Fertilizer giant Yara backs soil-sensing startup Stenon in Series B second close
What's the deal? Norwegian crop nutrition giant Yara InternationalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has invested in Stenon, a German startup that measures soil nitrogen in the field, through its venture arm Yara Growth VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The deal marks the second close of Potsdam-based Stenon's Series B and follows a €18 million ($20.5 million) first close earlier this year led by Dutch impact investor PymwymicDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Financial terms of the Yara investment were not disclosed.
What's the endgame? Stenon wants to make fertilizer use more efficient by giving farmers real-time soil data to guide nitrogen decisions. Its portable FarmLab device measures plant-available nitrogen, soil organic matter, temperature, and moisture directly in the field, then uses software and AI models to generate fertilizer recommendations.
Why Yara? Chief executive officer Niels Grabbert says Yara, one of the world's largest nitrogen fertilizer producers, is "a good strategic match." He adds: "They produce the inputs we're optimizing, which shows that they have validated our technology."
Why now? The investment lands as Middle East conflict disrupts fertilizer exports and drives up prices. In June, the World Bank said disruption around the Strait of Hormuz had pushed urea and phosphate prices to their highest levels since 2022, warning that persistent disruptions could lift prices "far above current forecasts."
Higher costs raise farmers' near-term expenses and, over time, could push growers to apply less fertilizer or switch to less nutrient-hungry crops — weighing on yields.
By the numbers: Stenon sells to input retailers, machinery dealers, agricultural consultants, and food producers. Grabbert says the platform is already used across several million acres in Europe, Central Asia, Brazil, and the US.
What's next? The new funding will develop Stenon's soil nitrogen intelligence platform and expand it to more crops and regions. Over the next 12 months, Grabbert wants to ready new technology for a 2027 launch, increase deployments in Latin America, and enter new markets.
The signal: A fertilizer producer backing a startup built to help farmers use less of its product points to where the industry is heading. As prices climb and supply chains stay fragile, efficiency — not just volume — is becoming the competitive edge in crop nutrition.
Read more: agfundernews.com
Image credit: Stenon
