en.Wedoany.com Reported - Dutch agtech startup Aardaia has raised €5 million (approximately $5.9 million) in a seed funding round to accelerate the development of a tuber crop called aardaker (Lathyrus tuberosus). This protein-rich, nitrogen-fixing crop could help reduce agriculture's reliance on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and imported protein crops. The round was led by Point Nine, with participation from Astanor, Grey Silo, existing investor FoodLabs, and a group of angel investors.
Founded in Wageningen, Aardaia takes a different approach to crop development by domesticating wild edible plants rather than modifying existing staple crops. Its flagship crop, aardaker, was historically widespread across Europe but never commercially cultivated. Unlike potatoes, this leguminous tuber naturally fixes atmospheric nitrogen, enabling protein production without synthetic nitrogen fertilizers while yielding comparable to traditional root crops. The company says this trait could help reduce fertilizer use, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease Europe's dependence on imported plant protein.
Aardaia accelerates the domestication process—traditionally taking centuries—to just a few years using technologies such as genome sequencing, high-throughput phenotyping, rapid breeding, and genomic prediction. This year, the company is screening approximately 750,000 unique aardaker genotypes and plans to use the new funds to expand screening to 2 million. Since historical records show the crop was consumed in Europe before May 1997, it is not classified as a novel food under EU regulations, which could simplify the path to commercialization.
The startup currently employs 14 people from 10 countries, half of whom hold PhDs. The new funding will support additional genotype screening and breeding efforts, helping Aardaia move aardaker from experimental production to commercial-scale cultivation. The tuber has already attracted interest from the food industry, with two-Michelin-star restaurant De Nieuwe Winkel purchasing nearly the entire recent harvest.
