What Terraforma does

Terraforma International is a privately held agricultural technology company founded in 2018 by Miles Sorel (CEO) and Cooper Scarbrough (COO), headquartered in San Francisco with project operations extending into Ecuador. The company develops and deploys an integrated soil-health restoration platform for enterprise-scale commercial farms, with disclosed engagements spanning 60 to 45,000 hectares across Latin America (Guatemala sugar cane, Ecuador bananas, Peru table grapes) and the Philippines (with Dole Sunshine Company).

The core technology is the TerraPod, an on-site solid-state bioreactor (8,000-25,000L/year capacity per unit) that cultivates native, location-adapted microorganisms to produce fresh living microbial inoculants — avoiding the dormancy and shipping degradation issues associated with bottled biological products. Each formulation contains over 500 unique species of bacteria and fungi plus predatory organisms, customized per farm. This is paired with a Soil Health Analysis service that combines next-generation sequencing (NGS) with direct microscopy to characterize the soil microbiome, and a Consultation Services line (hourly, daily, or retainer-based) that guides implementation of regenerative management practices such as bio-composting, cover cropping, and mycorrhizal inoculation.

Terraforma's commercial model is a mix of equipment leasing (TerraPod and Extraction System, multi-year contracts with ~4-month setup lead time), professional services (soil analysis and consultation), and a recurring biological-solutions stream. Customers are acquired and served through direct field sales with project managers deployed on-site. Documented outcomes include a 10% yield increase and $200/ha profit lift on the Guatemala sugar cane operation, 57% nematode reduction and $1,000/ha fertilizer savings on the Ecuador banana farm, and a 160% year-on-year yield increase and 25% input-cost reduction on the Peru grape farm transitioning to organic. Ownership remains concentrated with the two co-founders; no external funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors are disclosed.

Name

Terraforma

Legal name

Terraforma International

Website

https://terraformasoil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Terraforma International is an agricultural technology company that leases proprietary on-site TerraPod bioreactors producing customized microbial soil solutions for enterprise-scale commercial farms, combining soil microbiome analytics with regenerative-agriculture consulting across Latin America and the Philippines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regenerative Agriculture / Soil Biotechnology

NAICS

Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Soil Health & Regenerative Agronomy Consulting (AFACABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE), Soil Amendments & Conditioners (Lime/Gypsum/Humates) (IMAEAEAH)

Keywords

• Soil microbiome restoration
• Biological soil inputs
• Regenerative agriculture solutions
• Custom microbial solutions
• On-site bioreactor systems

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TerraPod Leasing: The TerraPod bioreactor and Extraction System are leased to projects to reduce upfront equipment costs. This allows Terraforma to continually monitor and update systems while providing clients with ongoing support and access to latest technology. Equipment production takes 2 months for fabrication/shipping plus 2 months for maturation before first application.
2. Consultation Services: Provides expertise on Sustainable Management Practices (SMPs) including implementation guidance. Consultation designed to fit project needs — hourly/daily on-site rates for sparse consultation, retainer-based system for heavily involved projects with reduced on-site rates and unlimited consultation.
3. Soil Health Analysis: Precision soil microbiome analysis using next-generation sequencing and direct microscopy to inform customized biological solutions and SMP recommendations.
4. Biological Solutions Products: Living microbial inoculum produced on-site through TerraPod bioreactor containing over 500 unique species of bacteria and fungi plus predatory organisms. Applied to farms for soil microbiome restoration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Terraforma develops and deploys custom microbial soil solutions for large commercial farms. The company sells/leases its on-site TerraPod bioreactor system that cultivates native microorganisms adapted to each farm's soil and climate, supports it with precision soil microbiome analytics using next-generation sequencing and direct microscopy, and provides expert consultation on regenerative management practices to reduce synthetic inputs and improve yields.

Product overview

Terraforma offers a three-part integrated solution for soil health and regenerative agriculture. The core offerings consist of: (1) Soil Health Analysis — combining next-generation sequencing with direct microscopy to analyze and visualize soil microbiome balance and functionality; (2) TerraPod — an on-site solid-state bioreactor that produces living, localized microbial solutions adapted to the farm's specific conditions; and (3) Consultation Services — expert guidance on regenerative management practices (RMPs) and project implementation support. These three components work together: soil analysis informs the TerraPod formulation and management recommendations, consultation supports implementation, and the biological solutions restore soil ecology to increase profitability through reduced inputs and improved crop outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TerraPod Bioreactor System An on-site solid-state bioreactor leased to enterprise farms that cultivates native microorganisms adapted to each farm's specific soil, crop, and bioregion. Produces living microbial solutions with over 500 unique species of bacteria and fungi plus predatory organisms, with a per-unit production capacity of 8,000–25,000L/year, preventing the dormancy issues common with shipped bottled biological products.
• Soil Health Analysis A precision analytical service for enterprise farms that combines next-generation sequencing with direct microscopy to map the balance and functionality of the soil microbiome. Identifies which microorganism communities to cultivate and which regenerative management practices will have the greatest impact for the client's crop and field conditions.
• Consultation Services Expert advisory engagement for enterprise farms that goes beyond injecting microbes, guiding farmers through regenerative management practices (SMPs/RMPs) and supporting implementation of project plans to expedite soil restoration, build long-term resilience, and achieve yield, cost, and sustainability goals. Offered through pay-as-you-go hourly/daily rates or monthly retainer arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10% yield increase (Guatemala sugar cane, 2021-2022)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dole Sunshine CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDole Sunshine Company is a flagship customer and partner for Terraforma's soil biodiversity restoration work. Terraforma's work in restoring soil biodiversity and reducing carbon footprint constitutes a key part of Dole Sunshine Company's commitment to sustainability. Terraforma's team works with Dole Philippines' agri-research and production teams on sustainability initiatives.
• Trace GeonomicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppears as a partner logo on Terraforma's website, suggesting some form of collaborative relationship in the agricultural technology or analytics space.
• AgropuiracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgropuira is a key customer and ongoing research partner working with Terraforma on soil improvements. Shareholder and Executive Director Roberto Silva Rodríguez describes bringing Terraforma on board as one of his best decisions, continuing the partnership for ongoing research and soil improvements.
• Ingenio MagdalenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIngenio Magdalena partnered with Terraforma for a tailored regenerative agriculture program aligned with corporate objectives. Terraforma provided hands-on expertise to accelerate adoption of regenerative practices and helped build a soil health-centered mindset with their team.
• McNabb BroderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcNabb Broders, led by CEO Matt McNabb, partners with Terraforma for education on farming practices beyond traditional chemical approaches. McNabb describes Terraforma as providing ongoing responsive project management and support.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sound Agriculture: Sound Agriculture produces on-demand microbe-based solutions (including SOURCE and nitrogen-fixing products) for row crops and specialty crops. Its focus on reducing synthetic fertilizer use and improving soil health directly parallels Terraforma's biological input and regenerative practice offering.
• Biome Makers: Biome Makers offers BeCrop, a soil microbiome analysis service using DNA sequencing and an AI database of over 14M microorganisms. It directly competes with Terraforma's NGS-based Soil Health Analysis layer for growers seeking microbiome-driven agronomy recommendations.
• Pivot Bio: Pivot Bio develops microbial nitrogen-fixing products for corn and other row crops. It targets the same large-acre enterprise grower with biological alternatives to synthetic fertilizer, overlapping with Terraforma's mission of replacing chemical inputs through living microbial solutions.
• AgBiome: AgBiome uses microbial discovery and genomics to develop biological crop protection and soil health products. Its GENESIS platform and Howler/Effective products overlap with Terraforma's microbe-driven soil and crop productivity solutions.
• Indigo Ag: Indigo Ag is the largest US ag-biologicals company, offering microbial seed treatments and on-farm biological solutions aimed at improving yield and reducing synthetic inputs. It directly competes with Terraforma's microbial-soil restoration model for large-scale commercial farms.
• Symborg: Symborg develops and commercializes microbial agricultural inputs (e.g., Mycosym, Trichosym) for specialty crops including fruits, vegetables and vines — directly overlapping with Terraforma's banana, grape and sugar cane customer base.
• Locus Agricultural Solutions: Locus Agricultural Solutions produces custom-blended microbial inoculants and soil amendments for agriculture, with a focus on organic and regenerative farming. It competes head-to-head with Terraforma in customized, biology-based soil restoration for commercial growers.

Emerging players

• Agrology: Agrology provides real-time soil carbon, moisture and microclimate sensing for specialty crop growers. It is an adjacent emerging player in the soil health data layer that complements or competes with parts of Terraforma's analytics offering.
• Pattern Ag: Pattern Ag provides predictive soil DNA analytics to help growers make input and management decisions. It overlaps with Terraforma's analytics offering, though Pattern Ag is primarily a data layer rather than an on-site bioreactor operator.
• Trace Genomics: Trace Genomics is a soil microbiome analytics company whose logo already appears on Terraforma's website as a partner. It offers competing DNA-based soil health diagnostics that overlap with Terraforma's analytics layer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/terraforma-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Terraforma