Invaio Sciences, a Flagship Pioneering company using natural systems to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture to address climate change, entered into a $50 million loan and security agreement with K2 HealthVentures, a healthcare and life sciences-focused investment firm.
Invaio Sciences will use the funds to accelerate the research, development and commercialization of its platforms, which are focused on discovering natural active ingredients, developing unique precision delivery systems and understanding novel modes of action. Invaio’s solutions have the potential to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, conserve more water and improve the efficiency of the agricultural food system for the benefit of consumers and the planet.
“Invaio’s partnership with K2HV will help us expand our geographic footprint and accelerate the development of breakthrough platforms focused on developing integrated solutions in three market segments: perennials, row crops and vegetable crops,” Ignacio Martinez, co-founder and CEO of Invaio Sciences and general partner at Flagship Pioneering, said. “Our ambition is to build the most impactful and valuable crop health company on the planet. The world is changing quickly and food production practices must adapt to keep pace with evolving consumer demands, changing environmental conditions and increased stress on ecological resources.”
“Thankfully, over the last two decades, human disease management has increasingly utilized safer and more effective precision medicine techniques. The agricultural world has not shifted to this paradigm and still suffers from ineffective pest and disease management and harmful consequences to the environment. We believe Invaio’s suite of platform technologies is the precision medicine answer for the agriculture world,” Parag Shah, founding managing director and CEO of K2 HealthVentures, said. “This financing follows our strategy of partnering with pioneering life science technology companies with world class management that aim to deliver solutions for critical global challenges.”
