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§ Private Profile · Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand
AgTech company developing UV light technology for plant growth and heritable non-GMO seed traits, serving seed companies and growers.
Founded in 2013 by Jason Wargent, BioLumic is an agricultural technology company based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, that develops ultraviolet light systems to program non-GMO seed traits for enhanced crop yields and resilience. The company utilizes its proprietary xTraits platform to deliver precise ultraviolet signals to seeds, triggering biological mechanisms that boost plant growth without requiring chemical applications. Operating with 31 employees and generating under five million dollars in annual revenue, the firm licenses its light recipes to seed producers and sustainable agricultural operators. BioLumic recently secured over eight million dollars in Series B funding backed by lead investors such as Fonterra's Ki Tua Fund and iSelect. The organization has established strategic partnerships with major agricultural entities, including Beck's Hybrids and Gro Alliance, to deploy its clean technology across various row crops and pasture grasses.
BioLumic has raised $27.0M across 3 funding rounds.
BioLumic has raised $27.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
BioLumic has raised $27.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $8.0M Series B in April 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2025 | $8M Series B | — | Azolla Ventures | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2022 | $14M Series B | OurCrowd | Alumni Ventures, Foundry Group, General Atlantic, H.I.G. Capital, Madrona Venture Group, GIL Penchina, Sapphire Ventures, Chaim Meir Tessler, Will Herman, Arcview Ventures, Aspire NZ, Booster Innovation Fund, Canopy Rivers, Entourage Effect Capital, Finistere Ventures, Flatiron Venture Partners, Icehouse Ventures, MIG Nominee NO 1 Limited, Norwind Capital, Prithvi Ventures, Rabo Ventures, Virtu Capital | Announced |
| Mar 16, 2018 | $5M Series A | Arama Kukutai, Kirk Haney | — | Announced |
BioLumic is an agricultural biotech company founded in 2013 that develops xTrait™, a proprietary UV light-based platform to activate genetic expression traits in seeds without genetic modification. It serves seed companies and farmers by enhancing crop performance in row crops like corn and soybean, dairy forage, and rice, solving challenges like low yields, poor resilience, and regulatory hurdles of traditional biotech traits through a faster, scalable, chemical-free approach.[1][3][5] The technology triggers biological mechanisms via precise light signals to boost growth, vigor, yield, composition, and pest/disease resistance, with commercial launch in 2025 at Gro Alliance's facility for U.S. corn seed production, marking strong growth momentum via partnerships (e.g., Beck’s Hybrids, Fonterra, GDM, TMG) and $8.3M Series B extension funding.[1][5][6]
BioLumic emerged from New Zealand-based research in photobiology and plant science, founded in 2013 with early investment from NZGCP in March 2013. The idea stemmed from discovering that specific UV light recipes—combinations of wavelength, intensity, and duration—could "unlock" seeds' natural genetic potential by regulating gene expression, bypassing GMO methods.[2][4] Key team members include plant scientists, agronomists, engineers, and data scientists across New Zealand and the U.S. (Champaign, IL office). Pivotal early moments include PhD-led breakthroughs in light signaling for disease suppression (e.g., halving leafy vegetable disease), 2023 Seed World Top Innovative Product award, first NZ agtech Series A from overseas VCs, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $2.1M grant for rice traits.[4][5][7] Steve Sibulkin serves as CEO, guiding the shift to commercial scale.[1][5]
BioLumic rides the climate-smart agriculture wave, addressing food security amid population growth, climate stress, and sustainable farming demands like Direct Dry Seeded Rice (DDSR) in India (25% of global rice).[5][7] Timing aligns with post-2025 commercialization, as high biotech costs limit access for most farmers; xTraits complement existing seed systems without new breeding, enabling instant scalability in corn, soy, ryegrass, and rice.[1][5] Market forces favoring it include rising demand for non-GMO innovations, UV tech's low environmental footprint, and investor interest (Series B extension, Gates grant), influencing the ecosystem by accelerating trait stacks for yield/resilience in major commodities and emerging markets like LatAm.[5][6] It pioneers "digital-like" speed in analog biology, potentially halving disease/pest issues and boosting methane-reducing forage.[4][6]
BioLumic is transitioning to global commercial leader in light-activated seed traits, with 2025 launches in U.S. corn via Gro Alliance, Brazil expansions (TMG/GDM field trials), and rice/DDSR advancements via Gates funding. Trends like AI-driven agbio, non-GMO sustainability, and precision forage (e.g., Fonterra methane reduction) will propel it, potentially influencing seed giants to adopt xTraits for hybrid stacks.[5][6][7] Its influence may evolve by democratizing trait access, scaling to more crops/regions, and attracting further VC as field data validates ROI—positioning it as the go-to for programming plants' untapped potential, much like its foundational light-signaling breakthrough unlocked a new biotech paradigm.[1][4]
BioLumic has raised $27.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
BioLumic's investors include Azolla Ventures, OurCrowd, Alumni Ventures, Foundry Group, General Atlantic, H.I.G. Capital, Madrona Ventures, Gil Penchina, Sapphire Ventures, Chaim Meir Tessler, Will Herman, Arcview Ventures.