Nine Million Euro Equity Investment to Further Develop Global Maize Research

According to Dr. Lutz Krafft, MTI Chief Executive Officer, "We have put together a broad base of germplasm which is competitive with that of the leading maize seed companies. With three years of our own field results, we have shown that MTI’s germplasm contains a wealth of elite inbreds and hybrids." MTI has secured exclusive access to breeding programs and material from several private companies and research institutes in Central and Eastern Europe. Krafft added, "Our candidate hybrids have also performed very well in two years of testing in Europe and the United States. We are now poised to further scale-up our breeding program, move our first products into wide area testing, and prepare for commercial launch. MTI hybrids show both high yields and superior stress tolerance e.g. against heat or drought – exactly what farmers and seed industry competitors are looking for." Maize (corn) accounts for the largest share of the world seed and crop protection markets. It is also the main target for the development of biotech traits.

Alain Parthoens, Life Sciences Investment Manager at BBL commented "BBL and our co-investors are convinced of the strategic value of MTI’s non-GMO elite corn germplasm, and the depth of experience of the company’s management and breeding research." Parthoens added, "MTI is ideally placed in their industry: Crop protection companies seek to secure access to elite maize germplasm in order to leverage their sales and bring their biotech traits to market. MTI also has the elite breeding material that corn seed companies require to ensure their long-term competitiveness and that genomics companies need in their search for specific value-added traits."