Pivot Bio Will Move Operations, HQ to Midwest

Pivot Bio, which develops microbial nitrogen products as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers, is relocating key parts of its business from Berkeley, California, to the Midwest. The company’s new footprint will be centered in two hubs:

• Center for Research, Development, Innovation & Operations – campus focused on science, product development and manufacturing operations.
• Global Headquarters – the company’s base for leadership and business operations. 

The move brings the company closer to the heart of U.S. agriculture and many farmer customers. By centralizing teams and operations, Pivot Bio hopes to speed product development and decision-making, and make better use of technology like AI to improve farm tools. Pivot Bio has stated that specific facility locations within the Midwest cannot be disclosed at this time as details are finalized.

“The Midwest has always been the heart of American agriculture, and it’s where many of our earliest customers and most trusted partners are based. As we scale, this move offers a strong center of gravity — rooted in the realities of the farm but connected to global opportunity,” said Chris Abbott, CEO.

Since 2018, Pivot Bio’s nitrogen-fixing microbes have been used on nearly 15 million acres of farmland across North America. The company is now preparing to expand into crops like cotton and sorghum and is working on approvals in South America and Africa.

Some employees from the company’s original base in Berkeley, California, will relocate. The company expects to add new jobs to its chosen locations. In recent years, Pivot Bio has expanded its presence in St. Louis, Missouri; Wayzata, Minnesota; and São Paulo, Brazil. The goal is to keep improving the performance and sustainability of crop production while staying more connected to farmers and partners in key agricultural regions.

“Our roots in Berkeley have played an important role in shaping Pivot Bio into the company it is today, and we’re deeply proud of the people and the work that’s been done here,” said Karsten Temme, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Pivot Bio. “As we look to the future, we want to build an environment that supports deeper integration across our teams and unlocks the full potential of our innovation platform. This includes placing our teams in the ag innovation corridors, closer to customers and partners in the most important agricultural regions.”