Plant Health Care

What Plant Health Care does

Plant Health Care plc is a UK-incorporated agricultural biological products company that develops and commercializes proprietary peptide- and protein-based crop inputs under two technology pillars: the patented Harpin αβ recombinant protein (sold globally as ProAct, H2Copla, Inceptive and Messenger) and the newer PREtec (Plant Response Elicitor) peptide platform, which spans the Innatus 3G disease-control family (commercialized as Saori in Brazil from 2021 and Obrona in the US from 2023) and the T-Rex 3G bionematicide family (commercialized as Teikko in Brazil from 2024). The company's products activate plants' natural defence and stress-response pathways rather than acting as direct pesticides, are classified by the US EPA as low-toxicity with zero residues, and are supported by an in-house Seattle pilot fermentation facility capable of producing approximately 100 kg of peptide per month, with commercial manufacture scaled to 5,000-litre fermentation through third-party producers. The portfolio also includes the Myconate family of mycorrhizal fungi promoters and a pipeline (including PHC68949) targeting a stated addressable market exceeding USD 5 billion across three PREtec products.

Plant Health Care generates revenue primarily through one-time B2B product sales to specialist agricultural distributors and direct sales via wholly owned subsidiaries in the UK, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and the USA; its Mexico subsidiary additionally distributes third-party biological products, generating distribution margin on complementary inputs. The commercial model is hybrid channel: exclusive and core distribution agreements with major industry partners including Nutrien (Brazil), Wilbur-Ellis (USA), Coplacana (São Paulo sugarcane), DuxAgri (22 sub-Saharan African countries), EDAF (Portugal), Talc U.S.A. (US corn) and AMVAC (China), supported by co-branded product launches such as H2Copla and Inceptive. End-customers are row-crop growers (soybeans, sugarcane, corn), specialty fruit and vegetable producers, and turf/ornamentals managers, with quantified field outcomes including up to 12% sugarcane yield uplift for H2Copla and up to 15% yield improvement for PREtec seed treatments.

Plant Health Care was AIM-listed in London from July 2004 under ticker PHC until 20 August 2024, when it was acquired by India's PI Industries Ltd and became a wholly owned subsidiary; in November 2025 PI Industries rebranded the business as PI AgSciences, its global agricultural arm. The company was historically funded through a combination of AIM share placings and post-IPO equity (approximately USD 10 million in 2021 and GBP 2.8 million in June 2023) against an aspirational USD 30 million revenue target for 2025, and operates with 101–250 employees across its subsidiaries.

Name

Plant Health Care

Legal name

Plant Health Care plc

Website

https://planthealthcare.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Plant Health Care plc (now PI AgSciences) is a UK-headquartered provider of proprietary biological crop inputs, including Harpin αβ protein and PREtec peptide products, sold via wholly owned subsidiaries in five countries and exclusive distributors worldwide to row-crop, specialty fruit and vegetable growers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Biological Products

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Biologicals Regulatory, Testing & Quality Assurance Services (AFABAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tank Mix Aids & Emulsifiers (Coupling Agents, Solubilizers, Emulsifiers) (AFABAGAH)

Keywords

• Agricultural biological products
• Crop protection peptides
• Plant health biostimulants
• Biological crop solutions
• Agricultural biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Product Sales (Harpin αβ brands and PREtec peptide products): Sales of proprietary biological products (Harpinαβ, ProAct, Myconate, Saori, Obrona, Teikko and other branded products) to specialist distributors globally and direct through operating subsidiaries; sold via one-time product purchases by agricultural distributors and growers.
2. Distribution of Third-Party Biological Products (Mexico): In Mexico, the Group also distributes third-party biological products, generating distribution/mark-up revenue on complementary biological inputs alongside its own PHC branded range.
3. Equity Funding (Share Placings/Subscriptions): Historically raised growth capital via share placings and subscriptions on AIM (e.g., GBP 2.8 million raise in 2023 and a prior USD 10 million raise) to fund new product launches, inventory expansion and accelerated commercialization; aspirational revenue target of USD 30 million by 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Plant Health Care develops and sells proprietary agricultural biological products built on two technology pillars: the Harpin αβ recombinant protein (marketed globally as ProAct, H2Copla, Inceptive and Messenger) and the PREtec (Plant Response Elicitor) peptide platform, which includes Innatus 3G and T-Rex 3G families commercialized as Saori, Obrona and Teikko. Products are biostimulants, biofungicides and bionematicides that activate plants' natural defense and metabolic systems to improve yield, quality and stress tolerance, sold B2B through specialist distributors and direct subsidiaries in the UK, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and the USA.

Product overview

Plant Health Care offers a portfolio of proprietary agricultural biological products and technology solutions built on two main technology pillars: (1) the Harpin αβ recombinant protein, marketed globally under multiple brand names (ProAct, Messenger, H2Copla, Inceptive), and (2) the PREtec (Plant Response Elicitor Technology) peptide platform, which houses two peptide families — Innatus 3G (disease control, commercialized as PHC279/Saori in Brazil 2021 and Obrona in the US 2023) and T-Rex 3G (nematode control, commercialized as PHC949/Teikko in Brazil 2024). Other commercial offerings include the Myconate family (Myconate AS, Myconate HB) of mycorrhizal fungi promoters and the PREzym biostimulant. Following the August 2024 acquisition by PI Industries Ltd., Plant Health Care operates as a wholly owned subsidiary rebranded as PI AgSciences in November 2025. Plant Health Care does not sell a single unified software product — its offerings are a platform-plus-modules architecture spanning peptide active ingredients, branded end-products, regional distributor relationships, and subsidiaries in the UK, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Harpin αβ (Harpinαβ): Recombinant protein / biostimulant technology platform used across multiple commercial product brands including ProAct, Messenger and Employ.
• Saori®
• Obrona™
• Teikko
• Inceptive™
• H2Copla
• ProAct®
• Myconate® (Myconate AS, Myconate HB)
• PHC68949
• ProAct® aa
• PREzym™

Products and services

• Saori® First PREtec peptide product (containing PHC279 from the Innatus 3G family) launched in Brazil in 2021 through partner Nutrien as a seed treatment for soybeans, generating a very positive response from growers and large-scale commercial production at 5,000-litre fermentation.
• Obrona™ PREtec peptide product (containing PHC279 from the Innatus 3G family) launched in the US in 2023 by partner Wilbur-Ellis for control of diseases in corn and specialty crops. First product from the Innatus 3G peptide family to be commercially launched.
• Teikko PREtec peptide bionematicide (containing PHC949 from the T-Rex 3G family) that activates plants' natural defenses against nematode infection; registered in Brazil in 2023 and launched for the 2024 Brazilian soybean growing season. Shows performance comparable to conventional chemical nematicides with a benign toxicological profile.
• ProAct® Biological product containing Harpin αβ protein that activates plant metabolism resulting in increased marketable yields, higher quality produce, increased stress tolerance and improved nutrient uptake. Distributed globally through specialist distributors.
• Myconate® Plant health enhancement product that mimics a natural plant extract to promote colonization of plant roots by beneficial soil mycorrhizal fungi, leading to improved early growth, better phosphorus uptake and increased yield. Available in agricultural seed (AS) and horticultural/biostimulant (HB) variants.
• PREzym™ Biological / biostimulant product marketed by Plant Health Care España, combining PRO and PRE (PRO+PRE) benefits for residue-zero crops in Spanish and European markets, providing improved production and fruit quality with zero residue.
• H2Copla Harpin αβ based product for the sugarcane market in Brazil, marketed and sold exclusively on sugarcane in São Paulo state by Coplacana. Improves sugarcane vigor and yields up to 10 MT/hectare or 12% based on 2017 Brazil field trials.
• Inceptive™ Product for the US corn market containing Harpin αβ technology, co-branded with Talc U.S.A. and mixed with talc as a seed lubricant prior to application to seed. Marketed and sold by Talc U.S.A. to its network of over 1,500 US corn dealers.
• Messenger Product containing Harpin αβ technology that activates plant metabolism resulting in increased marketable yields, higher quality produce, increased stress tolerance and improved nutrient uptake; distributed in Africa and other markets.
• PHC68949 New biological pest control solution for nematodes that activates plants' natural defenses; described as the first foliar-applied nematode management product of its kind. Received a positive final review from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation in October 2025; commercial launch pending.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sugarcane yield increase up to 10 MT/hectare or 12% with H2Copla (Harpin αβ) in Brazil based on 2017 field trials
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core — distribution partner for obrona launch in the us market; joint market-development discussions., core — distribution partner for the launch of the first pretec product, saori®, in brazil., core — exclusive distributor for h2copla on sugarcane in sao paulo state, brazil., minor — exclusive distributor in portugal for proact and myconate., core — exclusive distributor across 22 sub-sahara african countries for proact, messenger and myconate., minor — co-branded us corn market distribution of inceptive (phc's harpin αβ mixed with talc u.s.a. talc lubricant). and moderate — china distribution partner announced for plant health care's biological products..

• Wilbur-Elliscore — distribution partner for obrona launch in the us market; joint market-development discussions.Channel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Wilbur-Ellis is PHC's distribution partner in the USA and launched Obrona™ (PHC279) in 2023 for disease control in corn and specialty crops; the companies have also publicly discussed US market opportunities together (e.g., joint YouTube interview).
• Nutriencore — distribution partner for the launch of the first pretec product, saori®, in brazil.Channel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Nutrien is PHC's distribution partner in Brazil and launched the first PREtec product, Saori® (PHC279), for soybean seed treatment in 2021, generating a very positive response from growers and large-scale commercial production at 5,000-litre fermentation.
• Coplacana (Brazil)core — exclusive distributor for h2copla on sugarcane in sao paulo state, brazil.Channel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 March 2018Coplacana, a leading cooperative in Sao Paulo state with 70 years of history, exclusively markets and sells the co-branded H2Copla (Harpin αβ) on sugarcane; field trials demonstrated yield increases of up to 10 MT per hectare or 12%.
• EDAF Unipessoal LDA (Portugal)minor — exclusive distributor in portugal for proact and myconate.Channel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 December 2017EDAF became the exclusive Portuguese distributor for PHC's ProAct (Harpin αβ) and Myconate biological products, focused on innovative non-residue high quality solutions for Portuguese agricultural markets.
• DuxAgri (Pty) Ltd (sub-Sahara Africa)core — exclusive distributor across 22 sub-sahara african countries for proact, messenger and myconate.Channel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 January 2017DuxAgri is the exclusive distributor for PHC's Harpin αβ (ProAct, Messenger) and Myconate technologies in sub-Sahara Africa, covering maize, soybeans, sugarcane, vegetables, potatoes, citrus, pears and macadamia nuts across 22 countries; drove world-record "crack out" ratio in South African macadamia nuts in 2015–2016.
• Talc U.S.A.minor — co-branded us corn market distribution of inceptive (phc's harpin αβ mixed with talc u.s.a. talc lubricant).OEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 14 December 2016Talc U.S.A., a leading US supplier of seed lubricants and inoculants with a network of over 1,500 corn market dealers, partnered with PHC to develop and market Inceptive, a private-label Harpin αβ / talc mixture applied to corn seed; rolled out on a limited basis in 2017.
• AMVAC (American Vanguard Corporation)moderate — china distribution partner announced for plant health care's biological products.Channel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAMVAC announced a China distribution partnership with Plant Health Care, extending PHC's biological products reach into the Chinese agricultural inputs market.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes): Global leader in industrial enzymes and microbial biological solutions for agriculture; comparable as a direct peer in agricultural biologicals/biostimulants with comparable B2B distributor-led go-to-market and overlapping crop input categories such as yield enhancement and disease management.
• Valent BioSciences: Specialist subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical focused on biorational products (biostimulants, biopesticides, inoculants) for crop protection and yield; highly comparable as a direct peer in proprietary biologicals with similar crop segments (row crops, specialty fruits and vegetables) and global distribution model.
• Koppert Biological Systems: Dutch specialist in biological crop protection and natural pollination with biostimulant and biopesticide portfolios; comparable as a direct peer in sustainable agricultural biologicals serving specialty and row crops globally with strong distributor networks.

Broad incumbents

• Syngenta Group: Global agrochemical and seed major with a dedicated biologicals platform; comparable as a broad incumbent targeting the same row-crop and specialty-crop growers with overlapping biostimulant and biocontrol product lines, but with vastly greater distribution scale and R&D budget.
• Bayer Crop Science: One of the largest crop protection and seed companies, with a growing biologicals portfolio through its Biologics by Bayer group; comparable as a broad incumbent that overlaps with PHC's biostimulant/biopesticide/nematicide categories but operates at much greater scale across a full chemistry-and-seed portfolio.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: Global agrochemical major with a biological crop protection and seed treatment portfolio; comparable as a broad incumbent operating in biostimulants, biological seed treatments and biocontrol categories that overlap with PHC's peptide and mycorrhizal offerings.
• Corteva Agriscience: Global seed and crop protection major with an expanding biologicals business (e.g., biologicals acquisitions and partnerships); comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping biological and biostimulant solutions alongside a much larger conventional chemistry portfolio.

Others

• PI Industries Ltd: Indian agrochemical parent company that acquired Plant Health Care in August 2024 and now operates it as PI AgSciences; included as an adjacent/parent comparator since it represents the ultimate owner and provides context on PHC's positioning within a larger sustainable crop solutions portfolio.

Emerging players

• Pivot Bio: US-based agtech company commercializing microbial nitrogen-fixing products for row crops (corn, sorghum, wheat); comparable as an emerging player in agricultural biologicals with comparable distributor-led model and a focus on replacing/reducing synthetic inputs such as fertilizer.
• AgBiome: US-based biologicals company developing microbial crop protection and crop nutrition products; comparable as an emerging player focused on biological disease and pest control with similar go-to-market through distributors and direct sales in row and specialty crops.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PlantHCare
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtTrmsogjwVxlb9X0NGnFnw
• Facebookfacebook.com/PlantHealthCare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plant-health-care-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/planthealthcareeurope

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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 Plant Health Care