenge Switzerland Announce the Top 3 winners of the Sustainable Food Systems Challenge - MassChallenge https://masschallenge.org/news/masschallenge-switzerland-announce-the-top-3-winners-of-the-sustainable-food-systems-challenge/

[4] LiveGrow Bio and IALR's Plant Endophyte Research Center Partner ... https://www.ialr.org/livegrow-bio-and-ialrs-plant-endophyte-research-center-partner-on-microbial-biological-solutions-for-growers-and-agribusiness/

[5] Sustainable Food Solutions Challenge 2023: the 6 Winners will ... https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sustainable-food-solutions-challenge-2023-6

[6] MassChallenge Switzerland Awards 2023 https://masschallenge.org/news/masschallenge_switzerland_awards_2023/

[7] MassChallenge Switzerland Celebrates 2023 Winners and Unveils LDC Climate Resilience Prize Laureate https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/masschallenge-switzerland-celebrates-2023-winners-3ds3f

[8] MassChallenge Switzerland 2023 Winners shine in Lausanne https://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/masschallenge-switzerland-2023-winners-celebrated

LiveGrow Bio Selected for Prestigious 2022 AgLaunch Row Crop Challenge

Richland, WA - LiveGrow Bio, an innovative agricultural biotechnology company, was among eight cutting-edge startups chosen to participate in the highly competitive 2022 AgLaunch Row Crop Challenge. This selection underscores LiveGrow Bio's commitment to developing sustainable solutions for modern agriculture.

The AgLaunch Row Crop Challenge, a cornerstone of the AgLaunch365 Accelerator program, focuses on identifying and nurturing agtech startups that address critical on-farm issues. LiveGrow Bio's selection highlights the potential of its groundbreaking microbial fermentation and formulation technology in revolutionizing crop protection and stimulation.

During the challenge week, LiveGrow Bio's team engaged with industry experts, including pitch specialists, farmers, fellow entrepreneurs, investors, and AgLaunch mentors. This intensive program provided valuable insights and networking opportunities crucial for scaling agricultural innovations.

The Row Crop Challenge serves as a gateway to the broader AgLaunch365 Accelerator, offering selected teams the chance to participate in on-farm trials with members of the AgLaunch Farmer Network. This hands-on approach allows startups like LiveGrow Bio to validate their technologies in real-world agricultural settings.

Participants in the accelerator program also gain exposure at major industry events, including the Farm Journal Top Producer Summit in Nashville, TN, and the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis, TN. These platforms offer unparalleled opportunities for startups to showcase their innovations to a wide audience of agricultural professionals and potential investors.

LiveGrow Bio's participation in the AgLaunch Row Crop Challenge represents a significant milestone in the company's journey to bring sustainable, cost-effective biopesticides and biostimulants to market. By leveraging the resources and network provided by AgLaunch, LiveGrow Bio is poised to accelerate the development and adoption of its innovative agricultural solutions.

LiveGrow Bio and IALR’S Plant Endophyte Research Center partner on microbial biological solutions for growers and agribusiness

LiveGrow Bio’s manufacturing, formulation, and delivery system, IALR’s endophytes may present natural alternative to chemical treatments

(Pasco, WA) – The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) and LiveGrow Bio are pleased to announce a partnership to develop microbial biostimulant and biocontrol solutions for growers and the agriculture industry. Pending successful testing, the potential new products could enter commercial production on an accelerated timeline, offering growers natural, healthy alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

“The agricultural biologicals market is growing rapidly as farmers are seeking synthetic, chemical-free solutions,” said Mark Gignac, Executive Director of IALR. “This collaboration represents the next step in taking our endophytes to market. Our applied research experience and expertise in endophytes will be combined with LiveGrow Bio’s patented formulation and delivery system in a mutually beneficial partnership that will ultimately benefit farmers across the region and beyond.”

“Our partnership with IALR is an important piece of our product development pipeline over the next two years. By leveraging their extensive work with endophytes, our team can accelerate the identification of the most effective microbes for various crop segments that we are currently targeting. Combined with our patented microbial manufacturing and formulation technology this will allow us to quickly test commercial formulations of these microbes in the field, significantly reducing our timeline for launch of new products,” said Andrey Pinchuk, President and CEO of LiveGrow Bio.

As part of the agreement, IALR will provide LiveGrow Bio some of IALR’s most promising plant endophytes, or beneficial bacteria that were once living inside plants. These extracted microorganisms are from the library of more than 2,000 endophytes collected, characterized and researched by IALR’s Plant Endophyte Research Center, the first of its kind in the U.S. The plant endophytes serve as biostimulants by naturally stimulating plant growth and health, reducing the need for chemical fertilizer use and offering sustainable agricultural solutions. They also serve as biocontrol agents by contributing to natural pest control, providing a healthier alternative to chemical pesticides and improving the environment and soil quality. Collectively, biostimulants and biocontrol agents are known as biologicals.

“Establishing high-value and mutually beneficial partnerships such as this represents an important next step in bringing our natural biological solutions to the market,” said Dr. Scott Lowman, Director of Applied Research at IALR.

LiveGrow Bio will provide a unique, low-cost microbial manufacturing and formulation platform designed to maintain and administer the benefits of the endophytes while meeting the needs of the end user. Of particular advantage is the innovative platform’s ability to accommodate hard-to-formulate and store biologicals based on Gram-negative bacteria. Most commonly, today’s biologicals integrate Gram-positive bacteria and fungi that produce spores, which allows them to be stored and have a shelf life. The often more efficient Gram-negative bacteria do not produce spores, making them poor candidates for the market in spite of their known high efficacy in the field. However, LiveGrow Bio’s platform provides an effective production, formulation, and delivery solution, which allows them to utilize any Gram-negative as a commercial product and expands opportunities for more diverse and highly effective product development options. In addition, LiveGrow™ Platform produces non-dormant products, which allows for a lower application rate while making their response in the field order of magnitude faster and more effective than the dormant spore-based products.

As published authors and international experts on Gram-negative beneficial bacteria, IALR scientists will partner with LiveGrow Bio on the research and development of the microbial biological solutions. The two teams will combine IALR’s most promising endophytic bacteria with LiveGrow Bio’s platform and test the resulting pilot products on both the east and west coasts to ensure efficacy across diverse climates, environments and soil types. Once successful combinations are found, commercialization will be explored, leading to availability to growers.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves Virginia as a regional catalyst for economic transformation with advanced learning, applied research, advanced manufacturing, conference center services and economic development efforts. IALR’s major footprint focuses within Southern Virginia, including the counties of Patrick, Henry, Franklin, Pittsylvania, Halifax and Mecklenburg along with the cities of Martinsville and Danville. For more information, visit www.ialr.org

LiveGrow Bio is a biotechnology company that has developed a platform allowing for cost-effective and field-effective manufacturing and formulation of any microbial organism. This LiveGrow™ Platform enables successful commercialization of a vast array of effective microbial organisms. LiveGrow Bio is focused on leading the next wave of agricultural innovation via highly concentrated metabolically active formulation of biopesticides and biostimulants to overcome growing pest resistance and ineffective, high-cost microbial products that currently exist in the marketplace. For more information, visit www.livegrowbio.com

LiveGrow Bio Obtains Key US Patent Covering its Groundbreaking Microbial Manufacturing and Formulation Platform

Pasco, Wash. - LiveGrow Bio, an innovator of microbial biopesticide and biostimulant formulation and manufacturing, has been granted a patent for its groundbreaking LiveGrow™ Platform by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. After six years of R&D, issuance of the patent marks an important milestone in the company’s development, protecting its preeminent position as the only company with a microbial formulation and manufacturing platform that yields highly concentrated, metabolically active products, using any organism, with a cost of goods that is 50%-90% lower than any current microbial production method. 

LiveGrow™ Platform is the missing link between all effective spore forming and, much more importantly, non-spore forming microbial organisms and their successful commercialization. While most biotech companies over the last decade have worked on isolation and development of effective microbial strains, LiveGrow Bio (Formerly AGPW Group) has instead focused on developing ways to successfully formulate and manufacture these strains at high concentration, low cost, and with extended shelf life.

“Six years ago we realized that you can have the best organisms in the world, but if you can’t produce them cheaply, they will never reach a wide market. So we set out to develop a platform that would allow us to produce any microbial organism, at a high concentration, with a useful shelf life, and with a cost of goods of under $5 per pound. We are now proud to say that we did it and this will change the biopesticide and biostimulant industry as we know it. Microbial products can now become a mainstream solution instead of just being niche,” said Andrey Pinchuk, President and CEO.

One major limiting factor to microbial products widespread adaptation has been their expensive manufacturing due to the high cost associated with their stabilization and formulation. Current production methods involve the three expensive steps of fermentation, isolation of spores, and shelf stable formulation of these spores. This manufacturing flow requires expensive facilities and staff, ultimately resulting in cost of goods that is too high to be commercially viable for most crops. LiveGrow™ Platform overcomes this challenge, by reducing these three steps into one: fermentation. Instead of using large fermenters or solid state fermentation facilities to grow spores, followed by isolating, stabilizing, and formulating them, LiveGrow™ achieves all three steps inside the final product packaging without downstream processing. Microbes are grown and maintained within the patented matrix formulation inside each product package where they remain metabolically active and shelf stable for up to 18 months at room temperature, thereby making each package a small scale “fermenter” with great shelf life. This radical, yet simple, change eliminates the need for complex fermentation facilities and expensive stabilization methods that are currently driving the high cost of microbial products. In addition, LiveGrow™ production technique does not require spores and therefore allows any available organism to be used to create a product. This means that for the first time, Gram negative strains can now be easily produced into highly effective, shelf-stable products at an extremely low cost.

Another major limiting factor to the widespread adaptation of microbial products has been their limited efficacy and consistency in the field due to the shortcoming of currently used product formulations. These dormant, spore based formulations require extended time to become metabolically active when applied in the field, during which time a large percentage of them are destroyed by the surrounding biota. LiveGrow™ Platform completely bypasses this issue by eliminating the time necessary for microbes to activate when applied in the field. LiveGrow™ formulated products are delivered in a metabolically active formulation which requires nearly zero time for them to start performing. This results in the majority quickly reaching their targets, thus increasing efficacy and consistency. In turf field trials, microbes formulated through LiveGrow™ Platform have shown visible results in as little as five days, a huge improvement over dormant, spore-based formulations.

With US patent protection complete, LiveGrow Bio is now planning to proceed with registering its first biofungicide. It will be formulated using the biofungicidal strain, Streptomyces lydicus, currently found in the popular product Actinovate. Producing this strain using the LiveGrow™ Platform will significantly lower the cost of goods of this organism allowing it to be sold to all crop segments, including wheat, corn, soy, and cotton, while increasing its efficacy through a highly concentrated and metabolically active formulation.

Additionally, LiveGrow Bio will continue to independently pursue impactful biostimulant and biopesticidal solutions to improve both the quality and yield of numerous crops throughout North America and Europe. The company will be also working in collaboration with other organizations on specific projects under the LiveGrow™ Certified program. Microbials have garnered considerable attention from leading agricultural companies in recent years due to a strong push for sustainable solutions to feed the growing global population. LiveGrow™ Platform offers an innovative, cheap, and efficient way to formulate and manufacture such solutions. It will help pesticide manufacturers to transition away from chemicals through consistently effective microbial products with high sales margins. It will also assist growers in raising their bottom line by increasing yield and quality of their crops and by reducing their input costs.

The LiveGrow™ Platform patent is the first US patent granted from a pipeline of IP by LiveGrow Bio related to the LiveGrow™ Platform and microbial solutions that can help address important agricultural and environmental issues.