Tracegrow

Tracegrow is a Finnish cleantech company operating in the circular economy. They are the only company in the world that has developed an innovative technology to extract, purify and reuse the vital trace elements Zinc and Manganese from alkaline batteries and circulate them safely back to the nature as the world’s most ecological Zinc and Manganese-based micronutrient products for farming. They strive to minimize the exploitation of their planet’s limited resources by reusing them wisely. Their clean technology innovation provides a solution to two global challenges: the ecological reuse of the trace elements in alkaline batteries and nourishing farmland suffering from micronutrient deficiency.

<div>Tracegrow is a Finnish startup that produces organic fertilizers from used alkaline batteries. The company uses a patented process that separates micronutrients from recycled alkaline batteries and industrial waste, converting the minerals into organic fertilizers. The organic mineral-based fertilizer products mainly include zinc and manganese, alongside the necessary quantities of sulfur and copper that plants need. The products are applied by mixing them with water and spraying them onto the plant&rsquo;s leaves, allowing for easy absorption of the micronutrients.&nbsp;</div>

Natural Fertilizers

Finnish startup Tracegrow bags fresh capital to turn batteries into fertilizers

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 Tracegrow is a Finnish startup that produces organic fertilizers from used alkaline batteries. The company uses a patented process that separates micronutrients from recycled alkaline batteries and industrial waste, converting the minerals into organic fertilizers. The organic mineral-based fertilizer products mainly include zinc and manganese, alongside the necessary quantities of sulfur and copper that plants need. The products are applied by mixing them with water and spraying them onto the plant&rsquo;s leaves, allowing for easy absorption of the micronutrients.&nbsp;
 
 
 As of March 2024, the company&rsquo;s first production plant in Finland can process up to 10 million liters per year. In September 2023, Tracegrow launched 
 <a href="https://www.tracegrow.com/tracegrow-unveils-m-trace-a-circulat-economy-manganese-sulphate-fertiliser">
 M-TRACE
 </a>
 , a liquid fertilizer made by recycling manganese from zinc smelting side streams.
 
 
 Tracegrow&rsquo;s fertilizers are stated to reduce carbon emissions by up to 70% and enhance crop productivity compared to conventional methods. The company claims that usage of its fertilizer can increase crop yields by up to 1,500kg/ha. More specifically, the company's Zinc Manganese (ZM) fertilizer product has proven to provide a 3.2% yield increase for corn, with the trial indicating a return on investment of 474%.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 To further scale the company&rsquo;s clean technology, Tracegrow also partnered with Swedish engineering firm P&ouml;yry to receive services such as engineering, project management, procurement, and construction management for its modularized production plants. In February 2024, Tracegrow partnered with 
 <a href="https://www.tracegrow.com/tracegrow-joins-forces-with-brenntag-to-propel-sustainability-and-circular-economy">
 Brenntag
 </a>
 , a chemicals and ingredients distribution company, to distribute sustainable micronutrients in multiple European countries. Tracegrow also sells its products globally via partnered distributors such as ReNutrients, Rudnik, AgriNova, and AMD Agro.&nbsp;
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In August 2022, the company secured a new investment from Nordic Foodtech VC. This brought its total funding raised since June last year to EUR2.5 million (~USD 2.46 million). 
 
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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

Tracegrow

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