Press Release
(Vienna/Madrid, December 2021) – The Liechtenstein Group has entered into a partnership with biotech company Nature Talent Group (NTG), a leading Spanish provider of biological solutions for agricultural and forestry systems. The Madrid-based company undertakes research and development as well as producing and commercializing natural, high-tech, residue-free biofertilizers, biostimulants and bioprotection products which increase crop yields and improve plant bionutrition and immunity. NTG is the parent company of Green Universe Agriculture (GUA), headquartered in Madrid and with subsidiaries in Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru. NTG also recently acquired Legume Technology, a R&D and distribution company based in Nottinghamshire (United Kingdom) which develops, produces and sells bioinoculants for legume crops. NTG serves customers in more than 40 countries worldwide and across a wide range of crops.
The biologicals* solutions market has experienced double-digit growth in the past decade and is expected to maintain this trend for many years to come. This growth is bolstered by the increase in sustainable farming, the need to reduce emissions in the food system, and the regulatory push towards biological solutions in the agricultural and forestry space. Furthermore, the demand for products capable of addressing the increased pressure of abiotic stress – which remains the largest challenge for growers, with over USD 200 billion in global crop losses annually – is driving the demand for alternative input solutions. NTG has an industry-leading product portfolio of microorganisms, special fertilizers, pheromones and soil improvers, and is looking at expanding and strengthening its global commercial reach, with a core focus in Central and Western Europe, Latin America, and MENA.
The Liechtenstein Group’s investment will help NTG in this next phase of growth. This funding round - led by the Liechtenstein Group, along with Direct Investment, the family office of the Yera family, as a cornerstone investor - will support the existing management team’s ambitious R&D activities and the growth in scale and scope of its global commercial operations.
“We are excited to be investing in NTG, a company with cutting-edge biotechnology and an extensive commercial reach in one of the fastest-changing areas of the agricultural industry. As sustainabilitydriven investors, we are committed to supporting the growth and development of biological solutions that can help reduce the environmental footprint of the agricultural sector and build more resilient ecosystems. We believe that NTG is the perfect partner for us in this journey”, say Prince Constantin Liechtenstein and Johannes Meran, the Managing Partners of the Liechtenstein Group.
“We are delighted to bring the Liechtenstein Group on board as a strategic partner at this inflection point for NTG. After years of successful research and development and strong commercial growth, we are focusing on scaling up and strengthening our global reach. The Liechtenstein Group and Direct Investment share our ambition and vision, and we look forward to working together in bringing efficient and environmentally-friendly bio-input solutions to farmers across the world”, says Ignacio Horche Trueba, co-founder and CEO of NTG Group.
RLD, a Spanish law firm specialized in M&A, has provided legal counsel to NTG in this transaction.
*Biologicals are a broad category of products of non-chemical and non-synthetic origin that protect plants, for example, from diseases or pests, or support and stimulate their vigor or performance. They are either biocontrols or biostimulants.