PhytoGenesis

What PhytoGenesis does

PhytoGenesis is a Lexington, Kentucky-based agtech company founded in 2023 to commercialize PreviSAR, a biological RNA-based foliar spray that primes a plant's natural immune defenses against fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. The underlying technology was developed over more than 20 years by co-founders Aardra Kachroo and Pradeep Kachroo in the University of Kentucky Department of Plant Pathology, with research focused on systemic acquired resistance, lipid-based immune signaling, and chloroplast-mediated plant immunity. The product is positioned as a non-toxic alternative to chemical pesticides, with broad-spectrum pathogen coverage and, in some crop systems, season-long efficacy from a single application.

The company sells PreviSAR directly to commercial farmers and growers in the United States, primarily through an enterprise field-sales motion with a website-based cart for direct ordering. Reported customer pain points center on rising input costs, repeated-application labor and fuel expenses, soil compaction from frequent chemical sprays, and the need to maintain yields against evolving pathogens. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and no enterprise customer logos, distribution agreements, or unit-volume metrics are available in the public record.

The team combines academic founders (the Kachroos as Co-Chief Scientific Officers and Henri Marmillon as Chief Agronomist) with a commercial CEO (Emiliano Aloi), supported by lab and field-trial staff, totaling fewer than 10 employees. PhytoGenesis participated in the SOSV IndieBio accelerator in September 2024, but no priced equity funding, institutional investors, revenue figures, or issued patents are disclosed. The firm's single commercial product, its founder-led research base, and its accelerator-stage capital position describe an early commercial-stage agtech company.

Name

PhytoGenesis

Legal name

PhytoGenesis

Website

https://phytogenesis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PhytoGenesis is a Lexington, KY agtech startup that develops and sells PreviSAR, a biological RNA-based foliar spray that primes plant immunity to protect commercial US crops from fungal, bacterial, and viral disease.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Biological Crop Protection

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

Fungicides (AFABAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biological Pest Control (Beneficial Insects, Nematodes, Microbials) (AFABAKAB)

Keywords

• Biological crop protection
• Plant defense inducers
• RNA-based foliar spray
• Agricultural biologicals
• Non-toxic fungicide alternatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PreviSAR Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling PreviSAR, a biological RNA-based foliar spray for crop protection. The product is positioned as a premium alternative to chemical pesticides with season-long efficacy benefits that can reduce overall input costs for farmers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PhytoGenesis develops and sells PreviSAR, a biological, RNA-based foliar spray that primes plants' natural immune defenses to protect against fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. The product is positioned as a non-toxic alternative to conventional chemical pesticides and is designed for use by commercial farmers and growers seeking season-long crop protection from a single application.

Product overview

PhytoGenesis offers a single core product: PreviSAR, a next-generation plant defense inducer. PreviSAR is a biological, RNA-based foliar spray that primes the plant's immune system without compromising yield. As a proven alternative to chemical pesticides, it reduces environmental and health risks while providing broad-spectrum protection against fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. The product provides season-long efficacy with a single application in some crop systems, reducing input costs compared to traditional treatment programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PreviSAR: A biological, RNA-based foliar spray that primes a plant's natural defenses to protect against disease. Provides broad-spectrum protection against fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens with a single application.

Products and services

• PreviSAR PreviSAR is a biological, RNA-based foliar spray that primes a plant's natural defenses to protect against disease. It provides broad-spectrum protection against fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens through a single application, delivering season-long efficacy in some crop systems. It is targeted at commercial farmers and agricultural operations seeking a non-toxic alternative to chemical pesticides that reduces input costs, equipment wear, labor, and soil compaction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Season-long protection from single application
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of KentuckycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundational research partnership providing the core technology. Co-founders Aardra Kachroo and Pradeep Kachroo conducted over 20 years of research at the University of Kentucky's Department of Plant Pathology, which led to the PreviSAR technology. The company maintains ongoing connection through faculty positions held by co-founders.
• Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (University of Kentucky)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner leading groundbreaking studies on plant immunity biochemistry. Featured in press coverage highlighting the connection between plant and human health research.
• Cornell UniversityminorOthersPostdoctoral research affiliation for co-founders. Aardra Kachroo was a postdoctoral scholar at Cornell University and Duke University. Pradeep Kachroo completed postdoctoral research at Rutgers University and Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University.
• National Science FoundationminorOthersCo-founder Aardra Kachroo serves as Program Director at the National Science Foundation, providing oversight and connection to broader plant science research community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AgBiome: Specialist biological crop protection company developing microbial-based fungicides and insecticides. Directly comparable to PhytoGenesis as a venture-backed biologicals pure-play targeting the same grower pain points with non-chemical alternatives.
• Certis Biologicals: A leading biological crop protection company offering a broad portfolio of biofungicides, bioinsecticides, and bionematicides. Comparable to PhytoGenesis in target market and product category, though significantly larger and more established.
• Bioceres (Marrone Bio Innovations): Agricultural biologicals company (combined with Marrone Bio) selling bio-based crop protection and plant health products. Directly comparable as a biologicals pure-play targeting reduced-chemical farming, though at a much larger scale.
• Indigo Ag: Agritech company with a significant biologicals and microbial seed treatment business targeting improved plant health and yield. Comparable in mission (non-chemical crop improvement) and target customer (commercial growers).
• Pivot Bio: Biological nitrogen-fixing microbial company replacing synthetic fertilizer. Comparable as a venture-backed ag biologicals company selling direct to commercial growers with a value proposition of reduced chemical inputs.

Broad incumbents

• Valent BioSciences: Established biorational crop protection and plant health subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical. Comparable in product category (biological crop protection) but operates at significantly larger scale with a broad portfolio.
• Bayer Crop Science: Global agricultural input leader with both chemical and expanding biological crop protection offerings. Comparable as the dominant incumbent against whose chemistry PhytoGenesis is positioning PreviSAR as a non-toxic alternative.
• Corteva Agriscience: Major global seed and crop protection company with a growing biologicals portfolio. Comparable as a large incumbent competing for the same grower wallet share for disease and pest management.
• Koppert Biological Systems: Global market leader in biological crop protection including biopesticides and biofungicides. Comparable in product category and mission (replacing chemicals with biologicals), with broader geographic reach than PhytoGenesis.

Emerging players

• Sound Agriculture: Venture-backed startup developing on-demand crop solutions including a biological product that activates the plant microbiome. Comparable as a similarly staged emerging biologicals company targeting reduced chemical inputs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phytogenesis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 PhytoGenesis