A biotech start-up that began in Antarctica

A few years ago, in the freezing temperatures of Antarctica, a group of Argentinian scientists studied how to restore soil from oil pollution. The idea lingered in their minds until it developed into a business reality. 

Today, Nunatak Bio is an innovative Argentine start-up, that is using the knowledge gathered from scientific research in Antarctica to provide solutions for sustainable agriculture.  

‘We’re trying to tackle the loss of the microbiome that has happened as a result of soil degradation in the fields,’ says Julia Mensa, CEO of Nunatak Bio. 

‘Our model seeks to understand the elements that have allowed plants to survive in places like Antarctica or remote areas of the Patagonia, by studying the fungi and bacteria. With this we can develop nature-based products that are helping the agricultural industry in crops like wheat or cereals become more resilient.’ 

Julia Mensa is joined by her co-founders Martha Martorell and Fran Massot who used to be part of the Argentinian Institute for Scientifics Studies of Antarctica. 

‘We have studied more than 150 microorganisms to establish which ones can help the growth of plants or crops, in a more resilient way, especially by reducing the amount of fertilizer,’ says Julia. 

'his model not only allows for crops with a higher amount of nutrients, but it also improves the nutrients in the soils, permitting higher levels of restoration.’ 

For Julia, ‘it’s about bringing nature-based solutions to agriculture.’ 

Business model 

The amount of bio products in agriculture still has a lot of room for growth, but the people behind Nunatak Bio believe that the industry has an interest in growing the use of nature-based solutions, as part of an increasing awareness on preserving the environment.  

'We have seen a clear interest in our product as it can improve yields by making crops more resistant to stressors – our product has learnt a lot from the apacity of Patagonian plants to survive under ice most of the year,’ says Julia. 

'However, we’re also very interested in showing that we can learn from nature and help land restoration.’ 

Nunatak Bio already works with some agribusinesses in Argentina.

Julia has been selected as one of the top 25 ecopreneurs in the Ye! Youth Ecopreneurs Programme, which is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the G20 Global Land Initiative. The programme is designed for visionary young entrepreneurs who are committed to pioneering sustainable solutions for our planet.

The company’s goal is to scale up by attracting more investment, and expand to the United States and Canada, both big markets for wheat and cereals.  

COP29  

Nunatak was also a finalist in the selection process for ITC’s small business delegation that will attend the COP29 climate talks in November, in Baku, Azerbaijan.  

Although the company will not be part of that delegation, they are attending the December meeting of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.

'We are an innovative company, but we need to be supported by climate financing so we can be effective in supporting a transition to sustainability,’ says Julia.  

'Start-ups bring the innovation to governments and industries, and it would be good to be supported in this.’ 

COP29 will focus on climate finance. The negotiations will centre around reaching a new global financial target to stay on track for the Paris Agreement target set out in 2015. That agreement aims to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 centigrade. 

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has warned that this global financial agreement will determine whether ‘we succeed or fail’.