Computomics raises EUR 6.3 million to scale climate-smart plant breeding
AI predicts which plant varieties can withstand heat and drought
Computomics GmbH has raised EUR 6.3 million in new equity in a Series B financing round led by Convent Capital Agri Food Fund, which invested EUR 5 million. Existing investors including High-Tech Gründerfonds, MBG Baden‑Württemberg and Amathaon Capital participated, alongside founders and scientific advisors. The proceeds will be used to scale commercial delivery of the company’s climate‑smart breeding platform.
CEO and co-founder Sebastian Schultheiss
Computomics
The financing comes in a summer in which European growers have lost yield to heat and drought across nearly every crop. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has revised down its 2026 yield forecasts for all spring and summer crops, with the largest reductions for maize and sunflower, and France is heading for one of its weakest maize harvests in decades. Varieties now entering the market were selected in a different climate than the one they will be grown in.
Computomics builds machine learning models that predict how a given genotype will perform under a given set of conditions, combining genomic data with environmental data such as temperature, rainfall and soil, and with field measurements. Breeders use the predictions to answer questions that trial data alone cannot answer in time: which candidates hold up under hotter and drier conditions, which are stable across environments rather than strong in one, and where a variety should be placed. Its ×SeedScore® platform runs those predictions at the scale of a commercial breeding program. Customers include commercial breeders working in field crops, forages, vegetables and specialty crops.
“Breeders have never lacked ambition about climate resilience. What they have lacked is a way to see it before the field tells them, which takes years they no longer have,” said Dr. Sebastian J. Schultheiss, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Computomics. “This financing is about getting that capability into far more breeding programs, faster.”
“We back companies whose environmental impact grows with their commercial success. Better breeding predictions mean fewer wasted seasons and varieties that hold up in the field, so the impact case and the business case point the same way. That alignment is why we led this round,” said Stephen McLoughlin, Partner at Convent Capital Agri Food Fund. “AI-based breeding of stress-resistant crops is part of the German federal government’s High-Tech Agenda for good reason: it is one of the levers that matter most as the climate shifts,” said Dr. Frank Hensel, Principal at High-Tech Gründerfonds. “HTGF has supported Computomics since the seed phase and congratulates the team on this growth financing.”
This operation benefits from support from the European Union under the InvestEU Fund.
Other news from the department business & finance
Most read news
More news from our other portals
Something is happening in the food & beverage industry ...
This is what true pioneering spirit looks like: Plenty of innovative start-ups are bringing fresh ideas, lifeblood and entrepreneurial spirit to change tomorrow's world for the better. Immerse yourself in the world of these young companies and take the opportunity to get in touch with the founders.
See the theme worlds for related content
Artificial intelligence (AI) for food and beverages
Artificial intelligence (AI) is optimizing the food and beverage industry through automated quality control and more accurate demand forecasting. AI plays a particularly important role in product development by analyzing taste preferences and market trends. This allows new products to be developed that are better tailored to consumer needs, increasing efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Artificial intelligence (AI) for food and beverages
Artificial intelligence (AI) is optimizing the food and beverage industry through automated quality control and more accurate demand forecasting. AI plays a particularly important role in product development by analyzing taste preferences and market trends. This allows new products to be developed that are better tailored to consumer needs, increasing efficiency and customer satisfaction.