ICL, a global minerals company, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the majority of operations from Lavie Bio Ltd., a subsidiary of computational biology company Evogene Ltd. The transaction, announced on April 21, 2025, includes the acquisition of Evogene's MicroBoost AI for AG platform and is expected to close during the second quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
Lavie Bio has established itself as a recognized leader in the agricultural biologicals industry, developing microbiome-based products designed to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability. The acquisition represents a significant consolidation in the agricultural technology sector, bringing together ICL's global reach with Lavie Bio's innovative biological solutions.
Key Assets in the Acquisition
The agreement includes the transfer of several critical assets to ICL:
- Lavie Bio's core team of scientists and researchers
- The BDD technology platform for biological product development
- The company's extensive microbial bank and associated data assets
- The majority of Lavie Bio's development programs
- Lavie Bio's commercial product portfolio
- Evogene's MicroBoost AI for AG platform, which powers biological discovery
Notably, Lavie Bio's existing partnership agreements will not be transferred to ICL and may continue to generate future revenue for Lavie Bio's shareholders.
Building on Established Collaboration
This acquisition follows a strategic investment by ICL Planet and builds upon more than two years of collaboration between the two companies. Their joint efforts have focused on developing innovative bio-stimulant solutions specifically designed for row crops facing various abiotic stresses, such as drought, temperature extremes, and soil salinity.
Amit Noam, CEO of Lavie Bio, highlighted the significance of the deal: "Today marks a significant milestone in Lavie Bio's journey. By combining our capabilities with ICL's expertise, we can further accelerate the development of groundbreaking ag-biological products that will provide innovative solutions to farmers around the world."
Strategic Value for Evogene
For Evogene, the parent company of Lavie Bio, the transaction aligns with its broader corporate strategy of developing and then monetizing its technological assets.
"This transaction reflects Evogene's ongoing strategy to unlock the value of its assets for the benefit of its shareholders," explained Ofer Haviv, CEO of Evogene. "We are confident that the integration of Lavie Bio's activities into ICL will significantly advance the global ag-biologicals field and drive impactful innovation in agriculture."
Technological Foundation
At the heart of Lavie Bio's value proposition is its proprietary computational predictive platform, the BDD platform, which is powered by Evogene's MicroBoost AI technology. This system harnesses big data, artificial intelligence, and advanced informatics to discover, optimize, and develop bio-stimulant and bio-pesticide products with greater efficiency and higher success rates than traditional methods.
The MicroBoost AI platform represents one of Evogene's three unique technological engines, alongside ChemPass AI for small molecule discovery and GeneRator AI for genetic elements. These platforms exemplify the growing role of computational approaches in life sciences product development.
Market Impact and Future Directions
The agricultural biologicals market has been experiencing rapid growth as farmers seek more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional chemical inputs. Microbiome-based products, which leverage beneficial microorganisms to enhance crop performance, represent a particularly promising segment within this market.
By integrating Lavie Bio's capabilities, ICL strengthens its position in the agricultural biologicals space and enhances its ability to deliver innovative solutions to address critical challenges in global agriculture, including climate change adaptation and sustainable intensification of food production.
The acquisition is expected to accelerate the development timeline for several products in Lavie Bio's pipeline, potentially bringing new biological solutions to market more rapidly than would have been possible as a standalone entity.
Industry Context
This transaction occurs against the backdrop of increasing consolidation in the agricultural inputs sector, as companies seek to build comprehensive portfolios that span traditional fertilizers, crop protection chemicals, seeds, and biological products. The integration of computational biology and artificial intelligence capabilities has become a particular focus for strategic acquisitions, as these technologies promise to dramatically improve the efficiency of product discovery and development.
For ICL, which has historically been known primarily as a minerals and specialty chemicals company, the acquisition represents a significant step in expanding its technological capabilities and product offerings in the growing agricultural biologicals segment.
