Discover how Biome Makers uses tech to restore soil health. CEO Adrián Ferrero highlights innovations in sustainable agriculture and agri-tech.
About this episode
Innovative agritech depends on innovative approaches. Adrián Ferrero, cofounder, and CEO of Biome Makers talks about the critical roles that soil health, data, and tech play in modern food production, and how Biome Makers’ soil testing solutions are breaking new ground.
Biome Makers online:
- Web: biomemakers.com
- Li: @biome-makers
- IG: @biomemakers
- TW: @biomemakers
Interview with Adrián Ferrero, CEO of Biome Makers
Dunja Jovanovic: Let’s begin with the origin of Biome Makers. What prompted you to start the company, and what does it do?
Adrián Ferrero: Our platform focuses on soil health and teaches people how to manage their soil more effectively. We decided to start this company because our previous experience involved using genetic technologies and DNA sequencing to support doctors in treating hereditary diseases. However, we realized that agriculture was missing biomarkers that could help farmers make better decisions.
In agriculture, farmers are often criticized for their use of chemical fertilizers and their negative impact on the environment. Rather than blaming them, we found out that there was a lack of information and resources available to help farmers make better decisions.
Soil is the foundation of agriculture and plays a crucial role in the growth of plants, as it houses a community of microbes such as bacteria and fungi that act as natural biosensors. Unfortunately, traditional microbial techniques could only identify 1% of the microbes in the soil, limiting our understanding of their functions and ecological relationships.
With new technologies such as DNA sequencing, we can now discover the full spectrum of microbes and their impact on plant growth. This led to the development of Biome Makers’ BeCrop Technology, a platform that utilizes DNA sequencing and advanced computing technologies to analyze soil microbes and deliver actionable insights to the farming community and stakeholders in agriculture value chains.
Since our inception in California in 2015, we have amassed the largest database of soil microbial references with a profile of 14 million taxonomic units, highlighting the vast discoveries we are making underground.
DJ: Talk about your first successful project — how did that put you on the map?
AF: The one that put us on the map was working on a single crop to prove the value of our functional insights on soil, which happened to be the wine industry. We began the project in Napa Valley, a well-known region in California. We worked with high-end wineries, conducting pilots, and collecting soil samples to understand how the microorganisms were impacting them.
We also explored the connection between the winemaking process and soil quality. After completing this initial project in Napa Valley, we expanded to other crops and now work with 180 different crops. Our insights are crop-specific, especially when it comes to risk disease and nutritional pathways.
We analyze how the soil mobilizes other nutrients to make them available to plants, similar to how the gut microbiome works. These insights are stored in our database and are used to inform our work with different crops.
DJ: What are the benefits of regenerative agriculture compared to traditional agriculture?
AF: Regenerative agriculture is a mindset change that challenges traditional concepts in agriculture. Over the last sixty years, we have relied heavily on synthetic fertilizers and genetics to increase yields dramatically.
This approach is not sustainable — as it damages the natural fertility of the soil, leading to a higher dependency on inputs and declining productivity. To maintain field productivity and reduce dependency on certain inputs, we need to adopt regenerative practices that integrate traditional practices with modern agriculture. Regenerative agriculture is not just a label, but a mindset on how we approach farming in a more integrative way.
DJ: Can you give an example of a farm or organization that’s used your technology to change its practices?
AF: One of our North American clients was experiencing a low fertility efficiency rate of 35-45%, indicating that only a small fraction of the fertilizer they applied was actually reaching the plants.
After analyzing their soil and identifying certain blocked pathways, they introduced a biological amendment that restored the balance in the soil and activated important pathways. As a result, their fertility efficiency increased by 1.2%, leading to a significant economic boost for their corn crop.
Also, we have been collaborating with farmers in Latin America to promote environmentally friendly practices by leveraging natural processes and traditional farming methods. Our trustworthy rating system, which is based on the biological quality of the soil, assesses the sustainability and responsibility of farmers' practices.
Food companies are also utilizing this rating system to incentivize and reward farmers who invest in regenerative agriculture, ultimately distinguishing their crops and end products in the market.
DJ: Can you talk about the industry and the challenges facing these kinds of innovations?
AF: There are many. Adoption is one of them. It's evident that people are eager to explore new tools and technologies that can help them overcome their challenges. Initially, we had to introduce and create awareness about our completely new technology and tools and push the market to create demand. But now we see that the situation has reversed, and people are approaching us with prior knowledge of our work.
Therefore, it can be said that people are receptive to adopting clean tech. Nevertheless, the main challenges are feasibility from an economic standpoint and education. We frequently encounter agronomists who lack proper training in managing soil biology, which is why we have initiated a training program for BeCrop Advisors (BCAs) to enable them to utilize our insights effectively.
We came to the realization that sharing our knowledge and experiences with clients on what has worked for them in certain situations and what hasn't in others could be beneficial. By doing so, we could crowdsource knowledge and create a space for best practices in soil management.
Education and feasibility are some of the challenges we face. When introducing a new tool, there may be doubts about its return on investment. Fortunately, in agriculture, people tend to test the technology first and assess its value before committing to it. Once they see the benefits of using this layer of data, they continue to use it and spread the word about clean tech to others in the industry.
DJ: What other challenges do you see in the cleantech industry?
AF: The challenges we face in addressing climate change are quite broad, particularly because we use carbon as a metric rather than carbon sequestration. It can be difficult to measure the actual tons of carbon being sequestered, especially as greenhouse gases are not solely made up of carbon.
Researchers have found correlations between other gases and carbon metrics, which is beneficial. For example, methane is 25 times more polluting than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide — which is one of the main greenhouse gases emitted in farming practices — is 300 times more polluting than carbon dioxide. This is also linked to the efficiency of nitrogen management in the field.
If we can activate the biological activity of nitrogen in the field and increase fertility efficiency for plants, we can reduce the release of nitrous oxide, which has a significant impact on greenhouse emissions.
DJ: When you were first starting out, did you think about what kind of identity and what kind of brand you wanted Biome Makers to have?
AF: While entrepreneurs typically have a well-defined plan that they present to investors, it's important to leave some room for adjustments and improvements based on new information and changing circumstances. Despite having a clear path to follow, decisions should be made based on how the world is evolving and the data available at the time.
In our case, we aimed to create a profitable company with a mission to improve agriculture through smarter and more efficient practices, using our knowledge of technology and science.
DJ: What role do you think marketing has in your success?
AF: I would say that marketing has been a major factor in our success, accounting for about 60% of it since the beginning.
The initial impression that people have of our company is crucial — and this is where marketing plays a key role. Creating awareness is equally important, which is again a marketing task. With so many things happening, such as collaborations, technological advancements, success stories, and partnerships, there is always something to talk about.
The challenge is that there is an overwhelming amount of content out there, and not all of it is useful. Some content is purely for entertainment, while other content is more educational or informative, and it can be difficult to stand out.
I have been extremely grateful for the support we have received from accelerators, innovators, mentors, friends, and partners who have introduced us to others along the way. I have found podcasts like yours to be invaluable in spreading the word about our work.
DJ: How did you communicate your mission and your purpose, and how has that changed over time?
AF: In the highly competitive market, startups face the challenge of gaining credibility and trust among customers. Many companies promise a lot but fail to deliver a reliable product. As a startup, it's crucial to be perceived as trustworthy, solid, and consistent.
To achieve this, we've been focused on technical communication — which is more science-driven — to show that our product has solid scientific backing. We've showcased our collaborations, projects, and scientific publications that support our technology. Public exposure and effective communication are crucial for gaining credibility in the market. We believe that pursuing excellence is key, and everything we do is because we believe it's good enough.
DJ: Can you share your thoughts on whether your technology will be a significant player in agriculture in the future, or if it will be the future of agriculture?
AF: Collaboration and the combination of different technologies are crucial to achieving our common goals. Our company's focus is on understanding soil dynamics and managing soil more efficiently, but there are many other innovative technologies out there that will also be instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.
We firmly believe that individuals alone cannot change the world, but working together can have a chain effect and make a huge difference. Our goal is to contribute to a more responsible approach to food production and consumption through our cleantech approach, although we recognize that this is just one aspect of the larger agricultural supply chain.
DJ: What are your hopes for the future of sustainability in the food industry?
AF: In the upcoming years, the economic landscape will be crucial, and we may need to alter our perception of consumption and work. In the past, we've been accustomed to having an abundance of goods at our fingertips and disposing of what we don't want without much thought.
However, this is not a sustainable practice if we want to protect the planet and ensure its well-being for future generations. We must consider the preservation of human life on Earth for many generations to come.
DJ: We need to evolve the way we consume and how we manage waste —
AF: At present, approximately 30% of food is lost before it even arrives at the supermarket, and I think there is still a significant amount of waste within the supermarket itself. As I stroll through the aisles and observe the large quantities of fresh food being purchased, particularly meat, it's evident that people cannot consume it all, and that it will go to the trash.
It's my hope that we will be intelligent enough to adapt our consumption habits and care for the finite resources we have available to us.
00:00
Hello dear people, you're watching another episode of the Green New Perspective podcast, the webcast series dedicated to sustainability.
Today, in episode nine, we have the pleasure of hosting Adrián Ferrero, co-founder and CEO of Biome Makers, a company transforming the agricultural industry through groundbreaking soil testing solutions. As a champion of sustainability and a key figure in the agritech sector, Adrián joins us to discuss the challenges facing our food systems and how data and technology can be leveraged to build a more just and sustainable food system.
Join us and enjoy the conversation.
00:47
Q: So let's talk about Biome Makers. What prompted you to start the company, and what does the company actually do?
Adrián Ferrero:
Thank you very much for the opportunity to introduce Biome Makers.
What we do is provide insights on soil health through a digital platform that helps people manage soil more efficiently, to keep it alive, in a sense. The reason we started this company ties back to our previous experiences as entrepreneurs. We were working in the human health space, using genetic technologies like DNA sequencing to help doctors prescribe better treatments for patients, particularly in areas like cancer.
We realized that agriculture lacked bioindicators, biomarkers that could help make better field decisions. Everyone blames farmers for chemical fertilizer use or environmental damage, but the truth is, they're often missing the tools to make better choices. We found there was no real way to measure biological activity in the soil.
Soil is the origin of everything, 95% of food comes directly or indirectly from it. Inside the soil, there's a whole community of microbes, bacteria and fungi, that act as natural biosensors. They reflect what's happening in the field and play crucial roles in plant growth. Traditional techniques only let us identify about 1% of the microbes because they rely on growing them in Petri dishes. But DNA sequencing opens up a whole new world, it lets us see not just who’s there, but what they’re doing.
That’s the origin of Biome Makers: using DNA sequencing to digitize soil biology, and then applying advanced computing technologies to understand the functions and relationships within that microbial community. Our goal is to provide actionable insights for farmers and stakeholders in agriculture.
To make that accessible, we developed a digital platform called BeCrop. We started in California in 2015, and now, eight years later, we’re proud to say we’ve built the largest database of soil microbial references. We've profiled 14 million taxonomic units of microbes. For comparison, humans have only named about 500,000, 350,000 bacteria and 150,000 fungal species. So we’re discovering what's underground and, more importantly, what these organisms are doing and how they impact soil health.
03:59
Q: What was your first successful project, the one that really put you on the map?
Adrián Ferrero:
The project that really put us on the map was in a single crop: wine. We started in Napa Valley, a renowned wine region in California, working with high-end wineries. We ran pilots, got feedback, sampled their soils, and analyzed how the microbial community was impacting their operations. We even explored potential links between soil microbes and the fermentation process in winemaking.
That initial experience helped validate our value proposition, delivering functional insights into soil health. Once we finalized that, we were ready to expand. Today, we work with 180 different crops. All of them are active in our database because our insights are crop-specific.
For example, disease risk insights must be very crop-specific. But for nutrient pathways, how soil mobilizes nutrients for plant uptake, similar to how the gut microbiome feeds us, it’s a bit more universal. Still, crop-specificity matters, especially for precision agriculture.
07:31
Q: You mentioned some downsides of traditional agriculture. Can you give us a better sense of the upsides of regenerative agriculture and how your work supports it?
Adrián Ferrero:
Regenerative agriculture is such an interesting mindset shift. It integrates some traditional agricultural practices with modern approaches. Over the last 60 years, we’ve dramatically increased agricultural yields, largely through synthetic fertilizers and plant genetics. These have definitely contributed to feeding the world.
But now we realize that this system is unsustainable. It’s damaging the natural fertility of the soil, increasing farmers' dependency on inputs, while productivity is plateauing or even decreasing in some regions.
To maintain good yield and reduce reliance on inputs that may not be as effective anymore, we need to evolve. That’s where regenerative agriculture comes in. It’s not just a buzzword, it’s a philosophy of farming that’s smarter, more integrative, and still productive.
Everyone defines it differently, but at its core, regenerative agriculture is about managing land in a way that restores soil health, builds biodiversity, and creates long-term economic and ecological resilience.
10:45
Q: Can you give us an example of a farm or organization that used your technology to change its practices?
Adrián Ferrero:
Yes, there are many examples. In North America, for instance, where corn and soybean are critical, some of our clients initially had fertility efficiencies of just 35 to 45%. That means only 35% of the fertilizer they applied actually reached the plant. Not great.
When we analyzed their soil and delivered insights, we found certain nutrient pathways were blocked. Instead of continuing to apply more fertilizer with the same poor efficiency, they introduced a biological amendment to restore ecological balance. This reactivated the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) pathways, increasing fertility efficiency.
They ended up spending roughly the same, some cost was shifted from chemical fertilizers to the biological amendment, but they saw a 1.2% yield increase. That’s significant for a crop like corn. Economically, it makes a big difference.
We’re also seeing incredible traction in tropical crops. Farmers in Latin America, working with bananas, coffee, cacao, sugarcane, and palm, started reaching out. They asked for help decreasing their environmental impact while improving efficiency. The results have been outstanding.
One of the powerful aspects of our offering, beyond agronomic insights like nutrient pathways and disease risk, is that we also provide an overall assessment of the biological quality of the soil. This rating is closely tied to how intense human intervention has been. It’s essentially a sustainability metric, and it’s reliable.
Food companies are now using this rating system to reward farmers who adopt more regenerative practices. They're paying a premium for more sustainably grown crops. And they’re doing it based on independent, science-driven, data-backed assessments.
15:03
Q: There’s great innovation happening in cleantech, but can you talk about the challenges this kind of technology faces? Are people quick to adopt it, or is it a slow process?
Adrián Ferrero:
That's an interesting question. When we talk about cleantech challenges, adoption is definitely one of the big ones. But overall, I think people are more open now than ever before. They’re actively looking for tools and technologies to help them tackle the challenges they’re facing.
In the beginning, we had to push our technology hard, it was entirely new. New tools, new dimensions, new ways of thinking. So we had to create awareness and educate the market. But now, it’s shifting. People are coming to us. They’ve already heard about what we do. That’s a huge change.
Still, there are two key barriers: economic feasibility and education.
That’s why we launched an initiative to train what we call Biological Crop Advisors, or BCAs. Most agronomists haven’t been trained in how to manage soil biology effectively. So we created a training program to open up our knowledge base and gather real-world experience from our clients, what worked, what didn’t, under what conditions. This crowdsourced approach is helping us build a reliable foundation of best practices for soil management.
Economic feasibility remains a hurdle, especially when the return on investment isn't immediately obvious. Farmers need to be confident that these technologies will work. So we focus on delivering clear, actionable insights backed by hard data. And once they see the benefits, whether it’s better yields, reduced input costs, or sustainability premiums, they keep going and expand the practice across more fields.
Another challenge is measurement, especially around carbon.
In climate tech, carbon metrics dominate the conversation, but they're hard to measure precisely in agriculture. People often focus on carbon sequestration, but farming also emits other greenhouse gases like methane, which is 25 times more potent than CO₂, and nitrous oxide, which is 300 times more potent.
Our tools help by improving nitrogen efficiency in soil. When you activate microbial nitrogen pathways, you reduce the risk of nitrous oxide emissions. But measuring exact quantities is difficult, especially since carbon in soil is cyclical, you store it, but you also release it. Understanding how much stays in the short, medium, and long term is still a complex challenge.
That’s why we need better data and more accurate metrics to support the next stage of climate-smart agriculture.
21:00
Q: In the beginning, you said you had to push your brand into the market. Did you think about what kind of identity you wanted Biome Makers to have?
Adrián Ferrero:
That’s an excellent question. At first, you pitch investors with a detailed plan and a strong mission. But in reality, things evolve. You have to leave room for improvement as you observe, gather information, and adapt.
Our core intention was to build a profitable, mission-driven company, one that helps agriculture become smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. We knew the technology and the science, so the real challenge was building a tool that truly helped.
In terms of branding and messaging, we’ve seen how fast tech terminology changes. A few years ago, it was all about big data. Then it was machine learning. Now everyone talks about AI. So yes, we incorporate those terms into our messaging because we have to stay relevant. But at the core, our mission hasn’t changed, it’s still about delivering insights that drive smarter agriculture.
I was just at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco, and we were joking, four years ago, nobody at those events was talking about artificial intelligence. Now it's in every conversation. But the work itself hasn’t changed. We’re still gathering data, identifying patterns, modeling, and learning so we can improve outcomes. The terminology shifts, but the value of what we’re doing stays the same.
26:02
Q: What role do you think marketing has played in your success?
Adrián Ferrero:
A huge one. I’d say marketing accounts for 60% of our success.
From the start, getting visibility was critical. We were fortunate to have incredible support, accelerators, incubators, mentors, partners, and friends who introduced us to others. And platforms like this podcast are incredibly valuable for building awareness.
Sometimes I tell my marketing team, “I feel like I’m repeating the same thing over and over.” And they remind me, “That’s okay. Even if 10 new people hear it today, that’s impact.”
Marketing isn’t just about promotion, it’s also about storytelling, about creating trust and credibility. That’s why we’ve always prioritized science-based, technical communication. We’ve published results, shared collaborations, and demonstrated that our work is backed by real science. That helps build trust in an industry where credibility is everything.
There are so many startups that promise big things. But to stand out, you need to be seen as trustworthy, consistent, and reliable. Technical communication helped us do that.
29:33
Q: What are your plans for the future, and what are your hopes for sustainability more broadly?
Adrián Ferrero:
As a company, we want to keep growing, doubling our impact and expanding our reach. We already work with top-tier manufacturers, food companies, and retailers. Now we want them to fully adopt our technology, not just test it. That’s how we scale our mission.
We're also evolving our services, going deeper into prediction. Our data science team is developing tools that can forecast whether a solution will work before you apply it, based on soil dynamics and microbial behavior. That’s the next level: personalized agriculture.
Imagine a fully automated field where we prescribe exactly what’s needed, machines apply it, and the whole system communicates seamlessly. That’s where we’re headed: high-yield, low-impact, biology-friendly farming.
On a larger level, I believe our technology will play an important role in the future of agriculture, but we won’t be the only ones. This is a collaborative space. There are so many great technologies out there, and we need to work together to create real change.
I don’t believe individuals can change the world alone. But someone has to be the trigger. And once that spark happens, others join in. That’s how transformation works.
My hope for cleantech is that we produce food more responsibly, and that we consume it more consciously. As a company, we’re tackling the supply side. But as consumers, we all have a responsibility.
We need to reduce food waste, rethink abundance, and be more deliberate in how we consume. That’s what sustainability means to me: taking care of the limited resources we have, so future generations can thrive.
32:45
Dunja (Host):
That’s such a powerful message. Thank you so much, Adrián, for being here and sharing your insights with us on the Green New Perspective podcast. I truly enjoyed this conversation, and I’m sure our audience did too. Feel free to leave questions in the comments, Adrián is open to answering them.
Adrián Ferrero:
Thank you. I really appreciate the work you do to bring attention to topics that often get overlooked in busy modern life. These conversations matter. I was recently in Medellín at a conference on low-tech innovation and agriculture, and it was inspiring to see how people are leveraging technology in unexpected ways. Platforms like yours help bring that inspiration to more people.
We're always happy to receive questions and have deeper conversations. Entrepreneurs are busy, but we’re also very open and accessible. So thank you again for the opportunity.
