Bindwell Announces $6M to Advance AI-Designed Pesticides and Modernize Crop Protection

01.12.2025 143 views

Bindwell, an AI-driven agricultural science startup founded by teenage entrepreneurs Tyler Roseand Navvye Anand, has secured $6 million in seed funding co-led by General Catalyst and A Capital, with additional investment from Paul Graham. 

The company is applying advanced AI techniques traditionally used in drug discovery to design next-generation pesticide molecules for global crop protection.

Founded in 2024, Bindwell develops its own molecular discovery models to identify novel, targeted compounds that address rising pest resistance and reduce reliance on aging chemical portfolios. 

Its proprietary suite — including structure prediction, protein-ligand modeling, and uncertainty quantification systems — enables rapid screening across billions of molecules and significantly accelerates discovery timelines.

Rather than selling AI tools to agrochemical incumbents, Bindwell is generating its own IP and plans to license new pesticide molecules directly. 

The company is currently validating its candidates in laboratory testing and preparing partnership agreements and field trials across major agricultural markets.

 

Source - https://theaiinsider.tech

23.12.2025

Sinkholes in Turkey's agricultural heartland fuel farmers' concerns

Hundreds of sinkholes have emerged in Turkey's central agricultural region due to dwindling rainfall and receding groundwaters, causing concern among farmers and environmental experts who see it as a worrying sign of climate change.

23.12.2025

Ghana - Agriculture Minister launches $147.3m PROSPER Project to modernise agriculture, support 420,000 farmers

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has launched a national agricultural intervention project dubbed the Promoting Rural Opportunities, Sustainable Profits and Environmental Resilience (PROSPER) Project, aimed at modernising Ghana’s agricultural sector and improving the livelihoods of about 420,000 beneficiaries across eight regions.

23.12.2025

Philippines - Crop damage estimate after Uwan upgraded to P14 billion

The final estimate of damage to agriculture caused by Super Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-wong, has been set at P14.12 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

23.12.2025

Nepal’s farm and livestock imports hit Rs 150 billion in five months as dependence grows

The growing trend of youth migration for foreign employment, increasing fallow land and the lack of modernization and commercialization in agriculture have all contributed to stagnant domestic production. As local output fails to meet demand, Nepali consumers are increasingly reliant on imported agricultural goods.

23.12.2025

Fisheries sector losses from cyclone estimated at Rs.8 Bn

The Fisheries Ministry reports that Cyclone Ditwah has caused losses to the fisheries sector amounting to nearly Rs.8 billion.

23.12.2025

USA - Mills County board hears agriculture land inspection proposal for carbon pipeline project

Mills County officials heard the latest regarding a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that would cut through a rural portion of the county's northwest corner.

22.12.2025

Fiji’s agriculture faces threat from root-knot nematodes

Fiji’s agriculture industry is confronting a new challenge with root-knot nematodes, pests that attack plant roots and reduce nutrient absorption.

22.12.2025

USA - USDA to expand crop insurance access for farmers and ranchers

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins recently announced major updates to federal crop insurance, reducing red tape for farmers, modernizing long-standing policies, and expanding access to critical risk protection beginning with the 2026 crop year.