EQT Foundation invests in Biographica, an agritech startup at the intersection of AI and crop genetics
EQT Foundation invests in Biographica, a UK-based company using machine learning to accelerate gene discovery for crop improvement.
Biographica’s platform enables faster, more precise identification of genetic traits that can boost yield, reduce pesticide use, and improve climate resilience.
The investment will support commercial rollout and lab expansion to build a new generation of climate-ready crops.
Biographica is developing an advanced machine learning platform to decode the genetic architecture of crops, cutting down the time, cost, and failure rate of bringing new agricultural traits to market. Traditional pipelines can take over a decade and often miss key gene targets. Biographica’s approach identifies promising edit targets earlier and with higher accuracy, enabling partners to develop novel traits that reduce input costs and adapt to changing climate conditions.
EQT Foundation has invested in Biographica as part of the company’s seed round. The investment follows growing commercial traction with leading seed companies including BASF | Nunhems and Cibus, both of which have progressed from pilot projects to commercial contracts tied to development milestones.
Biographica is initially focused on licensing trait discoveries to seed companies through success-based commercial structures. The company’s foundational model has already been used to identify high-priority gene targets for disease resistance and yield traits, with two partners now progressing targets into validation pipelines. A core focus for the next phase is narrowing in on trait areas with strong demand signals and clear unit economics to drive co-development and licensing deals.
With a founding team experienced in biological ML, plant science, and bioinformatics, Biographica’s platform is designed to work across a wide range of crops. Recent internal benchmarks show significantly higher gene discovery accuracy compared to conventional approaches, helping reduce the time and cost of delivering edited traits.
The company has also opened its first lab at Rothamsted Research and is expanding its in-house capability to generate validation data, inform model development, and support licensing efforts.
Cecy Price, CEO and Co-founder, Biographica: “We’ve seen AI reshape pharma, turning trial-and-error pipelines into learnable biological systems – and it works. We’re bringing that same discipline to crops. Our partnerships leading seed companies show the industry is ready for AI-first approaches to trait discovery, to bring high-value crop varieties to market in seasons, not decades.”
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About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies. With a Nordic heritage and a global mindset, EQT has a track record of more than three decades of developing companies across multiple geographies, sectors and strategies. EQT has investment strategies covering all phases of a business’ development, from start-up to maturity. EQT has €267 billion in total assets under management (€139 billion in fee-generating assets under management) as of 30 September 2025, within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets.
With its roots in the Wallenberg family’s entrepreneurial mindset and philosophy of long-term ownership, EQT is guided by a set of strong values and a distinct corporate culture. EQT manages and advises funds and vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to future-proof companies, generate attractive returns and make a positive impact with everything EQT does.
The EQT AB Group comprises EQT AB (publ) and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, which include general partners and fund managers of EQT funds as well as entities advising EQT funds. EQT has offices in more than 25 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas and has more than 1,900 employees.
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About EQT Foundation
EQT Foundation is a philanthropic organization and long-term shareholder of the global investment organization EQT, founded by partners at EQT. The Foundation supports scientists and entrepreneurs bringing breakthrough solutions from lab to market, combining EQT’s expertise with catalytic investments and grants. With a focus on supporting scientific progress in underfunded areas of climate and health, the Foundation provides a learning platform for EQT employees to develop and work collaboratively across the globe, while engaging in philanthropy and making a positive impact.
About Biographica
Biographica is a London-based agricultural biotechnology company applying breakthroughs from AI-driven drug discovery to design the next generation of crop traits. The company was founded in 2022 by Cecily Price and Dominic Hall, who combine deep expertise in genetics, AI, and computational biology. They are joined by a team of leading scientists and engineers at the intersection of biology and AI, in London and at Rothamsted Research, and advised by seed industry leaders across R&D partnerships and licensing. Biographica is already working with several of the world’s top seed companies, including BASF | Nunhems.