We’re excited to announce our newest investment in Messium, an AgTech software company leveraging AI and hyperspectral satellite technology to optimize fertilizer usage. We’re thrilled to co-invest alongside Future Planet Capital, Expansion Ventures, Mudcake, GRDC, GrainInnovate, and SuperSeed (thank you, Mads Jensen, for the introduction!).
Messium delivers lab-level nitrogen insights from space. Using cutting-edge hyperspectral satellite imaging and AI analytics, the company can accurately detect nitrogen levels in crops. Their technology provides precise recommendations to farmers on when and where to apply fertilizer, reducing nitrogen waste while maintaining or improving yields. In early trials, their product has delivered substantial cost savings while also reducing environmental impact.
At the helm of Messium are co-founders George Marangos-Gilks (CEO) and Vishal Soomaney Vijaykumar (CTO), who bring a rare combination of entrepreneurial experience and technical depth:
George Marangos-Gilks is a three-time founder with two prior exits. Before Messium, he founded and led The Tab and Magic Carpet AI (acquired by http://Blockchain.com) and holds a degree from Cambridge.
Vishal Soomaney Vijaykumar is a senior machine learning and backend engineer who has co-founded multiple award-winning companies focused on satellite-based environmental analytics, including forest fire detection.
The problem they’re tackling is massive: Nitrogen fertilizer accounts for over a third of a wheat farm’s cost base, with up to 60% of that often wasted. Globally, $500B of fertilizer is applied inefficiently, damaging ecosystems and eroding farmer margins. Messium’s technology is not only more accurate than anything previously available, but also designed to plug into farmers’ existing systems with ease, bringing precision agriculture into sharper focus than ever before.
Our investment in Messium continues our thesis around backing applied AI teams building tangible, high-ROI solutions for legacy industries. We believe Messium’s first-mover advantage, proprietary dataset, and exclusive imaging partnerships position them as a category-defining player in precision agriculture.
Please join us in welcoming the Messium team to the Laconia portfolio!
For more information on the investment, read here.