Company brings over a decade of experience in theformulation and commercialization of natural, biological pest control productsfor plant, home and public health.
Vancouver, BC, September 10, 2024 - Catalera BioSolutions(“Catalera”), a pioneering innovator in biological pest control solutions,today announced the initial close of its Series A funding round. Launchedmid-May, Catalera is an independent company spun out from Terramera, an ag-techcompany based in Vancouver.
The launch of Catalera is made possible through a US$8Minvestment round led by S2G Ventures (“S2G”), with follow-up investment fromFarm Credit Canada (FCC) Capital, and a second and final close expected in Q4of 2024.
Catalera creates innovative biological products using apurpose-built toolkit of patented technologies to overcome the corechallenges that have so far prevented the broad based adoption of biologicalproducts. Building on a solid foundation from existing commercial productsincluding: RANGO® for specialty crops, SOCORO® for row crops, Vaporpad® forprofessional bed bug treatment and the recent registration of TRIFECTO® inMexico, the company is well positioned to deploy several new biological productsover the next few years and substantially grow its portfolio.
The $70 billion synthetic chemistry industry for agricultureand consumer pest control is facing significant challenges stemming from nearlya century of overreliance on synthetic chemicals. This has created far-reachingimpacts in the world including food security risks, soil and water damage, andnegative effects on human health.
“Consumers, government, and industry, including the world’slargest agriculture companies, are wanting to move to biologicals. But naturalsolutions need a helping hand to meet the needs of industry, growers, andconsumers. As an experienced and agile company, Catalera holds the keys tounlocking the potential of biologicals and making a major impact in agricultureand beyond,” said Matthew Dahabieh, CEO of Catalera. “Our team hasbeen developing safe, effective, and cost-competitive biological products forover a decade. We have launched numerous products with leading partners, andhave an exciting pipeline of new products in development, which this newfunding will help us get to market.”
“We are at a pivotal moment in the biologicals market. Theconvergence of global events leading to severe supply chain disruptions, aswell as growing concerns around the impacts of fertilizer use, are causing manyfarmers to reevaluate their approach,” said Sanjeev Krishnan, managingpartner at S2G. “We believe Catalera's distinctive platform capabilitiesfor unlocking biological formulation and cutting-edge product portfolio signalsa promising future for the industry. We look forward to supporting them intheir mission.”
This is FCC Capital’s first investment by the newly createdarm at the Canadian lender that is proud to be 100% invested in Canadianagriculture and food.
"FCC is thrilled to announce our first co-investment inCatalera BioSolutions alongside S2G, which has a decade of experience investingin the global food and agtech space. This transaction aligns with FCC'scommitment to build a capital solutions platform which delivers impactfulfinancing for innovative companies with the potential to advance the Canadianfood and agriculture industry," said Justine Hendricks, FCCpresident and CEO. "We are excited to support Catalera BioSolutionsand leverage our expertise, data, and relationships to help them grow andsucceed."
About Catalera BioSolutions:
Catalera BioSolutions Inc. is a leading developer ofbiological solutions for plant, home, and public health. Based out ofVancouver, Canada, the company has over a decade of experience innovatingformulation technology to create efficacious biological pesticides for theconsumer, professional, and agricultural markets. Inspired by thequestion, “What if synthetic chemistry was never invented?”, Catalerais on a mission to unlock the power of biologicals in our lives and acceleratethe transition to a more beneficial future! For more information visit catalera.com.
About S2G Ventures:
S2G is a multi-stage investment firm focused on venture andgrowth-stage businesses across food and agriculture, oceans and energy. Thefirm provides capital and value-added resources to entrepreneurs and leadershipteams pursuing innovative market-based solutions that S2G believes are cheaper,faster or better than traditional alternatives. With a commitment to creatinglong-term, measurable outcomes, S2G structures flexible capital solutions thatcan range from seed and venture funding through growth equity to debt andinfrastructure financing. For more information about S2G, visit s2gventures.com or connectwith us on LinkedIn.
About FCC:
FCC is proud to be 100% invested in Canadian agriculture andfood. Our employees are committed to the long-standing success of those whoproduce and process Canadian food. FCC provides flexible financing and capitalsolutions, while creating value through data, knowledge, relationships andexpertise. FCC offers a complement of financial and non-financial products andservices designed to support the complex and evolving needs of the industry. Asa commercial Crown corporation, FCC is a stable partner that reinvests profitsback into the industry and communities it serves. For more information,visit fcc.ca.
Media Contact: kim.haakstad@catalera.com
Catalera BioSolutions (“Catalera”), a pioneering innovator in biological pest control solutions, announced the initial close of its Series A funding round.
Catalera BioSolutions (“Catalera”), a pioneering innovator in biological pest control solutions, announced the initial close of its Series A funding round.
