Bindwell, an agriculture-tech company, has secured $6 million in seed funding to advance its AI-driven pesticide discovery platform. The funding round was co-led by General Catalyst and A Capital, with participation from SV Angel and Y Combinator founder Paul Graham. Bindwell's platform applies AI techniques to identify and develop new pesticide molecules, offering a faster and more cost-effective approach compared to traditional methods.
The company's AI models can analyse billions of molecules, predicting results in seconds that previously required days of laboratory work. Bindwell's AI suite includes Foldwell, a replacement for AlphaFold; PLAPT, which scans all known synthesized compounds in six hours; and APPT, a protein-protein interaction model. This technology addresses the increasing challenges in the agrochemical industry, where pesticide resistance and environmental concerns are growing. The funding will support the development of Bindwell's proprietary pesticides, expand its AI research and biochemistry teams, and scale its laboratory capabilities.
Bindwell aims to develop safer, more targeted pesticides that minimise environmental impact while effectively controlling pests. Founded in 2024 by Tyler Rose and Navvye Anand, the company's mission is to transform the agrochemical industry by making pesticide discovery faster, cheaper and more effective.
