Why that Company that releases fertilizers so sloooow is getting traction so faaaaast: Anuvia raises $103M to accelerate deployment

March 8, 2021 | Jim Lane

In Florida, Anuvia Plant Nutrients today announced it has raised $103 million in Series C funding, co-led by TPG ART and Pontifax Global Food and Agriculture Technology Fund (Pontifax AgTech), with additional investment from Generate and Piva Capital.

Those slow-release fertilizers: the backstory.

Granulated fertilizers have been around for quite a number of years. Most of them aim to stabilize the rate of nitrogen release. Scotts, Georgia-Pacific, Agrium and Growth Products are some of the companies that market a range of them. Overall, there’s a 10%+ yield bump, reduced risk of fertilizer burn and less labor cost in re-application. So, they’re popular. But not very sustainable, and companies are looking for sustainable options.

What is Anuvia’s SynTRX?

“Think of it as a docking station for nutrients,” CEO Amy Yoder told The Digest. “We bind nutrient to our complex, and the plant can pull up those nutrients as needed, over time.”

Put in human terms, think of it like going to the grocery store when food is needed, or a controlled-release medicine that dispenses itself through a timed drip.

In this case, the input is even cheaper than fracked gas. It’s negative cost organic waste that the company receives a tipping fee for — same as the landfills receive a tipping fee from waste dumpers. That’s a kicker for the economics and ultimately, Anuvia expects the tipping fees to wither away as waste becomes a source of value.

The Organic MaTRX is a natural and intuitive delivery system unlike any other. It is made from combining electrostatically charged (positive and negative) organic particles that provide docking sites for desired nutrients. These substances come in the forms of ions like ammonium, potassium, sulfate, phosphate and ferrous iron all of which are easily taken up by plants and less susceptible to loss via leaching or volatilization.

Anuvia’s products reduce this nutrient loss through its technology that binds together organic matter derived from organic waste with inorganic nutrients. Slowly released nutrients provide efficient feeding when growing plants need nutrients most. The result is improved yields that deliver better returns for the farmer, while reducing impact on the planet. Introducing organic matter back to the soil, as nature does, promotes regenerative agriculture, improving soil health and preserving a natural resource for the next generation.

What you get for $103 Million Smackeroos

Anuvia will use the financing to increase the production capacity and expand commercialization of its innovative nutrient delivery technology, as commercial agriculture continues its transformation into more sustainable and profitable practices. Anuvia’s SymTRX is already in commercial use on U.S. farms, with use expected to increase to reach 20 million acres by 2025.

The Anuvia backstory

The announcement comes just months after Anuvia announced a commercial agreement with The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) to exclusively license its SymTRX10S product in the U.S. to be sold as Susterra by Mosaic, further accelerating Anuvia’s growth and availability.

You can check out the Multi-Slide Guide to Anuvia here.

The sustainability story

Environmental Resources Management (ERM) verified the environmental impact of Anuvia’s bio-based SymTRX nutrient technology versus traditional fertilizer on corn, rice, and cotton. The study found that Anuvia reduces greenhouse gases on production by up to 32%, compared to the use of conventional fertilizers.

Based on the ERM study, it is possible to state that for every million acres of crops that use Anuvia’s products, the reduction of greenhouse gases is the equivalent of removing up to 30,000 cars from the roads. With 90 million acres of corn in the United States alone, this would conservatively translate to 1.8 million cars removed in perpetuity.

Reaction from the stakeholders

“By achieving meaningful and immediate reductions in greenhouse gases in crop production, Anuvia is helping to bring Scope 3 sustainability targets into focus,” says Anuvia CEO Amy Yoder. “The immediate ROI for farmers is driving fast adoption of our technology, accelerating the benefits to the entire food value chain.”

“With the world’s population expected to hit 10 billion by 2050, we need technology-enabled, large-scale agriculture to meet this growing demand,” says Dr. Geoff Duyk, Founder and Managing Partner of Circularis and Anuvia Board Member. “Anuvia’s technology will help farms continue to feed the world, while also advancing the circular economy, increasing sustainability, and enhancing resource efficiency.”

“As consumers and mainstream retailers increase demand for sustainability across the supply chain, Anuvia’s technology is helping farms compete in the changing landscape,” says Pontifax AgTech Co-Founder and Managing Partner Ben Belldegrun. “We are pleased to continue our investment relationship with Anuvia and look forward to being part of its evolution and growth.”