Bayer has partnered with Israeli innovation accelerator, Trendlines, to establish the Bayer Trendlines Ag Innovation Fund. Under the five-year partnership agreement, Bayer will invest $10 million in the fund which will be managed by Trendlines.

The agricultural industry is under pressure on numerous fronts. Climate change, increasing weed resistance, and pest-related challenges are intensifying, while farmers are under increasing pressure to produce higher yields of crops that are safe, sustainable, and healthy.

Through this new fund, which links Bayer’s deep experience in agricultural science and regulatory requirements with Trendlines’ history of investment in early stage, innovative agricultural technologies, Bayer is looking to back cutting edge solutions to these challenges that will increase the productivity of the agricultural industry so it can produce sufficient food, animal feed, renewable raw materials, and fiber for a booming global population, according to a company statement.

Trendlines partners with investors and innovators to seek out startups that are developing technologies and concepts that have the potential to alleviate some of the most critical challenges to humans, and to bring those startups to commercialization.

“We are thrilled at the establishment of the Fund and the future partnership with Bayer,” said Dr. Nitza Kardish, CEO of Trendlines Agtech. “It provides our companies with the professional and financial backing that they need for development and business growth and is another step in our ongoing work to build a burgeoning Israeli agtech ecosystem.”

Indeed, the innovations that Trendlines is currently fostering closely align with Bayer’s history of heavily investing in research and development in the areas of improved traits, seed technology and breeding, biologicals, and agrochemicals.

“The agricultural market is ripe for groundbreaking innovation and Trendlines, with its focus on developing startups and new technologies beyond a one-time investment, shares our commitment to supporting productive and sustainable agriculture,” said Adrian Percy, Head of Research & Development at Bayer’s division Crop Science.