Living Roots

What Living Roots does

Living Roots is an agricultural technology company headquartered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, founded in 2023, that develops biological crop inputs and stage-based crop programs designed specifically for tropical agriculture. The company addresses the yield, soil degradation, and chemical fertilizer dependence challenges faced by smallholder and commercial growers in South and Southeast Asia through a four-phase biological system: SeedStart (a phosphorus-solubilizing seed inoculant combining microbes and mycorrhizal fungi), PhotoBoost (vegetative-stage foliar nutrition), PhotoMax (reproductive-stage foliar nutrition using Triple-Fraction Chelation with amino, fulvic, and citric acids for claimed 90%+ mineral uptake), and Activate (a no-burn residue management solution using beneficial decomposition microbes and cellulose-degrading enzymes to break down up to 80% of crop residue in three weeks). The products are designed as a coordinated program rather than standalone solutions, with each product engineered for specific crop growth stages and tropical field conditions.

Living Roots' technology differentiation is grounded in domain specialization rather than novel biological discovery. Triple-Fraction Chelation enables foliar mineral delivery versus traditional sulfates; SeedStart combines phosphorus-solubilizing microbes with mycorrhizal fungi for early vigor; and Activate uses beneficial decomposition microbes as a no-burn alternative to field burning. PhotoMax uses a CERES-certified amino acid base designed to meet OMRI/CERES organic standards, enabling positioning in premium organic and GAP-certified export markets such as organic rice and dragonfruit. The portfolio is complemented by a 7-species pre-inoculated cover crop blend engineered for 45-75 day between-season windows in tropical horticulture, and a BioNutrients foliar program delivered via drones and fertigation with plant sap testing for precision nutrient management.

Living Roots operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-grower e-commerce (roots.ag/shop) with B2B partnership-driven distribution through rice wholesalers, food and dairy companies, farmer cooperatives, and agri-input distributors. Revenue is transactional and per-unit, with one-time product purchases at per-rai pricing (e.g., ฿60-80 per rai for SeedStart, ฿45-135 per rai for PhotoMax, ฿90-95 per rai for Activate) and per-pack volume discounts (10 Rai, 100 Rai packs). Validated commercial deployments include Wondermilk, a Thai dairy company running silage corn programs for three consecutive seasons (40%+ more biomass, higher starch content, 10-day faster harvest, 50-80% less chemical fertilizer), and an unnamed rice wholesaler in Fang, Thailand covering 1,000+ rai per season over two consecutive seasons (35%+ higher yields, ~90% higher profit per rai). Living Roots has deployed programs across more than 5,000 acres and 500+ smallholder farmers in Thailand, India, and Indonesia, and has secured approximately $465K in disclosed funding led by Accelerating Asia (December 2024) plus a bridge round led by SGInnovate (September 2025).

Name

Living Roots

Legal name

Living Roots

Website

https://roots.ag

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Living Roots is a Thailand-based agricultural technology company that develops biological crop inputs and a stage-based program (SeedStart, PhotoBoost, PhotoMax, Activate) for tropical agriculture, selling to smallholder farmers and B2B supply chain partners across Thailand, India, and Indonesia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chiang Mai

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biological Crop Input Products: Living Roots generates revenue from the sale of biological crop products across four stages of the crop cycle: SeedStart (seed inoculant), PhotoBoost (vegetative foliar), PhotoMax (reproductive foliar), and Activate (residue management). Products are sold in pack sizes scaled to farm area (e.g., 10 Rai, 100 Rai packs) at per-rai pricing. Revenue is transactional and per-unit, with repeat purchases driven by seasonal crop cycles. No subscription component is mentioned.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Living Roots manufactures and sells a four-phase biological crop input system — SeedStart™ (seed inoculant), PhotoBoost™ (vegetative foliar), PhotoMax™ (reproductive foliar with Triple-Fraction Chelation), and Activate™ (residue management) — plus a pre-inoculated cover crop blend, designed as a stage-based protocol for tropical agriculture. Offerings are sold per-rai via the company e-commerce shop and through B2B partnership programs with rice wholesalers, food and dairy companies, and farmer cooperatives across Thailand, India, and Indonesia.

Product overview

Living Roots offers a four-phase biological crop system designed for tropical agriculture, comprising SeedStart™ (seed treatment for early establishment), PhotoBoost™ (vegetative-stage foliar nutrition for photosynthesis), PhotoMax™ (reproductive-stage foliar nutrition for structural strength and pest resistance), and Activate™ (post-harvest residue management). The system is complemented by cover crop seed blends for between-season soil recovery and the BioNutrients foliar program for precision nutrient delivery. Products are designed to work as a coordinated stage-based program rather than standalone solutions, with each product addressing specific crop growth phases from planting through soil regeneration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SeedStart™: Advanced seed inoculant for stronger germination and early root growth. Enhances phosphorus availability and supports yield potential from Day 1.
• PhotoBoost™
• PhotoMax™
• Activate™

Products and services

• SeedStart™ Advanced seed inoculant that combines phosphorus-solubilizing microbes, beneficial soil bacteria, and mycorrhizal fungi to improve stand count, early vigor, and phosphorus availability from Day 1; applied as a dry coating on seed before planting. Sold in 10 Rai, 50 Rai, and 100 Rai packs at THB 60-80 per rai.
• PhotoBoost™ Foliar crop nutrition for the vegetative stage that supports chlorophyll production and photosynthetic efficiency, helping plants convert sunlight into energy for stronger growth and higher yield potential. Sold in 250 mL (THB 500), 500 mL (THB 950), and 1 L (THB 1,850) sizes with dilution of 30 mL per 20 L water.
• PhotoMax™ Multi-function foliar nutrition for the reproductive stage delivering amino-chelated minerals for structural strength, stress tolerance, and reduced pest vulnerability via Triple-Fraction Chelation (amino, fulvic, and citric acids). Sold in 500 mL (THB 250), 1 L (THB 450), and 5 L (THB 2,000) sizes; CERES-certified amino acid base designed to meet OMRI/CERES organic standards.
• Activate™ No-burn residue management solution that uses beneficial decomposition microbes, cellulose-degrading enzymes, and soil conditioning activators to break down up to 80% of crop residue in 3 weeks without burning, returning nutrients to soil for the next season. Sold in 10 Rai (30 L, THB 950) and 100 Rai (300 L, THB 9,000) packs.
• Cover Crop Seeds Blend A 7-species pre-inoculated cover crop blend using SeedStart biology, engineered for 45-75 day between-season windows in tropical horticulture. Species selected for nitrogen fixation, deep rooting, biomass production, nutrient scavenging, weed competition, and fast establishment.
• BioNutrients Foliar Program Stage-based biological nutrition protocol delivered through drone and fertigation systems and guided by plant sap testing for precision nutrient management across the crop cycle; deployed as a customized B2B partnership program for enterprise customers such as Wondermilk's silage corn growers in Lopburi, Thailand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35%+ higher rice yields and ~90% higher profit per rai for contract farming networks in Fang, Thailand (2,000+ rai cumulative)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WondermilkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWondermilk, a dairy company in Lopburi, Thailand, partnered with Living Roots to support contracted silage corn growers. Living Roots designed a complete biological crop program combining SeedStart seed treatment with a customized BioNutrients foliar protocol guided by plant sap testing, with nutrients delivered via drones and fertigation systems. The partnership has delivered 40%+ more biomass, higher starch content, 10-day faster harvest, and 50-80% less chemical fertilizer across three consecutive seasons — making Wondermilk Living Roots' flagship case study.
• Rice Wholesaler (Fang, Thailand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiving Roots partnered with a rice wholesaler in Fang, Thailand to deploy biological crop programs across its contract farming base covering 1,000+ rai per season. The program delivered 35%+ higher yields for two consecutive years and increased farmer profit by approximately ฿3,400 per rai (~90% higher), combining higher yield with lower chemical fertilizer and pesticide spending.
• Pai Seedlings FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDamien Masselis, Founder of Pai Seedlings Foundation, has been using Living Roots inputs across 50 farmers for 3+ seasons, reporting 10-50% yield improvement. The partnership is described as a trusted agronomic relationship where Living Roots provides consultation and ongoing crop support, beyond just product supply.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Symborg: Symborg is a Spanish-origin biological input company offering microbial inoculants and biostimulants for fruits, vegetables, and field crops. Comparable to Living Roots as a specialist biological-input player, but focused on Mediterranean, Latin American, and European markets rather than South/Southeast Asia.
• Kimitec: Kimitec is a Spanish agbiotech producing natural biostimulants, biofertilizers, and biocontrol products for fruits, vegetables, and broad-acre crops. Comparable to Living Roots as a biological crop input specialist, though primarily serving European and Latin American markets.

Emerging players

• BioConsortia: BioConsortia develops microbial products for nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, and yield improvement using a microbial selection platform. Directly comparable to Living Roots' SeedStart (phosphorus-solubilizing inoculant) and broader biological fertilizer strategy, though operating at earlier commercial stage.
• NewLeaf Symbiotics: NewLeaf Symbiotics commercializes pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) as seed and foliar biological treatments. Comparable as a venture-stage microbial crop input company focused on nutrient efficiency and stress tolerance — directly aligned with Living Roots' SeedStart and PhotoMax product categories.
• Sound Agriculture: Sound Agriculture develops microbe-based nutrient efficiency products and on-demand breeding for row crops. Comparable to Living Roots as a venture-backed biological input company targeting fertilizer reduction and yield improvement, though focused on US row-crop markets.
• Groundwork BioAg: Groundwork BioAg produces mycorrhizal inoculants for row crops, vegetables, and specialty crops. Comparable to Living Roots as a biological input company using beneficial fungi/bacteria to improve nutrient uptake and reduce chemical fertilizer dependence, though its commercial focus is broader than Living Roots' tropical niche.

Broad incumbents

• Indigo Ag: Indigo Ag is a large US-headquartered agtech company offering microbial seed treatments and biological crop inputs (e.g., Indigo Acres). It is comparable to Living Roots as a biological-input specialist, but operates at significantly greater scale with a much broader crop and geographic footprint.
• Pivot Bio: Pivot Bio develops nitrogen-fixing microbial crop inputs (Pivot Bio Proven, ProveN, etc.) for corn and other crops. It is comparable as a biological fertilizer specialist selling proprietary microbe-based inputs to row-crop farmers, though focused primarily on North American row crops rather than tropical smallholders.
• UPL (OpenAg): UPL is a global agrichemical major with a growing biologicals portfolio under its OpenAg network (including NPP, BioSolutions, and partnerships with biological specialists). Comparable to Living Roots as a supplier of crop input programs including biologicals in Asia, though operating as a broad incumbent with far larger scale and distribution.
• Andermatt Biocontrol: Andermatt Biocontrol is a Switzerland-based biocontrol and biostimulant company with global distribution. Comparable to Living Roots as a biological-input company addressing crop nutrition and protection, though it spans biocontrol agents, biostimulants, and biofertilizers across multiple continents.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 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 Living Roots