SaBio – Comfama
About
The SaBio – Comfama partnership will scale the production of customized biofertilizers for farmers in Colombia. The startup will help farmers improve their yields and increase their incomes by providing them with data-driven insights to adjust agricultural activities and conduct trainings to help farmers adopt regenerative agricultural practices.
Investing in Impact
P4G has awarded the partnership with about $315,000 in grant funding.
Almost 40% of soil in Colombia has been degraded to some degree through erosion, salinization and unsustainable agricultural practices. This has led to lower yields and lower incomes for farmers and higher emissions for the country.
SaBio is a biotechnology startup that helps farmers achieve profitability through healthy soils and resilient agroecosystems.
The company develops customized biofertilizers that improve soil health and increase crop yields. These biological inputs are integrated with a data-driven platform and real-time assistance, enabling farmers to better understand their soil dynamics, monitor key indicators, and adjust their management practices to optimize resources and results.
The business model includes two revenue streams:
1. One-time payment for diagnosis and data: This includes monitoring and guidance for farmers.
2. Subscription-based services and training: This includes hand-on support to transition farmers to regenerative practices while giving them guidance on their soil health.
Since soil characteristics vary between regions, SaBio aims to establish regional biofactories to centralize production and reach more farmers across Latin America.
During the partnership period, SaBio will improve its investment strategy by developing an ESG plan, analyzing its market and evaluating its key value proposition. The startup will also develop a robust financial model to assist with strategic decision-making.
On the operations side, the startup will design and establish two regional biofactories to produce and supply biofertilizer as part of a monthly service package. The startup will also focus on hiring staff for its laboratory, field and customer service teams.
A key piece needed for expansion, is compliance with biofertilizer standards. SaBio will focus on identifying and meeting the requirements for registering and exports its products to international markets in Europe, Asia and the United States.
Comfama will support SaBio with investment-readiness activities and also connect the startup to its network of investors and partners. The nonprofit will also take the lead in measuring the social impact of SaBio’s activities.
During the funding period, SaBio aims to raise almost $2,000,000 in commercial investment and reduce the amount of carbon emission by 140 metric tonnes.
The partnership comprises the following partners: SaBio (lead business partner); Comfama (lead administrative partner)