Solynta has announced the completion of a EUR16m series B financing round by new investors Fortissimo Capital and Innovation Industries as well as existing investors.

Solynta will use this financing round to continue its potato breeding activities and to build a strong commercial organization that can address the billion dollar challenges within the potato supply chain.

Solynta is headquartered in the Netherlands and it has invented and established hybrid potato breeding based on pure inbred parent lines, a game changing (non-GMO) breeding technology platform. This enables a seed based supply chain which would allow 25 grams of seeds as starting material instead of 2500 kilogram of tubers. It also allows for the fast and predictable breeding for beneficial traits, such as for example disease resistances, and by this reducing the need for pesticide applications manifold. In this way Solynta will unlock the USD70bn farmgate value crop. Solynta potatoes will not only improve potatoes, crisps and fries in the developed markets but will also support global food security through excellent starting material, according to the company.

“The proceeds of this financing round combined with the expertise of Fortissimo Capital and Innovation Industries will enable us to drive and expand Solynta’s game changing approach in potato breeding,” says Hein Kruyt, Solynta’s CEO.

Wageningen University & Research is elated with the opportunity the financing round offers Solynta to scale up. Sebastiaan Berendse Corporate Director Value Creation: “It shows university spin offs and R&D collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises offer important routes to application and global impact of WUR knowledge. In order to enhance the innovation capacity of our domain, we will continue to expand our partnerships with investors, such as Innovation Industries, corporates and entrepreneurs.”