Mycoverse raises €2.4M to combat potato blight across Europe
European agri-biotech startup Mycoverse has secured a €2.4 million funding round to accelerate the development of biological solutions aimed at tackling the continent’s worsening potato blight crisis. The disease, driven by the pathogen Phytophthora infestans, threatens one of Europe’s most important staple crops and is increasingly resistant to conventional chemical treatments.
A biological alternative to chemical pesticides
Mycoverse is building a platform of nature-based crop protection products, using advanced microbiology and biotechnology to identify fungi and microbes that can naturally suppress plant diseases. By focusing on bio-based fungicides, the company aims to reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals that are under mounting regulatory and environmental pressure in the EU.
The fresh capital will be used to expand laboratory research, run large-scale field trials with European potato growers, and prepare the first products for regulatory approval. The startup’s long-term goal is to roll out a portfolio of biological crop protection tools that can be integrated into mainstream farming practices.
Food security and climate resilience at stake
Potato blight is one of the most destructive plant diseases in modern agriculture, causing billions of euros in losses globally each year. In Europe, wetter and more volatile weather patterns linked to climate change are creating ideal conditions for the pathogen to spread, while farmers face tighter restrictions on traditional fungicides.
By delivering targeted, environmentally safer alternatives, Mycoverse hopes to help growers protect yields, lower chemical inputs and comply with evolving EU sustainability goals. The funding round underscores growing investor interest in agritech and biological crop protection as key levers for securing the region’s food supply in a warming climate.
Scaling innovation from lab to field
The company plans to deepen collaborations with agricultural cooperatives, research institutes and regulators to ensure its solutions are both scientifically robust and commercially viable. If successful, Mycoverse could become a reference player in Europe’s transition from conventional pesticides to next-generation biologicals, starting with one of the continent’s most iconic crops: the potato.