[Funding alert] Sathguru Catalyser Advisors to invest $4 M in Telluris Biotech India

Innovation in Food and Agriculture Fund managed by Sathguru Catalyser Advisors invested about $4 million in early-stage life sciences company, Telluris Biotech India. With this, Sathguru will also hold a minority stake in the startup.

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The startup is involved in developing solutions for important issues plaguing the agricultural and food processing industries. In fact, Telluris is focussed on bringing path-breaking environment-sensitive biologically controlled products for the dreaded plant root-knot and cyst nematode-related disease complexes. The proprietary biological and bio-molecular products have the potential to provide significant savings to crop growers, the company said in a statement.

Venu Polineni, Founder, Telluris Biotech India, said,

“We are excited to propel our growth to markets with investment from Innovation in Food and Agriculture Fund. Our foray to markets will provide unparalleled environment-friendly biocontrol and bio-molecular products to farmers in India and elsewhere who face severe challenges from the root-knot, cyst nematodes, and plant root pathogens. Our extensive research-based innovative solutions will result in the farmers’ efforts to protect their crops and enhance yield significantly”.

Krishna Kumar, Chairman of Sathguru Catalysers, said,

“Our investment in Telluris is a contribution towards sustainable agriculture with science-based solutions that can provide true health and environment benefit to growers. We perceive the opportunity for Telluris to provide gains to growers through their pipeline of products that are uniquely positioned to application in a wide range of crops”.

For reducing crop losses, Telluris Biotech India has developed integrated pest management strategies with products majorly targeting the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. The startup is also developing protocols for two molecular methodologies to simultaneously detect Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bacillus cereus, and Listeria monocytogenes, within a single food sample at various stages of the food processing chain.

Innovation in Food and Agriculture Fund is an India focussed investment fund sponsored by Sathguru Management Consultants. The fund invests in innovation-driven growth ventures that have the potentials to transform the farm produce and market-ready food products.

(Edited by Suman Singh and Megha Reddy)

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