What Kula Bio does

Kula Bio is a privately held, venture-backed agricultural-biotechnology company that develops and sells sustainable biological nitrogen-delivery products for modern farming. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Massachusetts (with a Technology and Development Center in Natick, MA and Boston referenced as its home base), the company targets organic and conventional crop growers, agricultural retailers, and agronomists/CCAs across the US. As of late 2025, Kula Bio has raised approximately $97M+ across seed, Series A, and Series A-1 funding rounds from climate- and agriculture-focused investors including Lowercarbon Capital, Collaborative Fund, Grantham Environmental Trust's Neglected Climate Opportunities Fund, iSelect Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and AgFunder, and operates with 11-50 employees.

The company's core technology is a proprietary microbial platform that "supercharges" the naturally occurring nitrogen-fixing bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus through bacterial propagation techniques and a carbon-rich feeding system that builds larger-than-normal internal energy and nutrient reserves. Products start from single-strain, non-GMO pure cell banks and are manufactured as shelf-stable liquid or soluble-powder formulations that fix atmospheric nitrogen directly at the plant root zone when applied through standard irrigation. Kula Bio claims up to 65% greater nitrogen-fixation efficiency versus conventional nitrogen-fixing microbes, up to 84% lower greenhouse-gas emissions per kilogram of product compared with conventional nitrogen fertilizer, and a dose efficiency of approximately 2-8 ounces producing 1 pound of nitrogen. The platform's scientific lineage traces to Dr. Dan Nocera's "bionic-leaf" research at Harvard, where Dr. Nocera remains on Kula Bio's Board of Directors.

Kula Bio's product portfolio is organized as two parallel SKU lines segmented by crop-production system: an organic line (Kula-N flagship TFI Certified Biostimulant and OMRI-listed liquid, Kula-N Advanced concentrated OMRI-listed liquid, and Kula-NSP shelf-stable soluble powder commercially launched February 2026) and a conventional line (Kula-Next liquid, Kula-Next Advanced concentrated liquid, and Kula-NextSP soluble powder launched February 2026). The company makes money through three channels: direct-to-grower sales via its own webstore (100% upfront credit-card payment before shipment), distributor-mediated sales under established distributor agreements with Net 30 payment terms via ACH or check, and inside-sales-driven inbound from a Field Trial Data lead-capture form that segments prospects into Farmer, Retailer, Agronomist/CCA, Investor, and Other categories. Pricing is quote-based via purchase order and not publicly disclosed, with the Terms & Conditions explicitly reserving the right to adjust pricing. Distribution is managed through contractual restrictions on resale, reverse engineering, re-export, and end-use scope, indicating a controlled-channel strategy rather than open distribution.

Name

Kula Bio

Legal name

Kula Bio, Inc.

Website

https://kulabio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kula Bio develops proprietary "supercharged" Xanthobacter autotrophicus biofertilizers that fix atmospheric nitrogen at the plant root zone, selling liquid and shelf-stable soluble-powder products to organic and conventional crop growers, retailers, and agronomists via distributors and direct channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Biofertilizers

NAICS

Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing (325311), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Biofertilizers & Microbial Inoculants (IMAEAEAG)

Keywords

• Sustainable agriculture
• Nitrogen biofertilizer
• Microbial fertilizers
• Xanthobacter technology
• Agricultural biologicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct product sales (webstore): One-time hardware/biofertilizer product sales made directly to buyers via Kula Bio's own webstore. Buyers pay 100% of invoice price via credit card at the time of online purchase, and goods are not shipped until payment is received.
2. Distributor-mediated product sales: One-time product sales fulfilled through established distributor agreements combined with a valid purchase order. Net 30 payment terms apply (ACH transfer or written check). Distributors may resell, transfer, or distribute Goods only with Kula Bio's prior written consent.
3. Commercial product sales (Kula-N, Kula-N Advanced, Kula-Next, Kula-Next Advanced, Kula-NSP, Kula-NextSP): Sales of six SKUs across liquid and dry formats, split between organic-certified (Kula-N family, OMRI listed) and conventional (Kula-Next family) cropping systems. The company plans to pursue TFI Certified Biostimulant status for the new dry formulations, signaling potential future certification-driven differentiation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kula Bio develops and manufactures biological nitrogen-fixation products (biofertilizers) built on its proprietary supercharged Xanthobacter autotrophicus platform. The portfolio includes liquid and soluble powder SKUs for organic-certified (Kula-N family, OMRI-listed) and conventional (Kula-Next family) crop production, applied via standard irrigation systems to deliver atmospheric nitrogen directly to the plant root zone and reduce dependence on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.

Product overview

Kula Bio offers a single unified product portfolio — the Kula Bio Sustainable Nitrogen Platform — built on proprietary supercharged Xanthobacter autotrophicus microbial technology. The portfolio is structured as two parallel SKU lines segmented by crop-production system: an organic line (Kula-N as the flagship TFI Certified Biostimulant liquid, Kula-N Advanced as the concentrated liquid, and Kula-NSP as the dry soluble powder) and a conventional line (Kula-Next liquid, Kula-Next Advanced concentrated liquid, and Kula-NextSP dry soluble powder). The liquid SKUs (Kula-N / Kula-N Advanced / Kula-Next / Kula-Next Advanced) form the core offerings introduced from 2022 onward, while the new SP powder SKUs (Kula-NSP / Kula-NextSP, launched February 2026) extend the same biological platform into a shelf-stable dry format, all sharing the underlying Xanthobacter autotrophicus supercharging process and applied through standard irrigation to the root zone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kula-N: A naturally derived nitrogen delivery system suitable for use in organic production, featuring supercharged Xanthobacter autotrophicus.
• Kula-Next
• Kula-N Advanced
• Kula-Next Advanced
• Kula-NSP
• Kula-NextSP

Products and services

• Kula-N Kula-N is Kula Bio's flagship naturally derived, liquid nitrogen delivery system using supercharged Xanthobacter autotrophicus. Approved as a Certified Biostimulant by The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), it is suitable for organic crop production (OMRI-listed) and is applied via standard irrigation systems directly to the root zone to fix atmospheric nitrogen for plants.
• Kula-N Advanced Kula-N Advanced is an OMRI-listed, concentrated liquid biofertilizer containing nitrogen-fixing Xanthobacter autotrophicus bacteria, designed for organic crop production. Applied via standard irrigation systems directly to the root zone, it provides an organic-compliant nitrogen delivery system that can replace a portion of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.
• Kula-NSP Kula-NSP is a shelf-stable, soluble microbial powder that delivers supercharged Xanthobacter autotrophicus nitrogen-fixing bacteria to the plant root zone. OMRI-certified for organic production, it eliminates cold-storage requirements and extends shelf life relative to liquid formulations, addressing cold-chain logistics for distributors and growers.
• Kula-Next Kula-Next is a liquid nitrogen delivery system using supercharged Xanthobacter autotrophicus, designed for use in traditional (conventional) crop production. It acts as a drop-in complement to existing nitrogen programs and is applied via standard irrigation systems directly to the root zone.
• Kula-Next Advanced Kula-Next Advanced contains nitrogen-fixing Xanthobacter autotrophicus bacteria in a concentrated liquid format engineered for conventional cropping systems. Designed to replace a portion of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, it is applied via standard irrigation systems directly to the root zone.
• Kula-NextSP Kula-NextSP is a shelf-stable, soluble powder containing nitrogen-fixing Xanthobacter autotrophicus bacteria, engineered for use in conventional cropping systems. It eliminates cold-storage requirements and extends shelf life relative to liquid formulations, addressing cold-chain logistics for distributors and growers in conventional production.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 65% greater nitrogen-fixation efficiency vs conventional nitrogen-fixing bacteria
• +3 more outcomes

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered awareness / brand-credibility partner, foundational scientific partner, certification authority and vendor (not a strategic partnership).

• Statista (with TIME)awareness / brand-credibility partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2026Statista partnered with TIME to develop the America's Top GreenTech Companies of 2026 ranking, in which Kula Bio was included. Statista serves as the data and methodology partner behind the list, providing the third-party validation framework.
• Harvard University (Dr. Dan Nocera)foundational scientific partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerKula Bio's underlying technology traces to Dr. Dan Nocera's "bionic leaf" work at Harvard (Patterson Rockwood Professor of Energy, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology), where hydrogen, CO2, and genetically engineered microbes were first used to produce liquid biofuel. Dr. Nocera sits on Kula Bio's Board of Directors representing Harvard, anchoring a foundational scientific and reputational relationship.
• The Fertilizer Institute (TFI)certification authorityStrategic or Co-development PartnerKula Bio's flagship Kula-N is approved as a Certified Biostimulant by The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), and the company has publicly committed to pursuing the same certification pathway for its new Kula-NSP and Kula-NextSP soluble powder formulations. This is an industry-body certification rather than a commercial partnership.
• Google (Analytics & reCAPTCHA)vendor (not a strategic partnership)Technology or IntegrationKula Bio's Privacy Policy discloses use of Google Analytics and Google Invisible reCAPTCHA for website traffic analysis and security, in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. These are vendor-level technology integrations rather than commercial partnerships.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pivot Bio: Pivot Bio is the most direct competitor to Kula Bio, developing microbial nitrogen-fixing products (ProveN, ProveN 40, ReturN) for row crops. Both companies target the same problem — replacing synthetic nitrogen with in-field biological fixation — and compete for the same ag-retail and grower relationships.
• Sound Agriculture: Sound Agriculture offers a nitrogen-fixing microbe and a crop-efficiency biostimulant (Amper), competing head-to-head with Kula Bio's Kula-N and Kula-Next lines in the same row-crop and specialty-crop segments.
• NewLeaf Symbiotics: NewLeaf Symbiotics develops pink-pigmented facultative methylotroph (PPFM) microbial inoculants for major row crops, positioning itself as a comparable biological-input peer with overlapping distribution channels and a similar target buyer (ag retailers and growers).
• Indigo Ag: Indigo Ag is a broad agricultural biologicals and digital agronomy company. Its microbial seed treatments and foliar products overlap with Kula Bio's biological nitrogen approach, and Indigo's much larger scale sets a benchmark for what commercial traction in this category can look like.
• AgBiome: AgBiome develops microbial-based crop protection and growth products (e.g., Howler, Symborg acquisition). Its biological pipeline competes for the same shelf space and retailer attention as Kula Bio's biofertilizer portfolio.
• BioConsortia: BioConsortia uses microbial discovery and fixed-phylogenetic screening to develop nitrogen-fixing and other beneficial microbe products. Its R&D focus and product positioning in microbial nitrogen fixation make it a direct comparable to Kula Bio's platform.

Emerging players

• Joyn Bio (Ginkgo Bioworks): Joyn Bio, originally a joint venture between Ginkgo Bioworks and Bayer, focused on engineering nitrogen-fixing microbes for crops. Although restructured, it represents a synthetic-biology-driven approach to the same problem Kula Bio solves, with substantially larger platform backing.

Broad incumbents

• Syngenta Biologicals: Syngenta Group, with its Valagro acquisition and a growing biologicals portfolio, is a broad incumbent expanding into biofertilizers and biostimulants. It offers overlapping capabilities to Kula Bio but as part of a much larger crop-input portfolio rather than a focused nitrogen-fixing product.
• Novonesis (Novozymes / Chr. Hansen): Novonesis (the merged Novozymes and Chr. Hansen entity) is a major agricultural biologicals player with microbial products across crop protection, growth, and nitrogen efficiency. It competes in adjacent categories and serves many of the same ag-input distributors as Kula Bio.
• Loveland Products / Nutrien Ag Solutions: Loveland Products, the proprietary-products arm of Nutrien Ag Solutions, distributes specialty fertilizers, biostimulants, and crop inputs at retail scale. As both a potential distributor and a competitor with its own biological line, it is a meaningful incumbent comparable for Kula Bio's go-to-market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KulaBioAg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kulabio

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors16 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kula Bio