Interview with Marcus Meadows-Smith, CEO Bioconsortia Inc.

Abstract

BioConsortia is an innovative microbial company developing consortia for improving plant traits and increasing crop yields. The company has a revolutionary R&D technology platform, Advanced Microbial Selection (AMS), which uses directed selection to identify teams of microbes that influence the expression of beneficial traits in crops. We are developing highly effective multi-microbe solutions with superior efficacy and consistency compared to conventional products. BioConsortia was established in 2014 as the parent company to New Zealand based subsidiary, BioDiscovery Limited. BioDiscovery was founded in 1994 in New Zealand and specialized in the discovery and development of natural microbial products. In 2009, BioDiscovery made a breakthrough discovery in the conception of the AMS process. Shortly afterwards, Khosla Ventures invested in the company as they focused on perfecting the innovative R&D platform. In 2014, the decision was made to globalize as BioConsortia, raising $15 million from Khosla Ventures and Otter Capital, and establishing the headquarters and labs in Davis, California, USA. BioConsortia now has over 45 scientists, including over a dozen at PhD level, and are spending over $10 million per year on R&D activities.