A Nottingham-based EnviroTech developing a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilisers has raised £4.9m to scale its solution and expand into Southeast Asia.
NetZeroNitrogen (NZN) was founded in 2022 by biologists Gary Devine and Alan Burbidge, along with former Red Arrows pilot turned entrepreneur Justin Hughes.
The startup is creating a biofertiliser that uses naturally occurring endophytic bacteria (such as fungi) to colonise crops.
Field trials show that a single application of the product can significantly reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertilisers (SNFs), increase yields and improve crop quality.
The new round brings the company’s total funding to £6.1m and was co-led by Europe’s World Fund and US-based Azolla Ventures. UK innovation agency Innovate UK also took part.
NZN’s solution doesn’t involve genetic modification and doesn’t require new farming equipment, giving the company a regulatory edge in the EU and other markets and making adoption easier for farmers.
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“Most alternatives come with a green premium but this is effectively a green discount – we’re greener and cheaper at the same time,” explained CEO Hughes.
“The dependency on SNF is unsustainable. We’re taking on a challenge with global consequences, and I’m excited to have the fantastic teams at World Fund and Azolla supporting us along the way.”
SNFs, still widely produced via the century-old Haber-Bosch process, contribute around 2 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions and emit 8m tonnes of nitrous oxide each year – a gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
NZN claims its product can reduce fertiliser production emissions by up to 88 per cent compared to conventional SNFs.
“If the Haber Bosch process was invented today it would be banned, like alcohol or tobacco,” Hughes continued.
“With our product, there is no transmission loss and therefore no nitrate or nitrous oxide pollution. You’re placing the fuel (bacteria) next to the engine (plant cells). The scale of this opportunity is enormous.
“We’re talking about an idea from a small lab in the UK transforming a $200bn global market.”
The company, which has just nine employees, has already run successful trials in several ASEAN countries and secured written interest from a major Asian agri-input distributor.
The new funding will help it grow its team in the region, complete certification processes, and finalise manufacturing and commercial agreements ahead of a 2026 market launch.
Dr Nadine Geiser, principal at World Fund, added: “Widespread use of urea, ammonium and nitrate-based fertilisers is one of the world’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and it is leaving soil microbiomes in a dire state across the world. NZN offers the ideal solution.
“This exciting biotech company faces no regulatory barriers to immediate adoption, and it has a powerful founding team with the perfect combination of scientific and entrepreneurial expertise to succeed.”