Pivot Bio

Berkeley-based Pivot Bio has invented a more planet-friendly fertilizer. That’s critical for a world that faces an under-appreciated, but quite dire nitrogen pollution problem—much of it due to our long dependence on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers for farming. While traditional fertilizers have contributed significantly to food security, their use has negative environmental side effects and over time, can actually decrease agricultural productivity. Pivot’s product is a naturally-occurring microbe that fertilizes crops at the root. Farmers report better yields. The 9-year old company has raised a total of $186 million, and its investors include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the fund backed by Jeff Bezos, Softbank founder Masayoshi Son, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, and Bill Gates (among others).