What Arcadia Biosciences does

Arcadia Biosciences (NASDAQ: RKDA) is a small public agricultural biotechnology company that has repositioned itself as a producer and marketer of plant-based health and wellness products. Originally founded in 2002 to develop gene traits for staple crops such as wheat, corn, soy, and rice, the company divested most of its wheat intellectual property in 2024-2025 — selling the GoodWheat consumer brand to Above Food Corp, the Resistant Starch Durum trait (24 patents across 20 countries) to Corteva Agriscience, and reduced-gluten/oxidative-stability patent rights to Bioceres Crop Solutions. Its primary remaining consumer product is Zola Coconut Water, which sells through 1,300+ retail and convenience stores, Amazon, and a direct-to-consumer site (livezola.com); the company also retains a portfolio of non-GMO wheat traits (including Reduced Gluten High Fiber Wheat and Extended Shelf Life Wheat with 24-month shelf stability) available for licensing to seed and food companies.

The company's revenue model combines consumer product sales (Zola) with one-time IP licensing and asset-sale payments. FY2025 revenue was $4.858M, down 4% from $5.045M in 2024 primarily due to the absence of large 2024 asset-sale gains; Zola-specific revenues grew 17% year-over-year and volumes grew 18% in Q1 2026. Gross profit margins have exceeded 30% for eleven consecutive quarters. The company operates with 1-10 employees and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas after relocating from Davis, California. Leadership transitioned in July 2024 with Thomas J. Schaefer (formerly CFO) becoming CEO and Mark Kawakami being appointed CFO. The company has executed multiple small private placements (~$2.1M in January 2026 and $4M in June 2026, both led by H.C. Wainwright) to fund operations, and has disclosed material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting along with a going-concern qualification from its former auditor. A proposed all-stock merger with Roosevelt Resources was terminated in December 2025 and the company has stated it is evaluating strategic alternatives.

Name

Arcadia Biosciences

Legal name

Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.

Website

https://arcadiabio.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arcadia Biosciences (NASDAQ: RKDA) is a small public consumer wellness company that markets Zola Coconut Water through retail, Amazon, and DTC channels, while retaining a portfolio of non-GMO wheat trait technologies available for licensing to seed and food companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Biotechnology

SIC

Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086), Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based Beverage Production (Oat/Soy/Almond, etc.) (AFAFABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Plant-Based & Dairy Alternative Beverages (Oat, Almond, Soy, etc.) (CRADAHAM)

Keywords

• Plant-based beverages
• Agricultural biotechnology
• Wheat trait licensing
• Non-GMO crop traits
• Coconut water products

Headquarters

HQ city

Davis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Zola Coconut Water): Revenue from sales of Zola coconut water through retail and e-commerce channels. Zola volumes increased 18% year-over-year in Q1 2026.
2. Wheat IP Licensing and Asset Sales: One-time payments from licensing and sale of wheat intellectual property including $4M sale of RS Durum trait to Corteva and $4M sale of GoodWheat brand to Above Food.
3. Technology Licensing to Seed Companies: Revenue from upfront payments, milestones, and royalties from licensing proprietary technologies to seed and food companies including partnerships with ADM and DuPont.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arcadia Biosciences sells Zola Coconut Water, a plant-based wellness beverage, to consumers through retail and e-commerce channels. The company also develops and licenses proprietary non-GMO wheat trait technologies (including Reduced Gluten High Fiber Wheat and Extended Shelf Life Wheat) to seed and food companies for use in commercial crop applications.

Product overview

Arcadia Biosciences is a producer and marketer of plant-based health and wellness products. The company's product portfolio centers on two primary offerings: Zola Coconut Water (a coconut water wellness beverage brand) and Agronomic Wheat Traits (non-GMO specialty wheat varieties including Reduced Gluten High Fiber Wheat and Extended Shelf Life Wheat). The company previously owned the GoodWheat brand of better-for-you wheat products (pasta, pancake mixes, mac & cheese) which was sold to Above Food Corp in May 2024, and held the Resistant Starch Durum Wheat Trait intellectual property which was sold to Corteva Agriscience in May 2024. Following these divestitures, Zola Coconut Water represents the primary revenue-generating product, while the company retains its wheat trait technology portfolio for potential licensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zola Coconut Water: Plant-based coconut water wellness product. The company's primary consumer product brand.

Products and services

• Zola Coconut Water Plant-based coconut water wellness beverage marketed for hydration and health benefits. Distributed through major grocery and convenience stores (1,300+ stores), Amazon, and livezola.com. Zola is the company's primary revenue driver following the 2024 GoodWheat divestiture, with 18% volume growth YoY in Q1 2026 and 17% revenue growth in FY 2025.
• Agronomic Wheat Traits Portfolio of non-GMO specialty wheat traits developed for the agricultural and food industries, including Reduced Gluten High Fiber Wheat and Extended Shelf Life Wheat varieties, licensed to seed and food companies for use in commercial crop applications.
• Reduced Gluten High Fiber Wheat Non-GMO wheat variety with 50% less gluten than traditional wheat, 5x higher fiber, 30% fewer calories, and 30% more lysine, while maintaining the same taste and texture. Licensed to seed and food companies for incorporation into consumer food products.
• Extended Shelf Life Wheat Non-GMO wheat variety that extends the shelf life of milled whole wheat flour from 3 months up to 24 months, enabling whole wheat food products with improved supply chain stability while maintaining same taste, texture, and field performance.
• Wheat Trait Licensing Program B2B licensing of Arcadia's proprietary non-GMO wheat trait intellectual property to seed and food companies (including Corteva Agriscience, ADM, and DuPont), generating upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties from commercialization in agricultural and food applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% less gluten than traditional wheat
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Roosevelt Resources LPmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2024Proposed all-stock business combination announced December 2024, terminated December 2025. Would have combined Arcadia with Roosevelt's carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) oil and gas project in Texas Permian Basin.
• Above Food CorpmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2024Above Food acquired the GoodWheat brand for $4 million in net payments over three years. Transaction accelerates scaling of Arcadia's wheat IP with Above's vertically integrated, farm-to-fork supply chain. Above's identity preserved system enables efficient commercialization of wheat IP.
• Corteva AgrisciencemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2024Longstanding collaboration since 2017 to develop and commercialize Resistant Starch Durum wheat in North America. In May 2024, Arcadia sold its non-GMO RS Durum trait to Corteva for $4 million, acquiring 24 patents in 20 countries. Corteva continues introgressing the trait into elite germplasm lines.
• ADMcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership centered on licensing Arcadia's proprietary wheat technologies to ADM for commercialization in agricultural applications.
• DuPontcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for licensing proprietary technologies to DuPont in seed and food company applications.
• Bioceres Crop Solutions CorpsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTransfer of rights related to reduced gluten and oxidative stability patents in Q1/Q2 2025, resulting in $750,000 gain and $1 million elimination of contingent liabilities.
• Bioseed Research IndiasupportingTechnology or IntegrationTermination of license agreement for certain intellectual property in Q2 2025, resulting in elimination of $1 million in contingent liabilities.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Vita Coco Company: Leading branded coconut water company in the U.S. Direct competitor to Arcadia's Zola brand in retail grocery, convenience, and e-commerce channels. Highly comparable business model, customer base, and product category.
• Harmless Harvest: Premium organic coconut water brand (owned by Danone) sold through natural and conventional retail channels. Direct competitor to Zola in the plant-based, better-for-you coconut water category.
• C2O Pure Coconut Water: Coconut water brand distributed in U.S. retail, with similar functional positioning to Zola. Closely comparable on product, packaging, and target health-conscious consumer.
• Amy & Brian Naturals: Smaller branded coconut water competitor distributed in U.S. natural and conventional grocery. Comparable niche positioning to Zola in the better-for-you coconut water segment.
• O.N.E. Coconut Water: One Brands' coconut water line sold in retail and convenience. Comparable on product format, packaging, and target health-conscious consumers competing directly against Zola.

Broad incumbents

• Califia Farms: Larger plant-based beverage platform (oat milk, almond milk, coconut creamers). Overlaps with Arcadia/Zola on plant-based, better-for-you beverage positioning and U.S. retail distribution.
• Blue Diamond Growers: Large almond-based cooperative with branded beverages and snacks. Comparable as a plant-based beverage/CPG incumbent competing in the same better-for-you retail shelf space as Zola.
• Corteva Agriscience: Major agricultural input and seed company; bought Arcadia's RS Durum trait in 2024. Comparable on wheat/trait licensing and ag-biotech commercialization, though at vastly larger scale.
• Oatly Group: Public plant-based beverage company (oat milk). Comparable on plant-based, better-for-you consumer beverage positioning and U.S. retail distribution dynamics facing Zola.

Emerging players

• Pairwise: Food-tech company developing new crop varieties (berries, cherries, hemp, corn, soybeans) using gene editing. Comparable on novel-crop/trait development for healthier consumer food ingredients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/161130383912090
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arcadia-biosciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds14 records

Investors7 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Arcadia Biosciences