Living Roots Biological Crop Programs

Living Roots is a biological inputs company based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, co-founded by Avika Narula and Abhi Agarwal. It builds biological crop programs for tropical agriculture to cut chemical fertilizer use and replace residue burning, with commercial deployment in Thailand and field programs in India and Indonesia.

Its four-phase system covers SeedStart seed treatment, PhotoBoost and PhotoMax foliar nutrition for the vegetative and reproductive stages, and Activate for crop residue breakdown and soil biology recovery. Products are made locally from regional feedstock, and the Hypha AI platform adapts formulations by crop, soil condition and growth stage. It sells through rice wholesalers, food and dairy companies, cooperatives and input distributors as product supply, agronomy programs or both.

• SeedStart: seed treatment for uniform emergence and early root vigor.
• PhotoBoost: vegetative-stage foliar nutrition for photosynthesis, nutrient uptake and leaf area.
• PhotoMax: reproductive-stage foliar nutrition for yield protection and stress resilience.
• Activate: residue management product that breaks down straw and restores soil biology instead of burning.
• Hypha AI: formulation platform that adapts inputs by crop type, soil condition and growth stage.
• Partner programs: product supply, full-season agronomy protocols with field monitoring, or a hybrid of both.

• Rice exporters in the Mekong Delta running contract-farming programs that cut fertilizer cost and straw burning.
• Dairy companies supporting silage corn growers to raise biomass per hectare.
• Input distributors adding a full-season biological program for vegetable and field crops.

• Higher yields: a contract-farming rice partner in Fang, Thailand reported 35% or more higher yields than conventional practice for two consecutive years.
• Better farmer margins: the same program reported about 90% higher farmer profit per rai after drone spraying costs.
• Less chemical fertilizer: the company reports 50-80% lower chemical fertilizer use.
• Faster biomass: silage corn growers with Wondermilk in Lopburi saw over 40% more biomass and harvest 10 days earlier.

Residue burning and heavy chemical fertilizer use remain common across mainland Southeast Asia, and buyers of rice, corn and dairy feed increasingly ask suppliers for lower-input, lower-emission sourcing. Locally produced biologicals that fit existing contract-farming networks are a practical route for Vietnam and its neighbours.

Based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and active across South and Southeast Asia. Co-founded by Avika Narula and Abhi Agarwal. Received a second investment from Epic Angels in 2026 after a 2025 angel bridge round; funds go to team growth, field deployment and local manufacturing. Reports 5,000+ acres and 500+ smallholder farmers served.