What Semilla Nueva does

Semilla Nueva (doing business as New Seed) is a Guatemala-headquartered nonprofit social enterprise founded in 2010 that develops and disseminates conventionally bred, non-GMO biofortified corn seeds to combat childhood malnutrition in Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Its core technology crosses high-yielding, climate-resilient maize lines with naturally nutritious varieties to deliver seeds containing 39% more zinc, 19% more iron, and 30-80% more quality protein (lysine and tryptophan) than conventional corn, with farmer yields improving 17-25% and the yield advantage roughly doubling under drought. Seed development, field testing, and quality control are performed by an in-house breeding and laboratory team headquartered in Guatemala City, with a parallel R&D program in non-GMO gene editing aimed at reducing breeding costs by 90%.

The company does not sell seeds directly to farmers. Instead, it operates a partner-led go-to-market model: Semilla Nueva licenses or supplies its seed varieties to 11 partner seed companies across Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, each selling to 10,000-100,000 smallholder farmers at subsidized prices (~$25 per purchase in 2025). It also works with the Guatemalan government (Ministry of Agriculture, ICTA, INCAP, IICA) and the Fondo Maíz de Poder subsidy mechanism to institutionalize seed subsidies, with the government now financing most of the subsidy cost. Revenue is derived from grants, donations, and government budget allocations rather than direct seed sales; named funders include GiveWell, Whole Planet Foundation, and the Whole Foods Market Foundation.

In 2025, Semilla Nueva reported reaching 50,000 farmers and feeding 1.14 million people through its partner network, up from 30,000 farmers and over 1 million people fed in 2024. The organization's published cost-effectiveness analysis places impact at 20x cash transfers, at $88 per DALY. It targets 60,000 farmers feeding 2 million people in 2026 and a longer-term vision of 3 million farmers and 100 million people nourished by 2036, with a Sub-Saharan Africa expansion targeting 100 million people by 2035 and a gene editing moonshot targeting 1 billion people by 2045.

Name

Semilla Nueva

Legal name

Semilla Nueva

Website

https://semillanueva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Semilla Nueva (dba New Seed) is a Guatemala-based nonprofit founded in 2010 that breeds non-GMO, high-yielding, climate-resilient, biofortified corn seeds (more zinc, iron, and protein) and scales them through 11 partner seed companies, government subsidies, and NGOs to reach low-income smallholder farmers in Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biofortified Seeds (Agricultural Biotechnology)

NAICS

Corn Farming (111150), Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Seed Production & Multiplication (Contract Growing, Foundation/Certified Seed) (AFABAFAK)

Keywords

• Biofortified seed development
• Crop biofortification
• Agricultural biotechnology
• Maize seed breeding
• Nutrition seed products

Headquarters

HQ city

Guatemala City

HQ country

Guatemala

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Subsidies and Grants: As a social enterprise/nonprofit, Semilla Nueva is funded through government subsidies, grants, and donations. The Guatemalan government now finances most of the cost of the subsidy program. They work with governments to institutionalize subsidy programs for biofortified seeds.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations. The organization is supported by various funders including GiveWell recommended charities and other development-focused donors.
3. Seed Sales through Partner Companies: Partner seed companies produce and sell biofortified seeds at affordable prices through social programs and subsidies, with Semilla Nueva facilitating the partnerships rather than directly selling seeds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Semilla Nueva develops and disseminates biofortified corn (maize) seed varieties bred to contain elevated levels of essential micronutrients, and commercializes these seed products in partnership with local seed companies, government programs, and NGOs to reach smallholder farmers in Guatemala and other regions where corn is a dietary staple.

Product overview

Semilla Nueva (also known as New Seed) operates as a social enterprise focused on developing and distributing biofortified corn seeds. The core product is non-GMO, conventionally bred high-yielding and climate-resilient corn seeds with enhanced nutrition (39% more zinc, 19% more iron, 30-80% more lysine/tryptophan). The company employs a three-pronged approach: (1) developing commercially competitive biofortified seeds, (2) piloting subsidies through the Fondo Maíz de Poder program to make seeds affordable, and (3) working with governments to institutionalize subsidies. Their Gene Editing Program represents R&D efforts to reduce breeding costs by 90% using non-GMO gene editing. In 2025, they launched 2 new seed varieties through 11 partner companies, reaching 50,000 farmers who fed over 1.14 million people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000 farmers reached in 2025, feeding 1.14 million people with nutritious corn
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Seed Companies (11 partner companies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor11 partner companies produce and sell biofortified seeds at affordable prices through their distribution networks. Each partner sells seeds to 10,000-100,000 farmers.
• Guatemalan Government (MAG A, ICTA, INCAP, IICA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment finances most of the subsidy cost through Fondo Maíz de Poder. Partnerships with MAGA (Ministry of Agriculture), ICTA, INCAP, and IICA for program implementation.
• NGOs and Social EnterprisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner with programs already delivering seed to low-income farmers including NGOs, social enterprises, and governments in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Fondo Maíz de PoderflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent fund mechanism supervised by Board and Technical Mesa, receiving budget allocations from Congress and donors for subsidy implementation.
• USAID Advancing NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeather Danton, Board Chair, is Project Director for USAID Advancing Nutrition. USAIDs flagship nutrition project provides technical support for nutrition interventions.
• HarvestPluscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Erick Boy, Board member, leads nutrition research at HarvestPlus. HarvestPlus focuses on biofortification to address micronutrient deficiency globally.
• CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSarah Hearne, Board member, is Director of Genetic Resources Program at CIMMYT, focusing on translating crop genetic potential into seed-based innovations.
• INCAP (Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships with INCAP for nutrition research, including studies on biofortified maize's impact on zinc absorption in women and children.
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Cornell and INCAP on 2022-2023 study showing high-zinc maize improved zinc biomarkers in women and children.
• CU Denver (University of Colorado Denver)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCT with CU Denver and INCAP (2024-5) assessing how tortillas made from biofortified maize affect zinc and iron absorption in Guatemalan children.
• BayerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark Edge, Board Advisor, leads Bayer's collaborations with public-private partnership projects to get improved seeds to smallholder farmers in LMICs.
• EcofiltrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilip Wilson, Board Advisor, is founder and CEO of Ecofiltro, a social enterprise in Guatemala focused on clean water for the rural poor.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• One Acre Fund: Social enterprise providing inputs (including improved seed), financing, and training to smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable model of farmer-facing service delivery, with overlapping donor base and serves the same beneficiary profile as Semilla Nueva's Africa ambitions.
• HarvestPlus: Global leader in crop biofortification, breeding staples (including maize, wheat, cassava) for higher vitamin A, iron, and zinc content. Most direct peer — operates in the same problem space (micronutrient malnutrition via biofortified crops), with a board member (Dr. Erick Boy) linking the two organizations.
• CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center): CGIAR research center driving maize and wheat breeding for developing countries. Board member Sarah Hearne is CIMMYT's Genetic Resources Director, making it a direct partner/peer in maize breeding R&D aimed at smallholder farmers globally.
• INCAP (Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama): Regional nutrition research institute that has collaborated with Semilla Nueva on multiple biofortified maize absorption studies. A research peer and co-author evidence base on the health impacts of biofortified corn.

Broad incumbents

• Bayer Crop Science: Global ag-input giant with seed, trait, and digital agriculture businesses. Board advisor Mark Edge leads Bayer's smallholder/PPP strategy, suggesting an existing partnership channel that competes for the same distribution relationships.
• Corteva Agriscience (Pioneer): Major global seed company with broad maize and climate-resilient breeding programs. Represents the type of well-capitalized incumbent that Semilla Nueva's models compete against — and partner with — for distribution and breeding germplasm.
• AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa): Large-scale agriculture development organization focused on smallholder productivity across Africa. Competes for the same donor pool and policy relationships that Semilla Nueva needs to scale in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Others

• Corteva (formerly Pioneer/DuPont) — Biofortified Maize Pipeline: Adjacent commercial biofortification R&D pursued via WEMA / TELA programs targeting African smallholders with improved maize traits; relevant as a thematic peer for trait integration rather than a like-for-like competitor.

Emerging players

• PABRA (Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance): Alliance delivering improved bean varieties across Africa via partner breeding networks. Analogous institution developing nutritious, climate-resilient varieties through regional partners — closely comparable delivery and breeding architecture.
• ICRISAT: CGIAR center focused on dryland agriculture in semi-arid tropics, breeding climate-resilient staple crops. Comparable mission and methods for smallholder farmers in similar geographies where Semilla Nueva is expanding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/semillanueva

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Semilla Nueva