EQT Foundation Invests in Machine Learning Platform for Next Generation Crop Traits

Posted on 9, January 2026 by | This entry was posted in Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Business, Internet & Online, Investment, Management, Real Estate, Sweden, Technology and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

EQT Foundation Invests in Machine Learning Platform for Next Generation Crop Traits

(IN BRIEF) EQT Foundation has invested in UK-based Biographica as part of its seed round, supporting the company’s machine learning platform for faster and more accurate crop gene discovery. Biographica’s technology helps seed companies identify genetic traits that improve yield, reduce pesticide use, and enhance climate resilience, significantly cutting the time and cost of bringing new traits to market. With commercial traction from partners including BASF Nunhems and Cibus, and a new laboratory established at Rothamsted Research, the company is positioning itself to scale AI-first approaches to crop improvement.

(PRESS RELEASE) SYDNEY, 9-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — EQT Foundation has invested in Biographica, a UK-based agricultural technology company applying machine learning to accelerate gene discovery for crop improvement. The investment forms part of Biographica’s seed funding round and supports the company’s ambition to bring climate-resilient, high-performance crop traits to market more efficiently.

Biographica is developing an advanced machine learning platform designed to decode the genetic architecture of crops with greater speed and precision than traditional breeding and discovery pipelines. Conventional approaches to identifying and validating new agricultural traits can take more than a decade and frequently fail to identify the most effective gene targets. Biographica’s technology aims to address these challenges by identifying promising gene-editing targets earlier in the process, reducing development time, cost, and risk.

The platform enables seed companies to pinpoint genetic traits that can improve yield, reduce reliance on pesticides, and enhance resilience to climate stress. By improving the accuracy of gene discovery, Biographica supports the development of crop varieties better suited to changing environmental conditions while lowering input costs for growers.

EQT Foundation’s investment follows growing commercial momentum for Biographica, including partnerships with leading seed companies such as BASF Nunhems and Cibus. In both cases, initial pilot projects have progressed into commercial agreements linked to defined development milestones, signaling increasing industry confidence in AI-driven trait discovery.

Biographica’s initial commercial strategy focuses on licensing discovered traits to seed companies using success-based models. Its core machine learning framework has already been applied to identify high-priority gene targets linked to disease resistance and yield improvement, with two partners now advancing these targets into validation pipelines. The company’s next phase will prioritize trait categories with strong market demand and clear unit economics to support scalable co-development and licensing partnerships.

Founded by a team with deep expertise in biological machine learning, plant science, and bioinformatics, Biographica’s platform is designed to operate across a broad range of crops. Internal benchmarking has demonstrated significantly higher gene discovery accuracy compared with conventional methods, helping shorten timelines and lower costs associated with developing edited crop traits.

To strengthen its validation and research capabilities, Biographica has established its first laboratory at Rothamsted Research. The expanded in-house lab capacity will support data generation, model refinement, and partner validation efforts as the company prepares for wider commercial rollout.

Cecy Price, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Biographica, said advances in AI have already transformed drug discovery by replacing trial-and-error approaches with learnable biological systems. She noted that Biographica is applying the same principles to agriculture, enabling seed companies to bring high-value crop varieties to market in seasons rather than decades.

Contact

EQT Press Office
press@eqtpartners.com
+46 8 506 55 334

About EQT

EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies. With a Nordic heritage and a global mindset, EQT has a track record of more than three decades of developing companies across multiple geographies, sectors and strategies. EQT has investment strategies covering all phases of a business’ development, from start-up to maturity. EQT has €‌​​267​‌ billion in total assets under management (€139​‌ billion in fee-generating assets under management) as of 30 September 2025, within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets.

With its roots in the Wallenberg family’s entrepreneurial mindset and philosophy of long-term ownership, EQT is guided by a set of strong values and a distinct corporate culture. EQT manages and advises funds and vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to future-proof companies, generate attractive returns and make a positive impact with everything EQT does.

The EQT AB Group comprises EQT AB (publ) and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, which include general partners and fund managers of EQT funds as well as entities advising EQT funds. EQT has offices in more than 25 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas and has more than 1,900 employees.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

About EQT Foundation

EQT Foundation is a philanthropic organization and long-term shareholder of the global investment organization EQT, founded by partners at EQT. The Foundation supports scientists and entrepreneurs bringing breakthrough solutions from lab to market, combining EQT’s expertise with catalytic investments and grants. With a focus on supporting scientific progress in underfunded areas of climate and health, the Foundation provides a learning platform for EQT employees to develop and work collaboratively across the globe, while engaging in philanthropy and making a positive impact.

LinkedIn

About Biographica
Biographica is a London-based agricultural biotechnology company applying breakthroughs from AI-driven drug discovery to design the next generation of crop traits. The company was founded in 2022 by Cecily Price and Dominic Hall, who combine deep expertise in genetics, AI, and computational biology. They are joined by a team of leading scientists and engineers at the intersection of biology and AI, in London and at Rothamsted Research, and advised by seed industry leaders across R&D partnerships and licensing. Biographica is already working with several of the world’s top seed companies, including BASF | Nunhems.

SOURCE: EQT AB

MORE ON EQT, ETC.:

EDITOR'S PICK:

Comments are closed.