Robigo and Leaps by Bayer Announce Series A Financing to Advance Engineered Biologicals That Protect Yields and Reduce Costs
Accelerating the commercial launch of microbial biopesticides combatting fungal diseases in soybeans and specialty crops
Cambridge, Mass. | September 17, 2026
Robigo, a biotechnology company engineering no-compromise biological solutions for crop protection, today announced a Series A funding led by Leaps by Bayer with participation from Illumina Ventures, SVG Thrive, Congruent Ventures, and Endeavor8.
The round will accelerate the commercial launch of engineered microbial biopesticides, making these biologicals economically viable without sacrificing performance. It will also support Robigo’s pipeline expansion to target additional soil-borne pathogens in broadacre crops, tapping into an addressable market of $10 billion.
Development & Pipeline Highlights
- Soybean Defense (Target Launch 2028): Engineered microbes combatting Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) match the performance of commercially available chemistries at half the cost. SDS causes an estimated $200–$500 million in annual losses for U.S. soybean farmers.
- Specialty Crops (Target Launch 2029): The second product in development targets fusarium wilt—the #1 fungal disease in lettuce and berries—increasing yields by 3x compared to untreated control samples.
- ARGO™ Platform Speed: Cuts new product development from an industry standard of three to five years to under 20 months, proving a highly scalable engine behind initial products.
A Fundamentally New Approach to Biologicals
Biologicals add another tool to expand the farmer’s arsenal of technologies for targeted pest and disease control. Robigo’s solutions are rooted in a fundamentally new approach that leverages synthetic biology to precisely engineer the genetics of living microbes, giving them the traits needed to consistently control pests and disease.
The company’s ARGO™ platform delivers rapid programmability with computationally designed active ingredients, enabling novel modes of action that silence the pathogen’s essential genes. Applied as a one-time treatment, these engineered microbes continuously produce and deliver active ingredients where the plant needs them most, providing season-long protection with no change to grower practices.
At Robigo, we believe in building on nature’s foundation to engineer biological products that match or exceed the performance of today’s chemistries. Growers shouldn’t have to choose between a product that works and one that’s affordable or sustainable.
— Dr. Andee Wallace, Founder & CEO of Robigo
“The scalability of the ARGO™ platform is what sets Robigo apart. They are not just developing a single product but rather building an engine that can rapidly address diverse soil-borne pathogens across broadacre crops. Robigo’s pipeline of crop protection programs targets urgent, devastating diseases and offers a strong complement to Bayer’s crop protection portfolio. Robigo is moving quickly to provide farmers with the tools they need to protect their livelihoods, reduce environmental impact, and ensure a more resilient food system.”
— Dr. Juergen Eckhardt, EVP and Head of Leaps by Bayer
About Robigo
Robigo is crop protection without compromise. Powered by its proprietary ARGO™ platform, Robigo engineers biological solutions that outperform synthetic chemistries while delivering healthier soils and supporting a more resilient food system.
About Leaps by Bayer
Leaps by Bayer aims to solve ten huge challenges or ‘Leaps’ through scientific breakthroughs. As the strategic investment unit of Bayer, Leaps has invested over $2.1 billion in more than 65 companies innovating emerging platforms and technologies in health and agriculture.
Forward-Looking Statements: This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. Bayer AG is a holding company with operating subsidiaries worldwide. References to “Bayer” or “the company” herein may refer to one or more subsidiaries as context requires.
© 2026 Robigo & Leaps by Bayer | Advancing Engineered Biologicals
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