<divclass="h1">Introduction: Mission, Problem and Solution</div>
<p>The Fertilizers Market size is estimated at 381.7 billion USD in 2024, and is expected to reach 541.2 billion USD by 2030 <ahref="#fertilizermarket"style="color: #185A4F;">[4]</a>. This is not surprising because as the global population increases, so does the need for food. While it is a significant source of agricultural productivity, and thereby economic development, the price of fertilizers has reached a record high <ahref="#fertilizerprice"style="color: #185A4F;">[5]</a> (see figure below). In the past three decades, farmers have seen a 250% increase in costs for pesticides and agricultural chemicals, making it difficult for them to perform their work optimally, especially in developing countries, where forty-nine million people in 49 countries are on the brink of famine<ahref="#famine"style="color: #185A4F;">[6]</a>. For optimized food safety and production, it is critical that all farmers receive the fertilizer they need quickly and at affordable prices<ahref="#famine"style="color: #185A4F;">[6]</a>, but the market seems not to be on their side.
<p>What if we could reach that optimal point without the need for fertilizers? For example, by <strong>manufacturing genetically modified seeds that produce crops capable of fixing their own nitrogen?</strong> In addition to saving farmers billions and saving thousands of lives, we could create this hypothetical new product that would revolutionize the food market as we know it. Is this possible, and is it beneficial for the market? We explored the possibility of commercializing the potential product that our research would lead to, NitroBLAST seeds. This was done by our entrepreneurship team and our ideas to realize our potential company NitroBLAST are elucidated on this page.
<p>"The Fertilizers Market size is estimated at 381.7 billion USD in 2024, and is expected to reach 541.2 billion USD by 2030"<ahref="#fertilizermarket"style="color: #185A4F;">[1]</a>. This is not surprising because as the global population increases, so does the need for food. While it is a significant source of agricultural productivity, and thereby economic development, the price of fertilizers has reached a record high <ahref="#fertilizerprice"style="color: #185A4F;">[2]</a> (see <ahref="#fig1">figure</a>). In the past three decades, farmers have seen a 250% increase in costs for pesticides and agricultural chemicals, making it difficult for them to perform their work optimally, especially in developing countries, where forty-nine million people in 49 countries are on the brink of famine<ahref="#famine"style="color: #185A4F;">[3]</a>. For optimized food safety and production, it is critical that all farmers receive the fertilizer they need quickly and at affordable prices<ahref="#famine"style="color: #185A4F;">[3]</a>, but the market does not seem to be on their side.
<p>What if we could reach that optimal point without the need for fertilizers? For example, by <strong>manufacturing genetically modified seeds that produce crops capable of fixing their own nitrogen?</strong> In addition to saving farmers billions, and saving thousands of lives, we could create this hypothetical new product that would revolutionize the food market as we know it. Is this possible, and is it beneficial for the market? We explored the possibility of commercializing the potential product that our research would lead to, NitroBLAST seeds. This was done by our entrepreneurship team and our ideas to realize our potential company NitroBLAST are elucidated on this page.
<p>At NitroBLAST, we are focusing on transforming global agriculture. Our ultimate goal is to create sustainable, nitrogen-fixing crops that help farmers rely less on chemical fertilizers, while still ensuring strong crop yields. By doing this, we aim to empower farmers to embrace our technology and contribute to reducing the environmental impact of fertilizers.</p>
<p>Farms across the country are losing massive amounts of nitrogen—74% of what they apply, or about 312,000 tons, is wasted each year. This nitrogen, meant to nourish crops, instead ends up polluting our air and soil. Most of it comes from over-fertilization, an issue that has put the Netherlands at the top of the list among OECD nations for nitrogen use CITE. The effects of this issue extend beyond just the environment; they also deeply affect farmers who are striving to care for their crops amidst increasing environmental challenges. In fact, the production of synthetic fertilizers alone accounts for nearly 2% of global CO <sub>2</sub> emissions CITE.</p>
<p>For staple crops like cereals and maize, up to 40% of farm operating costs go toward fertilizers CITE, and the rising costs have triggered protests across Europe, with Dutch farmers at the forefront CITE. Attempts to curb nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands have only deepened the tension.</p>
<p>Farms across the country are losing massive amounts of nitrogen—74% of what they apply, or about 312,000 tons, is wasted each year. This nitrogen, meant to nourish crops, instead ends up polluting our air and soil. Most of it comes from over-fertilization, an issue that has put the Netherlands at the top of the list among OECD nations for nitrogen use <ahref="#CBS"style="color: #185A4F;">[4]</a>. The effects of this issue extend beyond just the environment; they also deeply affect farmers who are striving to care for their crops amidst increasing environmental challenges. In fact, the production of synthetic fertilizers alone accounts for nearly 2% of global CO <sub>2</sub> emissions <ahref="#CO2"style="color: #185A4F;">[5]</a>.</p>
<p>For staple crops like cereals and maize, up to 40% of farm operating costs go toward fertilizers <ahref="#operating-costs"style="color: #185A4F;">[6]</a>, and the rising costs have triggered protests across Europe, with Dutch farmers at the forefront <ahref="#protests"style="color: #185A4F;">[7]</a>. Attempts to curb nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands have only deepened the tension.</p>
<p>The consequences of over-fertilization are profound, leading to environmental devastation such as harmful algal blooms, air pollution, and serious health risks. Yet, despite its harmful effects, fertilizer is critical for boosting crop yields at a time when the global population is growing and food demand continues to skyrocket. Tackling this problem is not just a national issue—it’s a global priority that demands immediate and innovative solutions.</p>
<p>At NitroBLAST, we’re taking an exciting first step toward solving the nitrogen crisis by giving crops the ability to naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen.</p>
<p>At NitroBLAST, we’re taking an exciting first step towards solving the nitrogen crisis by giving crops the ability to naturally fix atmospheric nitrogen.</p>
<p>Our research centers on incorporating a nitrogen-fixing organelle, called the Nitroplast, into eukaryotic cells, and eventually plant seeds. This innovation is inspired by a natural partnership between the cyanobacteria UCYN-A and the marine alga <em>B. bigelowii</em>. Using synthetic biology, we’re working to introduce this nitrogen-fixing capability into important crops like wheat, corn, and rice, much like how peas and beans already partner with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.</p>
<p>The result? Crops that can fix their own nitrogen directly from the atmosphere, reducing or even eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizers. This means lower costs for farmers and fewer environmental problems caused by fertilizer overuse. Unlike traditional fertilizers, which require energy-intensive production and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, NitroBLAST crops would work naturally inside the plant, helping to minimize agriculture’s carbon footprint.</p>
<p>We imagine a future where crops can thrive in nutrient-poor soils without harmful chemicals, supporting sustainable farming that protects water sources, reduces pollution, and preserves biodiversity.</p>
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<divclass="h2">Lean Canvas Business Model</div>
<p>The Lean Canvas is a simplified, one-page business model framework designed to help entrepreneurs and startups quickly outline and validate their business ideas. The focus is on identifying key assumptions, problems, and solutions early on, allowing for faster testing and iteration. We have designed the following Lean Canvas for our business:</p>
<p>The TAM represents the global agricultural industry's full potential for our solution. This includes all farmers globally who use synthetic fertilizers, across all crop types. Globally, the fertilizer market is valued at over 200 billion USD annually, with nitrogen-based fertilizers comprising a significant portion of that. Since almost all major crops (wheat, rice, maize, etc) depend on nitrogen inputs, the TAM includes every agricultural sector that relies on fertilizer.</p>
<p>The TAM represents the global agricultural industry's full potential for our solution. This includes all farmers globally who use synthetic fertilizers, across all crop types. Globally, the fertilizer market is valued at over 200 billion USD annually, with nitrogen-based fertilizers comprising a significant portion of that<ahref="#tam"style="color: #185A4F;">[6]</a>. Since almost all major crops (wheat, rice, maize, etc) depend on nitrogen inputs, the TAM includes every agricultural sector that relies on fertilizer.</p>
<divclass="h2">Serviceable Available Market: SAM</div>
<p>The SAM represents the portion of the TAM that our solution could realistically serve, based on the specific crops and regions where its application could be useful. The SAM would direct our focus to regions with severe nitrogen pollution issues, such as Europe, North America and parts of Asia. In these regions large scale farms producing cereals like maize, and other staple crops would be our primary targets. The European nitrogen fertilizer market alone is valued at approximately 50 billion USD and the US market is another 15 billion USD. Including other developed nations and regions with high agricultural output, the SAM could easily represent 80-100 billion USD in potential revenue. Key crops like wheat, maize, rice, and soybeans—staples that require heavy nitrogen inputs—would represent the initial market for our solution.</p>
<p>The SAM represents the portion of the TAM that our solution could realistically serve, based on the specific crops and regions where its application could be useful. The SAM would direct our focus to regions with severe nitrogen pollution issues, such as Europe, North America and parts of Asia. In these regions large scale farms producing cereals like maize, and other staple crops would be our primary targets. The European nitrogen fertilizer market alone is valued at approximately 50 billion USD <ahref="#sam"style="color: #185A4F;">[7]</a>and the US market is another 30 billion USD<ahref="#sam1"style="color: #185A4F;">[8]</a>. Including other developed nations and regions with high agricultural output, the SAM could easily represent 80-100 billion USD in potential revenue. Key crops like wheat, maize, rice, and soybeans—staples that require heavy nitrogen inputs—would represent the initial market for our solution.</p>
<p>The SOM is the realistic segment of the SAM that we could capture within the first few years of commercialization, considering competition, market penetration strategy, and resources. The initial target could be innovative and sustainability-focused farmers in developed regions, specifically those facing strict environmental regulations like the Netherlands, Germany, and parts of the U.S. Focusing on early adopters—perhaps 2-5% of the SAM in high-regulation regions—our initial obtainable market could be worth 2-5 billion USD. We would then start with the Netherlands, given the severe nitrogen crisis, and expand into other parts of Europe and North America where government incentives and environmental policies favor sustainable solutions.</p>
<liid="CBS"><ahref = "https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2024/05/toename-stikstofoverschot-in-landbouw-door-droge-zomer-2022"style="color:#185A4F;">Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. (2024, January 29). Toename stikstofoverschot in landbouw door droge zomer 2022. Centraal Bureau Voor De Statistiek. https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2024/05/toename-stikstofoverschot-in-landbouw-door-droge-zomer-2022</a></li>
<liid="CO2"><ahref = "https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.154162"style="color:#185A4F;">Osorio-Tejada, J., Tran, N. N., & Hessel, V. (2022). Techno-environmental assessment of small-scale Haber-Bosch and plasma-assisted ammonia supply chains. Science of The Total Environment, 826, 154162. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.154162</a></li>
<liid="operating-costs"><ahref = "https://fas.usda.gov/data/impacts-and-repercussions-price-increases-global-fertilizer-market"style="color:#185A4F;">Impacts and Repercussions of Price Increases on the Global Fertilizer Market | USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2024, from https://fas.usda.gov/data/impacts-and-repercussions-price-increases-global-fertilizer-market</a></li>
<liid="protests"><ahref = "https://www.dutchnews.nl/2019/12/protesting-farmers-close-roads-and-borders-in-nationwide-campaign/"style="color:#185A4F;">Protesting farmers close roads and borders in nationwide campaign - DutchNews.nl. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2024, from https://www.dutchnews.nl/2019/12/protesting-farmers-close-roads-and-borders-in-nationwide-campaign/</a></li>
<liid="tam"><ahref = "https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/fertilizer-market"style="color:#185A4F;">Fertilizer Market Size & Share | Growth Forecast Report – 2032. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2024, from https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/fertilizer-market</a></li>
<liid="sam"><ahref = "https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/fertilizer-market"style="color:#185A4F;">Fertilizer Market Size & Share | Growth Forecast Report – 2032. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2024, from https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/fertilizer-market</a></li>
<liid="sam1"><ahref = "https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/united-states-fertilizers-market#"style="color:#185A4F;">United States Fertilizers Market Analysis | Industry Growth, Size & Forecast Report. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2024, from https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/united-states-fertilizers-market#</a></li>
<liid="fixrate">Turk-Kubo, K.A., Mills, M.M., Arrigo, K.R. et al. UCYN-A/haptophyte symbioses dominate N2 fixation in the Southern California Current System. ISME COMMUN. 1, 42 (2021). <ahref="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-021-00039-7"style="color:#185A4F;">https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-021-00039-7</a></li>
<liid="ucyn-a2">Suzuki S, Kawachi M, Tsukakoshi C, Nakamura A, Hagino K, Inouye I, Ishida KI. Unstable Relationship Between Braarudosphaera bigelowii (= Chrysochromulina parkeae) and Its Nitrogen-Fixing Endosymbiont. Front Plant Sci. 2021 Dec 3;12:749895. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.749895. PMID: 34925404; PMCID: PMC8679911.</li>
<liid="cite13">N.H. Nghia et al. “Uptake of Azotobacters by Somatic Fusion of Cell-wall Mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardii”. In: Biochemie und Physiologie der Pflanzen 181.5 (Jan. 1986), pp. 347–357. issn: 0015-3796. doi: 10.1016/S0015-3796(86)80008-7.</li>
