BCLP Advises NewLeaf Symbiotics in Series D Financing

A BCLP team represented client NewLeaf Symbiotics, Inc., as it completed its recent Series D financing round, to broaden and accelerate product commercialization. This financing was led by Koch Agronomic Holdings and also included participation by investors SABIC Ventures US Holdings LLC, Leaps by Bayer, Otter Capital, S2G Ventures and RockPort Capital.

Brendan Johnson led the cross-office BCLP team, which also included NewLeaf Relationship Partner Powell Carman (food and agriculture), Tim Glasgow (tax), Lucinda Althauser (intellectual property), Stephanie Drumm (venture capital) and Brandon Neuschafer (regulatory).

NewLeaf, a plant microbiome technology company based in St. Louis, Missouri, has developed a new class of biological products containing proprietary M-trophs. This unique class of microbes, which are commercialized under the brand name of Terrasym®, has been found to increase crop yield, naturally protect against pests and diseases, enhance grain and fruit quality and improve plant nutrition. During the 2020 growing season, over 300,000 acres of corn and soybeans were planted with NewLeaf’s Terrasym product.

As part of the financing plan, the company will continue to enhance its strong R&D and product platforms while commercializing into broad acre row crops – currently corn, soybeans and peanuts. In addition, NewLeaf will extend its reach into specialty vegetables while continuing to work closely with Joyn Bio as it develops its microbial engineering platform around NewLeaf’s beneficial plant colonizing microbes (M-trophs).

“Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has been a true partner for NewLeaf from the beginning,” said Steve Kahn, co-founder and CEO of NewLeaf Symbiotics. “Their depth of legal and agtech industry experience has been extremely valuable to us as we grow our business and accelerate commercialization.”