What Wild Bioscience does

Wild Bioscience Ltd is an Oxford University spinout founded in 2022 and headquartered at Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The company operates an AI-driven crop breeding platform that integrates machine learning with evolutionary biology to design next-generation crop varieties by harnessing the genetics of wild plants that thrive in extreme environments. Its core technology pipeline combines proprietary trait design algorithms, precision breeding, and (since 2026) Fulcrum genome editing tools licensed from Pairwise to develop seed varieties with improved yield, climate resilience, and sustainability characteristics. Early-stage engineered wheat lines have demonstrated yield improvements exceeding 20%, and consortium programs are targeting more than 10% productivity gains in commercial wheat within a five-year development horizon.

The company's go-to-market is a B2B enterprise field-sales motion built around licensing and co-development partnerships with major seed companies and agricultural corporations. Wild Bioscience does not sell directly to growers; instead it licenses improved seed varieties and trait IP to partners such as KWS, Dyson Farming, and The Traits Company (a GDM-backed soybean trait discovery specialist). Revenue mechanics are expected to be licensing royalties on commercialized seed varieties once these reach national listing, supplemented by R&D grants such as the £1.13M Defra/Innovate UK award and the £1.2M UK government wheat consortium funding. Strategic positioning is anchored on the UK's Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, which the company treats as a regulatory accelerator relative to GMO-jurisdiction competitors.

Wild Bioscience has raised £45 million (~$60M / ~€51M) in Series A funding in October 2025 from a syndicate led by the Ellison Institute of Technology and Oxford Science Enterprises, with Braavos and the University of Oxford participating. Post-funding, the company scaled its Milton Park facility to 16,000 sq ft, tripled plant output, and grew its team to 40 staff. Field trials are underway across four countries, with multi-crop expansion signals in wheat and soybeans and active pursuit of additional licensing and co-development relationships globally.

Name

Wild Bioscience

Legal name

Wild Bioscience Ltd

Website

https://www.wildbioscience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wild Bioscience is an Oxford University spinout that uses AI-driven machine learning and evolutionary biology to design improved crop varieties from wild plant genetics. The company licenses precision-bred seed varieties through B2B co-development partnerships with major seed and agricultural companies, initially targeting wheat and soybeans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Biotechnology / Crop Genetics & Seed Technology

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Breeding & Bioinformatics Software (Breeding informatics, decision tools) (AFABALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trait Discovery & Functional Genomics (Target ID/Validation) (AFABALAC), Gene Editing Trait Development (CRISPR/TALEN/ZFN) (AFABALAB)

Keywords

• AI-driven crop breeding
• Precision plant breeding
• Climate-resilient seed varieties
• Crop trait design
• Agricultural biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seed Variety Licensing and Commercialization: Revenue generated through licensing improved seed varieties to agricultural companies and commercializing precision-bred crop varieties developed through AI-driven breeding programs with commercial partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wild Bioscience develops AI-driven precision-bred crop varieties by applying machine learning and evolutionary biology to wild plant genetics, designing improved traits such as yield, climate resilience, and disease resistance. The company licenses these precision-bred wheat and soybean varieties to seed developers and agricultural companies for integration into commercial seed portfolios, supplemented by co-development partnerships and grant-funded research programs.

Product overview

Wild Bioscience is an Oxford University spinout that has developed a unified AI-driven crop breeding platform. The platform leverages machine learning and evolutionary biology principles to design next-generation crops with improved yield, resilience, and sustainability. The company integrates computational design with plant biology to transform wild plant genetic solutions into commercially viable crop varieties. Their technology pipeline combines AI-driven trait design with precision breeding tools to develop climate-resilient seed varieties for global deployment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Precision-bred wheat varieties AI-discovered and precision-bred wheat varieties carrying improved yield, climate resilience, and disease resistance traits, developed for licensing to seed developers and agribusiness partners.
• Soybean trait design (with The Traits Company) AI-driven soybean trait design program co-developed with The Traits Company, applying Wild Bioscience's machine-learning and evolutionary-biology platform to identify and develop beneficial soybean traits.
• AI-driven crop breeding platform (trait discovery licensing) Proprietary platform combining machine learning with evolutionary biology to mine wild plant genetic diversity and design crop traits, offered to partners through co-development and licensing arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Early engineered lines showing 20%+ yield improvements in wheat
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pairwise PlantscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 24 February 2026Pairwise signed a licensing agreement granting Wild Bioscience access to Fulcrum genome editing tools for crop research and development. Wild Bioscience integrates these tools into its AI-driven pipeline to develop resilient crops for climate adaptation, yield improvement, and carbon removal.
• UK Consortium (Defra/Innovate UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Wild Bioscience formed a UK consortium with partners to develop and commercialize precision-bred wheat varieties. The project secured £1.13 million in funding from Defra's Farming Innovation Programme and Innovate UK.
• KWScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026KWS joined Wild Bioscience and Dyson Farming in a £1.2 million government-funded collaboration to develop and commercialize precision-bred wheat varieties designed to sustainably increase yield and resilience. The three-year development programme targets more than 10% productivity gains, with early engineered lines already showing 20%+ yield improvements, aiming for national listing for commercial launch in approximately five years.
• Dyson FarmingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Dyson Farming partnered with Wild Bioscience and KWS in a government-funded collaboration to develop precision-bred wheat varieties targeting sustainable yield and resilience improvements. The consortium leverages the UK's Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023.
• The Traits CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2026Wild Bioscience partnered with The Traits Company, a North Carolina-based trait discovery specialist backed by global seed leader GDM, to integrate Wild Bio's proprietary machine learning and evolutionary biology trait design platform with The Traits Company's product development pipeline. The collaboration aims to deliver high-performing soybean varieties at scale, combining advanced technology with elite germplasm for global commercial deployment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Benson Hill: AI/biology crop improvement company combining computational platforms with seed genetics (notably soybeans) to deliver yield and quality improvements — directly comparable B2B seed licensing model and technology stack.
• KWS Saat: One of the world's leading seed companies, particularly strong in wheat and sugar beet; existing Wild Bioscience partner but also a direct competitor in precision-bred wheat commercialization.
• Cibus: Gene-editing (non-transgenic) plant breeding company developing improved crop varieties through its Rapid Trait Development System — direct comparable in precision-breeding / non-GMO gene editing for agriculture.
• Inari Agriculture: Flagship AI-driven seed design company that uses machine learning and biological modeling to develop high-performance crops, mirroring Wild Bioscience's core thesis of computational design + plant biology. Most direct and relevant peer in the AI-seed design category.
• Pairwise Plants: Gene-editing agriculture company that licenses its Fulcrum® tools to Wild Bioscience, but is also a developer of gene-edited crops in its own right. Overlaps directly on technology platform and target crops.

Emerging players

• Equinom: AI-driven seed breeding company focused on high-value crops (pulses, soybean, sesame) using computational biology — emerging peer with narrower crop focus but analogous AI-breeding approach and B2B licensing model.

Broad incumbents

• Corteva Agriscience: Major global seed company (Pioneer, Brevant) with active investment in AI/ML-enabled breeding and gene editing — broad incumbent in the same target market with overlapping technology.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: Global seed and crop protection company with growing trait development capabilities (acquired Bayer's vegetable seed business, owns Traitology/AgriMetis) — broad incumbent competing in same trait/seed space.
• Syngenta Group: Global ag-input major with substantial seed business and trait development capabilities; direct overlap on wheat and soybean variety development with broad geographic reach.
• Bayer Crop Science (Climate Corporation): Largest global seed and crop input company with significant AI-augmented breeding capabilities and a deep germplasm library — broad incumbent overlap on AI breeding and commercial seed distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wild-bioscience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors4 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 Wild Bioscience