Southern Research (SR) is an independent,nonprofit, scientific research organization with more than 400 scientists and engineers working across four divisions: Drug Discovery, Drug Development, Engineering, and Energy & Environment. SR supports the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental, and energy industries as we work on behalf of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, major aerospace firms, utility companies, and other private and government organizations.They pursue entrepreneurial and collaborative initiatives to develop and maintain a pipeline of intellectual property and innovative technologies that positively impact real-world problems.

Southern Research

Jemison Investment Company, based in Alabama, seeks to finance privately-held and early-stage companies with high growth potential.

Jemison Investment Company

Alabama Launchpad helps high growth companies start, stay and grow in Alabama while supporting, advocating, and recognizing entrepreneurship statewide. Alabama Launchpad is a program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama.

Alabama Launchpad

CHONEX

CHONEX is a nutrient recycling company that converts poultry manure, a low-value fertilizer product, into 3 high-value commodity products- Protein, Lauric Acid, and Fertilizer. It was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Florence, Alabama.

Alabama-based CHONEX offers protein livestock feed, biostimulants, and biofertilizer using a proprietary composting process. The company’s fertilizer “STRONGSOIL” is made by using black soldier fly larvae to convert poultry manure into the final product, which contains plant-beneficial microbes and is stated to have a high content of macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Based on 2021 field trials, CHONEX has demonstrated that its fertilizer improved yields (up to 30%+ increase on foliage crops), increased root growth, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance while reducing fertilizer use by up to 50%.

Natural Fertilizers

Local agtech startup Chonex eyes $40M raise

Alabama-based CHONEX offers protein livestock feed, biostimulants, and biofertilizer using a proprietary composting process. The company’s fertilizer “STRONGSOIL” is made by using black soldier fly larvae to convert poultry manure into the final product, which contains plant-beneficial microbes and is stated to have a high content of macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Based on 2021 field trials, CHONEX has demonstrated that its fertilizer improved yields (up to 30%+ increase on foliage crops), increased root growth, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance while reducing fertilizer use by up to 50%.As of October 2019, CHONEX was selling all of its production to one customer (undisclosed) and was aiming to scale its operations. The company reported plans to begin production in February 2020 with a capacity of processing 3 tons of waste a day. It also revealed plans to test the market throughout Spring and Summer 2020 and build a production facility to increase its capacity to 60 tons per day.&nbsp;In September 2019, CHONEX secured an agreement with Cal-Maine Foods to process all waste manure from the latter’s facility. In 2022, CHONEX began conducting field trials across 30 growers in 16 states on more than 10 crop types to validate the effectiveness of the company’s fertilizer across different growing conditions (results not provided).&nbsp;Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://www.chonex.ag/news/chonex-strongsoil-is-affordable-alternative-to-skyrocketing-fertilizer-prices-gtc5w">June 2022</a>, CHONEX raised USD 5.78 million in seed funding to expand production capacity amidst increasing demand and file patents for its proprietary processing technology. In <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/inno/stories/news/2023/06/01/local-agtech-startup-chonex-looks-to-raise-40m.html">June 2023</a>, the company announced the closing of a USD 40 million funding round and was expecting to use the funds to scale up the business and build a new plant.

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 Based in Michigan, Gantec offers plant-based liquid fertilizers, micronutrient supplements, concentrates and biopesticides using a proprietary process called “Bio-Adaptive Supplementation” (BAS). BAS extracts properties from plants that thrive in extreme environments such as the neem tree and converts them into fertilizers. Gantec’s products can be applied to a range of crops, including field crops, root crops, vegetables, and tree and bush crops. The company initially began sourcing its raw materials from West Africa, and, as of May 2022,  sourced it from six continents.  
 
 
 Gantec’s BAS solutions claim to improve plant resiliency, nutrient uptake, yield, and growth. For instance, based on a trial conducted by the Saginaw Valley State University, applying the company’s GantecPro liquid fertilizer to cherry tomatoes increased the yield by 17%. For potatoes, based on another trial conducted by the Michigan State University, applying GantecPro increased the yield by 11%. 
 
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Gantec Inc

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 Based in Washington, Impact Bioenergy manufactures portable systems that convert organic waste to produce electricity and fertilizer. The company started manufacturing its own biofertilizer product called “ProBiotic Plant Food” (PBF)  in July 2020. PBF is a compost biofertilizer, which is made by first creating a “smoothie” from waste food such as spent yeast, curds, whey, and trub. This is then digested by microbes in a 30-day process to convert it into PBF. The final product is dried and pulverized to create a mix called “PBF Mix No 7.” Based on a trial conducted by Forest Garden Farm for a butternut squash tree, PBF increased yields by almost 30% compared to using a standard fertilizer. 
 
 
 The company also adds fish bone meal, poultry feather meal, biochar, and mealworm frass to the base product to produce different blends of PBF, which is offered as a dry blend or concentrated liquid blend that can be mixed with water to make a fertigation liquid. PBF initially was available to B2B customers on a subscription basis and then later targeted B2C customers selling online via ecommerce sites such as Amazon.  
 
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Impact bioenergy

Based in France, Toopi Organics converts human urine (which is naturally high in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) into fertilizer called “BACTIPI" using a proprietary patented fermentation process. The process involves collecting and filtering ‘pure’ urine (not mixed with water) from public places including schools, stadiums, and amusement parks before fermentation. The company ferments the cleaned urine at its production facility in Loupiac de la Réole France using 5,000 liter fermentation tanks along with sugar and Lactobacillus paracasei lactic bacteria to create a 100% organic fertilizer.“BACTIPI” can be applied to field crops, vine crops, home gardening, and industrial crops and promotes the growth of microorganisms and solubilizes phosphorus in the soil, increasing plant and root growth. The company has demonstrated that its fertilizer has similar efficiency and is a cheaper alternative to other chemical fertilizers in the market.Toopi aims to partner with local companies including farmers, fertilizer distributors, and sanitation companies to set up and operate urine processing plants. Toopi will handle the production of the fertilizer, while the partnering company will handle distribution. As of May 2022, Toopi states had set up a subsidiary in Belgium and was actively working with companies in Benin and Kenya to commercialize its products. The company had also signed an agreement with a large fertilizer distributor in France (name undisclosed) to sell its fertilizer for the following three years. Toopi has received approval to sell its products in Belgium and expects to obtain the same in France in 2022.Financials and Funding:In <a href="https://techfundingnews.com/french-startup-toopi-organics-raises-95m-to-turn-human-urine-into-crop-biostimulants/">November 2023</a>, Toopi Organics raised EUR 8.4 million (~USD 9 million) from EIC Accelerator, a European innovation programme for deep tech startups. The funding comprises a EUR 2.4 million non-dilutive grant and EUR 6 million in equity to be invested in 2025. Also, in <a href="https://techfundingnews.com/french-startup-toopi-organics-raises-95m-to-turn-human-urine-into-crop-biostimulants/">September 2023</a>, the company raised EUR 16 million (~USD 17 million) in funding to expand its urine collection network.&nbsp;Previously, In <a href="https://www.eu-startups.com/2021/04/bordeaux-based-toopi-organics-scales-up-urine-recycling-network-in-france-with-e3-8-million-funding">April 2021</a>, The company received a EUR 3.8 million (~USD 4.1 million) grant from ADEME (The French Agency for Ecological Transition). The company planned to use the funds to build a network of urine recycling plants in partnership with toilet manufacturers, installers, and collectors.

Greentech TOOPI Organics

Reazent is a Canadian company that has developed a patented technology to organically replace agrochemicals. The company focuses on loading plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) to treat the soil and the plant. The company states that its technology can be applied across a wide range of crops such as soybean, peanuts, wheat, kale, and lettuce.Studies show that only 0.1% PGPR strains have been commercialized to date. Reazent claims that its competitive advantage is that it can work with up to 116 PGPR strains and has identified that soil bacteria have a second metabolite that can be used to up-regulate plant defense and root growth genes in plants. The company further claims that its technology helps in achieving an improvement of 5x in the plant’s immune system, thereby providing protection against pesticides as well.As of June 2022, the company has not commercialized and is actively working on obtaining regulatory approval for the sale of its products in Canada and the US. Based on trials conducted in 2020 across different growing conditions, its product has demonstrated a 400% increase in soybean root nodules, a 30% increase in peanuts above-ground biomass, and up to a 35% increase in peanuts pod dry weight when compared with synthetic and other organic products. In October 2020, the company reported that it had many trials underway, including for tomato, and was expecting results by December 2021. The company noted in November 2021 that it would be extensively trialing its fertilizer product for soybeans in North America, Brazil, and India during the following growing season.Funding and financialsIn May 2020, the company received CAD 350,000 (USD 250,000) in seed funding as part of joining IndieBio’s accelerator program. The funds were to be used to conduct trials for its prototype fertilizer product at the <a href="http://www.verschurencentre.ca/">Verschuren Center for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment </a>at Cape Breton University ass well as to develop its product for large-scale trials. In <a href="https://crushdynamics.com/news/natural-products-canada-supports-over-4m-in-commercialization-activity-for-seven-promising-canadian-food-and-agriculture-companies/">February 2023</a>, the company raised USD 15,600 from Natural Products Canada, a non-profit organization that supports Canadian bio-based innovation and commercialization to fast-track the development of a regulatory plan.

Reazent

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 Based in Spain, Ficosterra is a marine biotechnology company that offers seaweed and algae-based fertilizers and biostimulants, with applications in agriculture, landscaping, and turf. The company offers fertilizer under the brands “Ficosterra-g” (algae-based) and “Ficosgreen” (algae and seaweed-based), made using its “Biological Crop Booster” (BCB) technology. BCB combines microbes and algae extracts to produce soil-regenerating microbes.
 
 
 As of June 2022, Ficosterra operated two manufacturing facilities in Mexico and Spain and sold its products via its own online store, serving the local and overseas markets (launched across the US and Europe in 2019). 
 
 
 To expand the reach of its products in Spain, in October 2018, the company partnered with Sipcam Jardin, a Spanish multinational distributor of fertilizers, nutrients, and biostimulants, for the distribution of “Ficosterra-g,” Ficosterra’s algae-based fertilizer. In January 2021, Ficosterra also partnered with Algas Marinas (AlgaMar), a Mexico-based company producing algae-based products for agriculture and human consumption, to jointly launch “Ficosterra America,” which would serve both the American and European markets. Ficosterra and AlgaMar were to combine their seaweed and algae nutrient-extracting technologies to develop and produce fertilizer.
 
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Focisterra

Contain bacteria such as Rhizobia, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, and blue-green algae that transform nitrogen into organic compounds that can be absorbed by the plant

Contain bacteria and fungi capable of breaking down insoluble phosphates to make them available to crops

Contain rhizobacteria that can act as biofertilizers, bioprotectants

Contain organic matter such as animal dung which enriches the soil with microorganisms

Fertilizers derived from animal materials such as cow manure, crushed animal bones, animal blood, shellfish, and fish meal

Fertilizers made with plant material such as compost produced from plant waste, seaweed, cottonseed meal, and soybean meal

Fertilizers developed from natural elements like greensand, rock phosphate, and nitrogen from air

Provides a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers

CHONEX

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