PINC, the venture arm of international food and beverage company Paulig, has joined a €2.4 million pre-seed investment round in Danish agri-tech startup Mycoverse. The round was co-led by Future Food Fund and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF). PINC’s participation supports Mycoverse’s mission to develop scalable biological crop protection solutions, starting with potato late blight, one of Europe’s most destructive crop diseases.
Mycoverse uses an AI-driven discovery platform to identify promising fungal strains and develops bioactive metabolites that function like chemical crop protection, while avoiding the use of living organisms. Combined with the company’s state-of-the-art fungal production technology, this approach enables scalable biological crop protection solutions designed to fit seamlessly into current farming systems.
For PINC, the investment reflects Paulig’s broader ambition to contribute to a more resilient and sustainable food system by supporting innovation upstream in agriculture.
“As a food company reliant on sustainable agricultural value chains, we see significant potential in technologies that reduce chemical inputs without compromising reliability,” said Rosemari Herrero, Senior Investment Manager at PINC. “As chemical crop protection products face increasing regulatory pressure across Europe, there is a growing need for solutions that help maintain yields while supporting long-term soil health and biodiversity. Mycoverse combines strong scientific capabilities with a scalable production approach, making it a compelling addition to our portfolio.”
The crop protection market is evolving in response to developing regulations across Europe and growing interest in more sustainable agricultural solutions. At the same time, farmers are seeking reliable ways to manage disease risks while maintaining productivity and cost efficiency.
Late blight remains a significant challenge in potato cultivation and represents a market worth approximately $1.9 billion. This highlights the opportunity for innovative, bio-based approaches that can support both crop resilience and long-term sustainability.
There is also a stronger focus on reducing the negative impact on nature. Traditional crop protection methods can affect soil health, reduce the number of beneficial insects, and harm non-target organisms and nearby ecosystems. As agriculture moves towards more nature-positive practices, solutions that can manage late blight while protecting soil, biodiversity, and surrounding habitats are becoming increasingly important.
The funding will support the development of Mycoverse’s first solution targeting potato late blight, which represents an estimated $1.9 billion market opportunity. Initial lead candidates have demonstrated strong performance in greenhouse trials, and the company will now progress into field trials as part of its next development phase.
Svend Petersen, CEO and co-founder of Mycoverse, said: “This funding allows us to rapidly expand our field trials program, bringing us closer to delivering reliable biological crop protection products that farmers can adopt without changing their existing practices.”
With the new capital, Mycoverse plans to advance field validation of its potato late blight solution over the next two years and explore expansion of its platform into additional crops, including grapevines.
Media contact
Nils Sjöberg
Head of Corporate Communications
nils.sjoberg@paulig.com
+46 70 085 24 11
About PINC
PINC is Paulig’s venture arm for investments in early-stage startups in and around the future of food. PINC aims to help Paulig renew itself and prosper, as well as contribute to a tastier and more sustainable planet.
www.pauliggroup.com/this-is-pinc
About Paulig
Paulig is an international food and beverage company, growing a new, sustainable food culture – one that is good for both people and the planet. Paulig provides Tex Mex, snacks, coffees, world foods and spices. The company's brands include Santa Maria, Paulig, Conimex, Risenta, Poco Loco and Zanuy, among others. Paulig also manufactures products for its private label and industry customers. In 2025, the company’s sales amounted to approximately EUR 1.39 billion. Paulig was founded in 1876 and is 100% owned by the Paulig family. The company has 2,700 employees in 13 countries united by the purpose "For a life full of flavour". www.pauliggroup.com
About Mycoverse
Mycoverse is a Danish agri-biotech company developing fungal-based biological crop protection solutions. A spin-out from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Mycoverse uses an AI-driven discovery platform and advanced fungal production technology to develop bioactive metabolites that can replace chemical pesticides. The company’s platform is designed to support scalable, data-driven solutions across multiple crops, with an initial focus on potato late blight and future applications including grapevines.
www.earthbound.dtu.dk/portfolio/mycoverse
