In the context of more than half of Colombia’s arable land suffering severe degradation due to erosion, desertification, and soil compaction, SaBio—a biotechnology startup—chose to start from the very foundation: the soil. Instead of turning to conventional interventions such as chemical fertilizers or mechanized farming, SaBio offers a more sustainable solution by combining microorganisms, agronomic data, and artificial intelligence to restore soil health and build climate-resilient agriculture.
At the heart of SaBio’s technology lie three pillars: diagnosing soil quality, developing tailored bio-inputs for specific soil types, and providing an AI-integrated technical advisory platform. Before cultivation begins, farmers receive a detailed analysis of soil microbiota and biological indicators, followed by customized bio-formulas designed to rebalance the soil ecosystem. Throughout the crop cycle, SaBio’s AI platform continues to support farmers with technical guidance, dosage adjustments, and response scenarios in the face of weather changes or crop health issues.
SaBio’s solution is more than just “improving soil” through biotechnology. What sets this model apart is its ability to integrate data from various sources—microbiology, agronomy, meteorology, and farming behavior—and analyze them to provide real-time, adaptive recommendations. While most agricultural businesses today still operate based on experience or periodic data collection, SaBio’s approach minimizes information latency and human error. Compared to purely IoT-based smart farming solutions, SaBio focuses on soil regeneration—a foundational element of agricultural productivity and supply chain resilience that is often overlooked in digital farming models.
SaBio’s research and development journey began with the real-world needs of thousands of Colombian farmers facing rising input costs and increasingly depleted soils. The founding team—comprising microbiologists, agricultural engineers, and data experts—developed the first MVP (Minimum Viable Product) of their solution in 2021, working with a group of farmers in the Cauca region. Based on field feedback, SaBio refined its bio-formula, optimized its AI algorithms, and built a multilingual advisory platform that can scale across other regions in Latin America.
Beyond its technological solutions, SaBio actively seeks global partnerships to adapt its model to various climates and farming practices. At the P4G Vietnam Summit 2025, SaBio had the opportunity to present its soil restoration solution—powered by microbes and data—to the international community, while expanding its network in the Asia-Pacific region. The summit also allowed the startup to connect with strategic investors, explore agricultural innovation models from other developing countries, and prepare for expansion beyond Latin America.
According to internal data from the startup ecosystem, SaBio has received technical support through an acceleration program funded by BID Lab and secured seed funding from the impact investment fund Acumen Latin America. The startup was also named one of the top 10 sustainable agriculture solutions in the 2024 AgTech Challenge organized by TechnoServe.
By placing soil at the center and restructuring farming methods through data-driven and eco-friendly practices, SaBio is proving that biotechnology is not confined to laboratories. It can, in fact, become the foundation of a vibrant and sustainable agricultural future in the era of climate change.
