Pivot Bio

Pivot Bio develops microbial nitrogen products for row crops. Its gene-edited microbes convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia directly on a plant's root system, supplying nitrogen through the season as the plant needs it rather than relying solely on soil-applied synthetic fertilizer. The company positions the products as complements to a grower's existing crop nutrition program; PROVEN 40 is stated to replace up to 40 pounds per acre of traditional nitrogen in corn without compromising yield, and the company says farmers can plant seed with up to 25% of the crop's nitrogen needs already in place.

The commercial line spans corn (PROVEN 40, PROVEN G3), wheat and small grains including sorghum, barley, millet, oats and sunflower (RETURN, RETAIN), corn silage, and CERT-N, available in on-seed, in-furrow and dry formulations, with accessory products such as Pivot Bio Extender and NuCore. Products require temperature-controlled dry storage and a single application that fits existing planting equipment; the company provides tank-mix calculators, compatibility guidance and equipment stewardship materials. Pivot Bio also runs the N-OVATOR program, which connects farmers using microbial nitrogen with organizations seeking to reduce on-farm emissions and pays participating growers for improved nitrogen practices.

Founding story

Karsten Temme, Ph.D., is a co-founder and served as CEO, leading the company's development of microbial nitrogen technology as an alternative to synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.

Business model

Pivot Bio manufactures and sells microbial nitrogen products to farmers through a direct-to-grower model rather than traditional fertilizer retail infrastructure, using an on-demand supply chain that ships to growers on their planting timelines. The company has said this approach avoids the factories, pipelines, barges and brick-and-mortar storage associated with synthetic fertilizer, and that advisors can order and schedule delivery via a mobile app.

Revenue comes from sales of microbial nitrogen products (PROVEN, PROVEN 40, PROVEN G3, RETURN, RETAIN, CERT-N) sold per acre to growers, with the company describing recurring, long-term grower relationships. The N-OVATOR program pairs participating farmers with organizations seeking emissions reductions and has paid farmers for improved nitrogen practices.

Traction

Pivot Bio introduced the industry's first commercially available microbial nitrogen in 2019; its inaugural corn product PROVEN sold out in its second commercialization year and was used on hundreds of thousands of U.S. corn acres. In 2021 the company reported use on more than 1 million crop acres, over 300% year-over-year growth, and tripled revenue. The company reports 1,050,000 metric tons of CO2e avoided since 2022 and more than $6 million paid to farmers through the N-OVATOR program since 2022.

Latest developments

In January 2025 the company highlighted a University of Illinois paper describing Pivot Bio as a new source of nitrogen with a unique mode of action, and in January-February 2025 published Northern Plains field results for PROVEN 40 and RETURN OS from the 2024 growing season. The company also notes recognition on TIME magazine's 200 Best Inventions list in two consecutive years and Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024.