Overview
Wild Bioscience is a biotechnology research company headquartered in Oxford, England, and was founded in 2021. Operating as a privately held entity, the company employs between 11-50 individuals. Wild Bioscience is dedicated to developing next-generation crops through the use of evolutionary biology, artificial intelligence, and gene editing. Its mission is to create agricultural solutions capable of withstanding global challenges such as climate change, carbon mitigation, and enhancing crop yield while minimizing environmental footprints.
Leadership and Key Personnel
The leadership at Wild Bioscience is composed of the following individuals:
- Ross Hendron: Co-Founder and CEO, focuses on strategic growth initiatives and has a background in entrepreneurship with Oxford Sciences Innovation.
- Steven Kelly: Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, also serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford's Department of Plant Sciences, which highlights the company's strong research foundation.
- Samuel Gattis: Chief Technology Officer, brings expertise in biological sciences and technology development to drive innovation within the company.
Recent Developments
Wild Bioscience recently expanded its operations at Milton Park to a 9,000 square foot facility. The company has been gaining international recognition by showcasing its platform, which reverse engineers plant genomes at global agricultural innovation summits to improve crop resilience.
Financial Information
Wild Bioscience launched with an initial seed funding round of £12 million and is preparing for a Series A funding round to further scale operations and augment research capabilities. The company’s current estimated enterprise value is £10.9 million, underscoring its financial potential and growth trajectory.
Strategic Initiatives
The company’s strategic objectives focus on using wild plant genetics to overcome the biological limitations of current crop production systems. Emphasizing scalability in agricultural resilience, Wild Bioscience has developed the Evo2, a generative AI model for biology to enhance genomics research capabilities significantly.
Employment and Opportunities
Wild Bioscience is actively expanding its team, with new roles open in departments including plant physiology and plant genomics. The company fosters a culture of innovation in bioscience and continually seeks professionals who align with its mission of sustainable crop development.
Competitors
Wild Bioscience operates within a dynamic biotechnology sector with several key competitors:
1. ClimateCrop
Affiliated with Bayer Crop Science, ClimateCrop focuses on digital tools for sustainable farming, including their flagship product Climate FieldView™, which is widely used for agronomic data modeling and resource optimization like energy, water, and pesticide use.
2. Plantik Biosciences
Operating from Paris, France, Plantik Biosciences specializes in plant engineering to create climate-adaptive plants with genomic technologies aimed at developing thermotolerant crops, essential for countering climate challenges like heatwaves.
3. Meiogenix
With operations in Europe and the US, Meiogenix utilizes chromosome editing to unlock genetic diversity in crops and collaborates with academic institutions to innovate crop breeding technology, addressing global climate and food security issues.
4. Intrinsyx Bio
Based in California, Intrinsyx Bio focuses on endophytic microbes to boost crop yields and reduce synthetic fertilizer use, working closely with global agricultural stakeholders to apply its biological solutions in sustainable farming practices.
5. Corteva Agriscience
A global leader in agrisciences, Corteva offers a wide range of seeds, crop protection, and digital solutions. Known for its comprehensive R&D ecosystem, Corteva effectively meets the evolving needs of modern agriculture through innovation and sustainability.
Strategic Insights
In a competitive environment with key players like Meiogenix and ClimateCrop, Wild Bioscience needs to align its R&D investments with market trends such as genomic innovation and sustainability-focused agriculture. By leveraging insights from competitor strategies and technological innovations, Wild Bioscience can plan for technological collaboration or niche market strategies to ensure ongoing growth and adaptability in the biotechnology sector.
