What BioPhero does

BioPhero is a Danish agricultural biotechnology company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Lyngby, Denmark, that developed a proprietary platform for producing insect pheromones via yeast fermentation. This biological manufacturing process enables pheromone synthesis at industrial scale and at a cost structure suitable for large-acreage row crops, a segment historically underserved by pheromone-based pest control due to cost constraints of traditional synthesis routes. The company's core offering is the Sofero® pheromone solutions product line — sprayable mating disruption formulations targeting pests in corn, soybean, and cotton — built on proprietary microencapsulation technology that extends field stability and effectiveness.

The company was acquired by FMC Corporation in 2022 as part of FMC's biologicals portfolio expansion, with BioPhero's technology integrated under the Sofero® brand and distributed through FMC's global agricultural sales organization, which operates regional offices across more than 60 countries. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales supported by agricultural distributors and farm input retailers, with international rollout gated by country-level regulatory registrations; first such international registrations were obtained in Brazil (Sofero® Fall) and Côte d'Ivoire (Sofero® Frugi). BioPhero generated approximately $20.3 million in private venture funding across a 2018 Series A (led by Syngenta Ventures) and a 2021 Series B (led by DCVC Bio, with participation from FMC Ventures, Novo Holdings, and Syngenta Ventures) prior to acquisition.

Name

BioPhero

Legal name

BioPhero

Website

https://biophero.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BioPhero is a Danish biotech (founded 2016, Lyngby) that produces insect pheromones via yeast fermentation for mating-disruption pest management in row crops. Acquired by FMC Corporation in 2022, its technology underpins FMC's Sofero® sprayable pheromone products for corn, soybean, and cotton growers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biopesticides / Agricultural Biologicals

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532), Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (325320)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Pest Management Products (Pheromones, Attractants, Repellents) (AFABAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biological Pest Control (Beneficial Insects, Nematodes, Microbials) (AFABAKAB), Integrated Pest Management (Biological Controls, Monitoring, Reduced Pesticides) (AFAGAMAC)

Keywords

• Pheromone pest control
• Biopesticide solutions
• Mating disruption technology
• Agricultural biotechnology
• Row crop protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyngby

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Biopesticide/Pheromone Product Sales: Sale of pheromone-based pest management products to farmers and agricultural operations. BioPhero was acquired by FMC Corporation as part of their biologicals portfolio expansion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

BioPhero produces bio-based pheromones via yeast fermentation for use in mating disruption pest management on row crops such as corn, soybean, and cotton. Its sprayable, microencapsulated pheromone formulations (commercialized under FMC's Sofero® brand) disrupt insect mating cycles to prevent pest reproduction, fitting into integrated pest management programs without residue concerns or pre-harvest intervals.

Product overview

BioPhero was a biologicals company specializing in pheromone-based pest management solutions for agriculture. The company's core technology involves producing pheromones via yeast fermentation—a biological process enabling industrial-scale production at costs suitable for row crops. Following FMC's acquisition of BioPhero, this technology became the foundation for FMC's Sofero® pheromone solutions product line, which offers sprayable mating disruption formulations designed for large-scale row crop applications including corn, soybean, and cotton. The products feature proprietary microencapsulation technology and are marketed as a preventative approach that fits into integrated pest management programs without residue concerns or pre-harvest intervals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sofero® Pheromone Solutions Sprayable, microencapsulated pheromone formulations for row crops (corn, soybean, cotton) that disrupt pest mating cycles to prevent reproduction. Produced via yeast fermentation for industrial-scale economics and designed to integrate with synthetics, biologicals, and precision agriculture technologies without residue concerns or pre-harvest intervals. Targeted at large-scale row crop growers and their agricultural distribution partners seeking sustainable pest management and resistance management against chemical insecticides.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FMC CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022FMC Corporation acquired BioPhero, a biologicals company specializing in pheromone production for pest management. The acquisition brought BioPhero's yeast fermentation technology for industrial-scale pheromone production into FMC's biologicals portfolio, rebranded as Sofero pheromone solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Andermatt Biocontrol: Andermatt Biocontrol is a Swiss-based producer of biological plant protection products, including baculovirus-based and microbial biopesticides, with global reach. It is comparable to BioPhero as a biological pest control specialist pursuing IPM-friendly, low-residue solutions for growers.
• Biobest Group: Biobest is a major biological pest control and pollination company supplying beneficial insects, biopesticides, and integrated pest management solutions to growers worldwide. It competes with BioPhero in the broader biological pest-management category and overlaps in addressing resistance and residue concerns for growers.
• Koppert Biological Systems: Koppert is a global leader in biological crop protection and pollination, offering a broad portfolio of beneficial insects, microbial biopesticides, and integrated pest management solutions. It is comparable to BioPhero as an alternative sustainable, biological pest-management modality competing for the same sustainability-driven row-crop demand.

Direct peers

• Provivi: Provivi is a California-based ag-biotech company developing pheromone-based pest control solutions, including for row crops such as corn and rice, using biological production routes. Provivi is the most direct technology and category competitor to BioPhero, pursuing the same mating-disruption opportunity for large-acreage crops.
• Suterra: Suterra is one of the world's largest producers of pheromone-based pest control products, focused on mating disruption in fruit, nut, and vine crops. It is a direct peer in pheromone pest management, though historically concentrated in high-value specialty crops rather than row crops, which is BioPhero's differentiated wedge.

Broad incumbents

• FMC Corporation: FMC is the strategic parent and acquirer of BioPhero, and a global agricultural sciences company offering a broad crop protection portfolio across insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and biologicals. BioPhero's Sofero line is now sold as part of FMC's biologicals division, making FMC both the owner and the most directly comparable broad incumbent distribution and channel platform.
• Corteva Agriscience: Corteva is a major global seed and crop protection company with its own biologicals pipeline (e.g., through acquisitions in the biocontrol space) and competes directly with FMC in row-crop pest management. It is comparable as a broad incumbent pursuing both chemical and biological pest control solutions.
• Bayer Crop Science: Bayer Crop Science is a global agricultural input giant offering seeds, crop protection chemicals, and digital farming tools, with a growing biologicals portfolio. It competes broadly with FMC/BioPhero in row-crop pest management and is investing heavily in alternative biological control modalities.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: BASF Agricultural Solutions is a global crop protection and seed company with a portfolio spanning chemical and biological pest management products. It is a broad incumbent comparable to FMC and competes for the same row-crop grower spend and biologicals pipeline investment.
• Syngenta Crop Protection: Syngenta is one of the world's largest crop protection companies, offering insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, seeds, and digital agriculture, and was an early investor in BioPhero via Syngenta Ventures. It is a broad incumbent competing in the same row-crop pest management market and developing its own biologicals pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biophero

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 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 BioPhero