STARTUP FEEDS OFF ORGANICS MARKET

Almond shell waste is brewed into a liquid fertilizer to nourish soil. Stanford grads behind the company say their product improves yields for growers worried about using agrochemicals.

- BY AGNIESZKA DE SOUSA

Chipotle Mexican Grill and Khosla Ventures are among investors providing a fresh round of funding for a startup that makes fertilizer from ground almond shells.

Nitricity, founded by Stanford University graduates, announced last week that it has raised $50 million to scale production of its organic and vegan fertilizer and expand across the U.S. and to Europe. The company is courting organic farmers amid heightened concerns over the environmental and health impacts of agrochemicals, a movement boosted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

"Our goal is to reduce emissions, promote healthy soils and help farmers improve yields," said Nicolas Pinkowski, the company's co-founder and chief executive officer. "There's a lot of concern right now in the U.S. about chemicals in and on foods. More and more people care not just about getting enough calories every day, but about making sure what they eat is healthy and safe."