Amplus sp. z o.o., a leading Polish producer and distributor of fresh fruit and vegetables, has signed an agreement to acquire shares in Terrabio, a company developing the first fully mobile genetic analyser on the agri-food market. Thanks to the signed agreement, the Wroclaw-based startup will be able to significantly accelerate the commercialization process of its product. The company’s product – Terralyzer® – is characterized by over 99 percent efficiency in detecting various pathogens, which was confirmed by field tests of the solution. Terrabio is a portfolio company of Carlson ASI Evig Alfa fund. The total value of the transaction was not disclosed.
-Obtaining our first industry investor is a significant step toward commercializing our analyzer. In 2021, we were able to confirm its 99 percent effectiveness in detecting pathogens, under field conditions. Thanks to the agreement signed with Amplus, we can count on substantive and technical support in the commercialization. In 2023, we plan to launch the first sales in Poland and selected European markets. In further development plans, we are also thinking about expanding into the US market. – said Marcin Babilas, CEO of Terrabio sp. z o.o.
Terrabio is a Wroclaw-based startup developing a state-of-the-art mobile genetic analyzer, which through the use of a proprietary diagnostic system enables research in the area of agriculture and food safety by quickly identifying pathogens or genetic mutations. Thanks to the device, the user will receive a semi-quantitative result on the presence of pathogens in a sample in just 60-90 minutes. Currently, farmers have to wait up to 14 days for the result of a test performed using highly precise genetic methods. Terralyzer® can detect up to 16 pathogens from a single sample. It is worth noting that the solution effectively reduces the cost of testing. The Terrabio team predicts that the unit cost of testing 4 pathogens will not exceed 100 PLN.
The innovation of the tests performed by the device is based on a patented heating, measuring and detection system in cooperation with the so-called “gold standard” in pathogen diagnostics, i.e. real-time PCR. One of the significant advantages of this solution is that there is no requirement to maintain a constant, low temperature for storing test kits, which means that the test can be performed in almost any conditions. – An additional advantage of our solution is the process of taking a sample and performing the test. This activity is trivial and any user can do it. You do not need to have any laboratory experience to perform such an analysis. – comments Bartosz Pencakowski, CTO Terrabio sp. z o.o
In 2021, the company successfully conducted field tests on the fields of Top Farms Poland within the Top Farms Technology Zone and on crops in Spain and Portugal. The company’s solution is characterized by over 99 percent efficiency in detecting all pathogens that have DNA.
Terrabio is also a response to the increasing restrictions on the use of pesticides and to ensure the quality of food produced within the European Union. Terralyzer® and its dedicated test panels will make it possible to reduce the number of treatments in food production, thus increasing food quality.
–Concern for food safety plays a strategic role in the agri-food industry. As a supplier of fruits and vegetables to the largest retail chains in Poland, we have to be 100 percent sure that the goods we source from our agricultural producers meet all quality requirements and safety standards. Terrabio with its product significantly speeds up the process of pathogen testing, which in our perspective, this has a real impact on the development of our business. Thanks to our industry knowledge we are able, together with Agro Smart Lab, to support the company in a real way both in the development of the solution and its sale. – said Bartłomiej Skrzydlewski, President of the Management Board of Amplus sp. z o.o.
Terrabio is a portfolio company of the Carlson ASI EVIG Alpha fund, which
in 2019 invested PLN 800,000.00 in its development and bringing the solution to full technological readiness.
-The entry of Amplus into the group of investors confirms that the solution developed by our portfolio company is effective and meets the requirements of a very demanding agri-food market in the field of plant disease diagnosis, water and food safety. According to recent forecasts by Data Bridge Market Research, the global food diagnostic services market was estimated to be worth $14.9 billion in 2022 and could reach $21.6 billion by 2032. These figures tangibly demonstrate how attractive this market is from both an investor and our portfolio company perspective. The agreement with Amplus brings Terrabio closer to launching product sales and taking a slice out of this attractive pie. – says Dawid Wesołowski, managing partner of Carlson ASI EVIG Alpha.
Terrabio has in its development plans a constant expansion of its offer of test panels dedicated to customers not only from the agro sector, but also the broader food processing industry. This will enable the company to diversify its revenues and generate even greater commercialization potential.
Among the shareholders of Terrabio are also Leonarto Fund, which has in its portfolio 18 companies from the area of MedTech, nanotechnology, biotechnology or AI and the veterinary company Vet Planet.