Semilla Nueva
More than a billion people across the world get most of their nutrition from maize. It’s not very nutritious, especially if you're a growing kid.
The Idea
Biofortified Maize
Total Investment
2250000
Grants
0
Equity/SAFE
0
Debt/Convertible Debt
Funded Since
2017
Geography
Sector
Structure
The Mission
Healthier kids.
How It Works
Semilla Nueva breeds maize seeds that are rich in zinc, iron, and protein and—crucially—provide the increased yields that drive farmers to purchase them. Seed companies have no incentive to develop nutritious seeds themselves, so Semilla Nueva uses donor money to breed nutritious seeds themselves, then provides them for free to seed companies for mass production and distribution.
The Dream
Big seed companies market and sell nutritious seeds, saturating the market.
Why We're In
More nutritious maize could have a huge impact worldwide. Semilla Nueva has created better seeds and has shown that small companies in Guatemala can sell them. The jackpot would be getting big international seed companies onboard. We see a potential breakthrough because there has been a lot of progress on national mandates to produce nutritious maize (in no small part due to their efforts), and gene editing promises to make seed breeding cheaper and faster.
Are you a serious funder and want to learn more?
This is just a snapshot of what we know about the organization. If you're an investor or funder that might send some serious dough their way, we're always delighted to share more. Reach out and we'll connect you with the right person on our team.
*this is not monitored for funding requests.