Biotech startup Wild Bioscience raises £45m led by EIT with Oxford Science Enterprises
This article covers a Series A funding round on 16 October 2025 for Wild Bioscience, an Oxford University spinout that develops improved crop varieties using AI and precision breeding, founded by Dr Ross Hendron and Prof. Steve Kelly. The company raised £45m in a round led by the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), with participation from Oxford Science Enterprises.
What does Wild Bioscience do?
Wild Bioscience provides a data-driven platform using AI and precision breeding to develop improved crop varieties. It identifies evolutionary traits from wild species to guide breeding for higher yields and climate resilience.
Why is Wild Bioscience useful?
Problem
Farmers face unpredictable yields and crop losses from climate change and pests. They lack genetic insights and breeding tools to make modern varieties more productive and resilient.
Solution
Wild Bioscience explains that it uses AI to decode evolutionary traits from wild species and identify useful genes. Its platform guides precision breeding to produce higher-yielding, climate-resilient crop varieties ready for commercial scale.
How much did Wild Bioscience raise?
Wild Bioscience raised £45m in a Series A led by the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), alongside Oxford Science Enterprises and other existing backers. This makes it the 5th largest funding round in October 2025 (47 recorded). It ranks 49th of the year (519 recorded) in the Startupmag database, as of 16 October 2025.
For details on how Startupmag compiles its rankings, view our Methodology.
Who invested in Wild Bioscience?
Key investors in the round include the following organisations and institutions:
- Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT): An investment organisation founded by Larry Ellison that provides funding to technology and scientific ventures.
- Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE): A venture capital firm that invests in early-stage deep-tech and life-science companies emerging from university research.
- Braavos Capital: An early-stage venture capital firm that invests in technology companies.
- University of Oxford: The university supports spinouts and research commercialisation and makes direct investments to help translate academic research into companies.
In the funding announcement, Larry Ellison from the Ellison Institute of Technology said:
Wild Bio is using AI to better understand the lessons learned over millions of years of evolution encoded in plant genomes. Those insights combined with precision breeding has enabled Wild Bio to develop new varieties of crops with both higher yields and climate resilience.
The investor added that the ultimate goal is to grow these new crop varieties on a commercial scale to help provide food security around the world, and that EIT is committed to working with Wild Bio to reach this goal.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of biotech venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of biotech angel investors in the UK
Who founded Wild Bioscience?
The founders of Wild Bioscience are Dr Ross Hendron and Prof. Steve Kelly.
In the funding announcement, Dr Ross Hendron, CEO of Wild Bioscience explained:
Advancing agriculture has limitless potential to help people and the planet. So to achieve meaningful, scalable impact, we need the right investors who are truly aligned with that big vision.
In the funding announcement, Dr Ross Hendron, CEO of Wild Bioscience said:
I’m deeply grateful to EIT and to our current investors for sharing our excitement about what we’ve accomplished so far, and for their united support as we embark on this ambitious growth journey together.
In the funding announcement, Prof. Steve Kelly, co-founder of Wild Bioscience said:
Combining the groundbreaking research at EIT and Wild will create a powerful synergy that could reshape sustainable agriculture on a global scale. Together, we will accelerate our ability to bring new technologies to market and deliver innovative solutions that enhance crop resilience, boost yields, and promote environmental sustainability.
Where is Wild Bioscience based?
Wild Bioscience is based in Oxford, UK.
What sector is Wild Bioscience in?
Wild Bioscience operates in the biotechnology sector. It uses biology and technology to develop improved crops, medicines, and other products. In simple terms, it helps make better seeds, treatments, and sustainable solutions.
Key trends and challenges in Biotech:
AI-driven precision breeding
AI and big data speed up trait discovery and selection.
For example, machine learning finds useful genes from genomic and field data.
Demand for climate-resilient and sustainable traits
Breeders must deliver crops resilient to heat, drought and pests.
For example, drought-tolerant varieties help maintain yields during dry seasons.
Regulation, scaling and public acceptance
New breeding methods face different rules across countries and slow approvals.
For example, CRISPR-edited crops face varied legal treatment between the EU and other countries.
For a deeper look at innovation in this space, see the biotech startups in the UK.
They've invested in Wild Bioscience
Get to know these biotech investors
| Investor | Sector | Stage | Activity | Team | Connect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oxford Science Enterprises | 26 investment(s) investment(s) | 1 contact contact | |||
 Braavos Capital | 3 investment(s) investment(s) | more info | |||
 University of Oxford | 9 investment(s) investment(s) | more info |
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