ZymeCO Raises $4 Million Series A to Scale Enzyme Bio-Manufacturing for Turf Management and Agricultural Crop Residue Management
PRESS RELEASE • July 1, 2026

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — July 1, 2026 — ZymeCO, an innovation-driven bio-manufacturing company developing enzyme-based products for agriculture and turf management, today announced the close of a $4 million Series A financing round. The round was led by Planetary Technologies (née Bioeconomy Capital), with participation from Sahsen Ventures, Old Tom Capital, Ag Startup Engine and multiple angel investors.


The financing builds on a period of strong customer demand and rapid revenue growth. ZymeCO will use the new capital to scale manufacturing, accelerate field validation, and broaden commercialization across the agriculture, golf course, lawn care, and sports turf management markets. The Company will further expand its research and product development platform to address pest control and other customer needs.


Built on the potential of enzymatic technology to transform agriculture, ZymeCO develops practical biological tools that break down turf thatch, algae, and organic matter to support healthier soils, crops and turf. The company’s products address persistent challenges for growers and turf managers — problems that today are primarily served through mechanical aeration, tilling and conventional biological solutions. 


"Closing this Series A is an important milestone for ZymeCO and for the customers we serve," said Mark Slavens, Ph.D., CEO of ZymeCO. "We've seen strong customer demand and rapid revenue growth as growers and turf professionals look for biological solutions that deliver measurable results. This funding allows us to scale the science, manufacturing, and field support needed to bring those solutions to more customers."


ZymeCO’s platform combines enzyme discovery, fungal fermentation, biological formulation, agronomic insight, and focused product development. 

“ZymeCO is operating at the intersection of biological innovation, soil health, and real-world performance,” said Rob Carlson, lead investor from Planetary Technologies. “We believe the company is positioned to become a meaningful platform in the next generation of sustainable agriculture and professional turf management.”


As growers, golf course superintendents, and turf managers seek products that improve performance while supporting more sustainable management practices, ZymeCO is expanding its commercial reach to meet that demand. ZymeCO’s team brings together expertise in protein engineering, biomanufacturing, agriculture, golf course management, turfgrass science, and commercial product development.


“From golf courses to production agriculture, our goal is to make advanced biological tools practical, reliable, and easy to integrate,” said Thaddaus Huber, Ph.D., Founder & CTO of ZymeCO. “This capital gives us the resources to continue to scale up and keep moving promising science out of the lab and into the hands of the professionals.”


About ZymeCO

ZymeCO is a bio-manufacturing company developing enzyme-based products for agriculture and turf management. Inspired by nature’s recyclers and powered by fermentation, ZymeCO creates practical tools that help transform organic matter into usable resources, improve soil function, and support healthier, more resilient plant systems. The company serves growers, golf course superintendents, lawn care professionals, sports turf managers, and other professionals seeking sustainable, high-performance solutions for soil and plant management.


For more information, visit zymecompany.com.


Media Contact

Jenny Phillips
Director of Marketing
ZymeCO
jenny@zymecompany.com
https://www.zymecompany.com/

ZymeCO Welcomes Sudeep Sidhu, Ph.D., as Director of Agronomy

By PRESS RELEASE • June 2, 2026
ZymeCO is pleased to announce Sudeep Sidhu, Ph.D., as the company’s new Director of Agronomy. In this role, Dr. Sidhu will help lead ZymeCO’s agronomic strategy, research initiatives, field validation, and continued development of enzyme-based technologies for turfgrass, row crop, and specialty agriculture systems.

ThatchZyme offers the first proven thatch control program

By ZymeCO • April 21, 2026
Turfgrass researchers at ZymeCO have developed and manufactured a proprietary sprayable enzyme now being offered as ThatchZyme to lawn care companies as an effective new solution for managing thatch in lawns.

Using enzymes to decrease thatch

By Golf Course Industry Superintendent Radio Network • April 20, 2026
From innovative origins to on-course applications, we go inside the ThatchZyme story with ZymeCO founder and CTO Dr. Tad Huber, vice president of sales and marketing Dr. Phil Dwyer, and legendary agronomist and industry search executive Armen Suny. What can enzymes do to improve golf and turf maintenance experiences? ZymeCO founder and CTO Dr. Tad Huber explains the experimentation that led to the development of ThatchZyme, a sprayable solution to help golf courses manage thatch. The discovery process included plenty of conversations with his father-in-law Armen Suny , a legendary and curious agronomist. Plus, ZymeCO vice president of sales and marketing Dr. Phil Dwyer joins Huber and Suny to reveal insights from the field. Topics covered on this episode include: ThatchZyme origins and innovation motivation Field observations Enzyme mechanism and design goals Market discovery Research & Development, portfolio expansion and positioning Application strategy and seasonal considerations Distribution and global reach All Golf Course Industry podcasts can be found on the Superintendent Radio Network page of popular distribution platforms. SOURCE: https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/media/thatch-management-golf-courses-enzymes/

New Hire: Michael Johnson, Regional Sales Manager

By Jennifer Phillips • April 6, 2026
ZymeCO welcomes Michael Johnson as Regional Sales Manager. Discover his experience in agronomy, biologicals, and specialty crop sales.

Real Results

By Jenny Phillips, Director of Marketing • January 26, 2026
Our partner Living Turf in Australia and New Zealand have been thrilled with the results, sharing the following: “Turf managers across the industry are seeing real results with ThatchZyme® from ZymeCO - healthier profiles, longer roots, reduced thatch, and improved turf performance."
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By PRESS RELEASE • November 3, 2025
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