IIA Backs R&D By Startup Using Bacteria To Help Crops Grow

Lavie Bio, an Israeli agritech company that uses bacteria to help crops grow, says it has received a grant from the government’s Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) to advance its development of a breakthrough technology. 

The patented technology, named MicroFermentor, is based on an innovative microbe formulation that enables the multiplication of beneficial bacteria directly on a plant, reducing application costs, extending shelf life and prolonging the bacteria’s viability after field application. 

The grant was awarded following positive initial experiments and will support the program’s next phase of development toward commercialization.

Rehovot-based Lavie, a subsidiary of leading Israeli computational biology company Evogene, says the novel technology offers a unique opportunity for new bacterial-based solutions, which had previously not met market requirements due to production cost and shelf life. 

“We are very pleased with the advancement in the development of our ‘MicroFermentor’ technology, and appreciate the support of the IIA,” said Lavie Bio CEO Amit Noam. 

“The ‘MicroFermentor’ technology will further enhance our competitive advantage and our ability to introduce ground-breaking products to the agriculture market.”