November 10, 2022

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Leaps by Bayer, the impact investment unit of Bayer AG, is the lead investor for the latest funding round for NuCicer, a California-based agri-food tech startup pioneering ultra-high protein chickpeas. Joining Leaps by Bayer were Blue Horizon, Trellis Road, and Lever VC, which led funding for the company in October 2021. 

Cultivated in more than 50 countries across Asia, North America, Australia, Europe, and South America, the humble chickpea carries an outsized economic and nutritional importance. Indeed, long-term food security depends on the advancement and improvement of climate resilient traits – many of which the chickpea possesses, including high water-use efficiency and nitrogen fixing capacity. 

The rise of plant-based foods and alternative meats have also been drivers behind increased demand for pulses such as chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, lupins, and others. Traditionally seen by farmers in Western countries as rotational crops, shifts in dietary preferences and consumer demand are now positioning the category as key to food production. 

“Interest in pulses as part of a sustainable and secure food system is only growing,” stated the Good Food Institute in a thought leadership article titled How Pulses are Powering Global Alt Protein Innovation, published in February 2021. “Though agricultural production of beans, chickpeas, and lentils dates back to 7000 – 8000 B.C., new technologies and markets are driving additional demand for these crops.”

By harnessing the biodiversity of wild chickpea relatives, NuCicer has successfully developed chickpeas with 75 percent more protein than conventional varieties. This ability to increase the protein content of chickpeas – what Leaps by Bayer calls a high-demand and high-cost protein source – unlocks the potential for the humble chickpea to become a scalable, affordable foundation for the future of plant-based foods. 

The company’s machine learning and genomic-guided breeding platform is rooted in decades of scientific research led by Professor Douglas Cook at UC Davis – the world’s top expert on chickpeas and the co-founder and chief scientific officer of the company.

With 40 times more genetic diversity than commercial varieties, the company’s vast germplasm library integrates wild chickpea genetics with elite cultivars through cross breeding to achieve the most desirable traits.

“Expanding affordable, scalable plant protein beyond currently available soy ingredients is a critical and urgent need for our food system,”  said Kathryn Cook, co-founder and CEO, NuCicer.

“Today’s investment round is a significant moment for both NuCicer and the wider plant protein market. With Leaps by Bayer’s support, we look forward to taking the next step in our journey: driving natural ingredient technologies to the next level and bringing improved plant-based products to market.”

This investment in NuCicer represents Leaps by Bayer’s fourth investment in the alternative protein sector. The work being done by the company aligns with the strategic focus of providing next-generation crops and sustainable protein supplies on a global level – two of Leaps by Bayer’s 10 investment goals.

NuCicer stated that the capital gained from this round will allow for the scaled production of its first-generation chickpea varieties with 75 percent higher protein content – an achievement that is aiming to reduce chickpea protein ingredient costs by 50 percent; to expand its existing network with downstream partners and customers; and to bring affordable, sustainable plant proteins to end-consumers in 2023.

“Leaps by Bayer was founded on the principle of driving real change to the world we live in via our investments, and NuCicer is an ideal example of how we’re working collaboratively to make a positive difference,” said Dr. Jürgen Eckhardt, head of Leaps by Bayer.

“NuCicer is a fascinating business that we believe will assist the development of climate resilient, natural, and plant-based protein alternatives that will help decarbonize our food supply chains.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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