How Can Microbes Help Plants Grow Without Soil? (with Paul Rutten @ Concert Bio)

This is CC Pod - the Climate Capital Podcast. You are receiving this because you have subscribed to our Substack. If you’d like to manage your Climate Capital Substack subscription, click here. Disclaimer: For full disclosure, Concert Bio is a portfolio company at Climate Capital, where Jenny works as a Managing Partner.CC Pod is not investment advice and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any investment decision.In the latest CC Pod, Jenny explored the journey of Paul Rutten, Founder and CEO of Concert Bio. Paul discussed his insights into the challenges of soil-less agriculture and how Concert Bio's innovative solution is unlocking the full potential of plant growth.Paul’s journey began with a fascination for how microbes could enhance plant growth and agriculture sustainability. This led to his exploration of soilless agriculture systems, a rapidly growing field that promises to be the future of agriculture.Concept Bio develops probiotics for plants in soilless agriculture. Their aim is to optimize plant growth by introducing beneficial microbes into systems that traditionally lack them. The company has achieved remarkable results, including a 57% yield improvement over baseline in one experiment.Paul devotes significant time to securing funding, which includes over £4 million in grant funding from the UK government. His approach to building the company involves meticulously hiring only 'superstars' for the first ten employees - a piece of advice he received from an investor, which he firmly believes in.Paul's journey from a PhD scientist to a biotech company founder highlights the importance of embracing uncertainty, prioritizing tasks, and understanding that not everything needs to be perfect. As he looks forward to the next stage of Concept Bio, Paul is keen to connect with experts in the Ag space and those with experience in marketing microbial products.Visit concert.bio to learn more! Get full access to Climate Capital at climatecap.substack.com/subscribe