Wild Bioscience scales climate-resilient crops at Milton Park

Wild Bioscience, a University of Oxford spinout using AI and plant science to develop climate-resilient crops, has expanded its operations at Milton Park after securing £45 million ($60 million) in Series A funding led by the Ellison Institute of Technology, with continued backing from Oxford Science Enterprises, Braavos and the University of Oxford.

The investment marks a major scale-up for the company, supporting new laboratory and office expansion, a growing leadership team, and progress towards commercialising its first improved crop varieties.

At Milton Park, Wild Bioscience has increased its footprint by 4,560 ft² to a total of 16,000 ft², spanning 115 Olympic Avenue and additional buildings, alongside a newly fitted office and CL2 gene-editing laboratory at 127 Olympic Avenue. The site will act as a dedicated crop design and engineering hub, with a focus on precision-bred wheat.

The expansion, combined with team growth and new technologies, has already enabled the company to triple plant output within months.

Since establishing itself at Milton Park in 2021, Wild Bioscience has steadily scaled to 40 employees, building advanced laboratory and plant growth facilities that allow rapid testing of crop traits under controlled conditions. Further investment is now being used to convert additional space into bespoke growth environments, increasing capacity for crop testing across a wider range of conditions and accelerating seed production for field trials.

Alongside infrastructure growth, the company continues to build its commercial pipeline through global collaborations including The Traits Company (GDM), KWS, Dyson Farming and Pairwise Plants.

Wild Bioscience combines AI-driven modelling with molecular biology to identify beneficial traits in wild plant species, aiming to develop crops that can better withstand climate volatility while improving yield and reducing carbon intensity.

The company has also strengthened its senior leadership. Lisa Flashner, COO at the Ellison Institute of Technology, joins the board as non-executive director, while Dr Stuart Harrison joins as Chief Business Officer following a 24-year career at Syngenta.

Ross Hendron, CEO and co-founder, Wild Bioscience, said: 

“AI is accelerating how we design resilient crops, but the real breakthrough comes from turning those predictions into tested, real-world crop performance at scale.”

Lisa Flashner, COO, Ellison Institute of Technology and Non-Executive Director, Wild Bioscience, said: 

“Wild Bioscience is combining cutting-edge science with a clear route to real-world impact in food resilience. This expansion reflects strong foundations for scalable, long-term growth.”

Tom Booker, Asset Manager, Milton Park, Federated Hermes Real Estate, said: 

“Wild Bioscience is a strong example of a company scaling successfully at Milton Park, supported by investment, talent growth and a clear path from innovation to commercialisation.”

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