B-COS, a Ghent University spin-off, has raised 1 million euros in pre-seed funding from Agri Investment Fund (AIF), VP Capital, and Biotope by VIB to advance its precision fermentation-based crop protection solutions.
The company also secured an early discovery agreement with Nichino Europe, the European subsidiary of Japan’s Nihon Nohyaku, to explore the agronomic potential of its chitooligosaccharide-based biopesticides.
This funding round, which includes a VLAIO Research Project grant, will accelerate B-COS’s scale-up, regulatory navigation, and field trials, starting with tomato crops.
European farmers face growing pressure to produce more with fewer tools, as 50 percent of synthetic active substances have been withdrawn from the EU market since 2009. While biological alternatives exist, inconsistency in performance remains a major hurdle.
B-COS addresses this by using engineered bacteria to produce pharmaceutical-grade chitooligosaccharides with batch-to-batch consistency, ensuring reliable and cost-effective crop protection. Its platform can be adapted for various agronomic challenges, from drought resilience to fungal and nematode protection, offering a scalable, single-core technology solution.
The investment round underscores growing confidence in biological crop protection as a dependable alternative. Stef Dierickx, Business Development Manager at Nichino Europe, joined B-COS’s advisory board, bringing expertise in agri-tech commercialization.
"Europe needs biological alternatives that deliver consistent, predictable results under real field conditions", said Chiara Guidi, CEO of B-COS. "This financing positions us to unlock the full potential of our technology."
Erica van Eeghen of VP Capital added: "B-COS’s approach could make biological crop protection a reliable choice for everyday farming."
Founded in June 2025 through Ghent University’s Fast Lane spin-off program, B-COS is led by Chiara Guidi (CEO), Wouter Demeester (CTO), and Maaike Perneel, combining deep scientific expertise with commercial agri-tech experience. The company’s lead product targets tomato crops, with plans to expand to other applications. This collaboration and funding mark a significant step toward sustainable, high-performance agriculture.
