Miraterra Acquires Trace Genomics to Supercharge Soil-to-Table Intelligence

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What if farmers could peer into the invisible life beneath their feet—and use that knowledge to grow more resilient crops, restore degraded land, and improve food quality? That vision just took a major leap forward. Miraterra, a British Columbia-based technology company known for unlocking insights across soil, plants, and food through Raman spectroscopy, has acquired the assets of Bay Area-founded agtech firm Trace Genomics. The deal brings together two frontier technologies—molecular biology and advanced spectroscopy—into a single platform poised to redefine what’s measurable in agriculture, from soil microbes to harvest-ready crops.

The acquisition includes Trace’s full intellectual property portfolio, its in-market soil biology products, and an analytical laboratory based in Ames, Iowa—an important research hub for agtech. For Miraterra, the move fast-tracks its mission to build a system that not only tracks what’s happening beneath the surface but translates that knowledge into actionable intelligence for farmers, agronomists, researchers, and food system actors.

“Miraterra’s integration of Trace’s technology, lab, and team accelerates our ability to deliver breakthrough soil-to-table measurement at scale,” said Miraterra CEO Nate Kelly. “We’re making advanced testing more accessible, useful, and trusted across the agricultural value chain. We invite customers to explore Trace’s proven products and our expanding offerings, and we welcome researchers and institutions to partner with us in unlocking new insights from decades of rich soil biology and soil chemistry data.”

Trace Genomics, once a rising star in the agtech world, built its platform on the understanding that soil is not just dirt—it’s a living ecosystem. By using DNA sequencing to reveal the composition and behavior of microbial life in soil, Trace enabled growers to make more informed decisions around inputs, crop rotation, and soil health management. It gave agronomists a new way of seeing the land—one rooted in biology rather than just chemistry.

“I’m very excited to have Trace back and operational,” said Miles Sorel, founder and CEO of regenerative agriculture company Terraforma, and a longtime customer of Trace. “Optimizing soil genomics testing is going to be an incredibly powerful tool. We will soon cross a threshold when this data can be leveraged to greatly improve a farmer’s profitability and the health of their soil.”

For Miraterra, the acquisition provides an opportunity not just to absorb an existing customer base, but to build on years of microbiome data and lab expertise. The company has said its first priority is to continue delivering exceptional service to Trace’s legacy clients, while expanding to new markets and users. A critical part of that strategy lies in retaining the skilled team operating out of Ames—people with deep institutional knowledge and an understanding of how to run high-quality, high-throughput soil analysis at scale.

“We are thrilled to house such a dedicated and talented team at the lab here in Ames,” said Dan Culhane, President and CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance. “The lab’s presence not only creates high-quality jobs and attracts top-tier talent, but it also sparks collaboration across industry, academia, and startups. Miraterra’s expansion reinforces the strength of Ames as a hub for cutting-edge research and development that drives solutions for the global ag economy.”

The deal also marks a broader shift in how soil health is being understood and measured. For decades, testing focused primarily on chemical and mineral content—what nutrients were present, how much nitrogen was needed. Miraterra’s Raman spectroscopy added a layer of in-field, real-time physical insights. With Trace’s genomic platform, the company now closes the loop on biology, giving it an unparalleled view into all three pillars of soil health: mineralogical, hydrological, and biological.

As Tom Chi of At One Ventures—an early investor in Miraterra—put it: “Soil health has mineralogical, hydrological and biological elements, but current approaches really only cover mineralogical. Miraterra’s capability combined with Trace Genomics fills out the full suite of all three elements of soil health, and can do so at massively improved cost structure.”

That combination is particularly compelling in an era where agriculture is being asked to produce more with less—less land, less water, fewer emissions, and lower biodiversity loss. Measurement, long the invisible backbone of good decision-making, is finally catching up with the complexity of the systems it’s meant to support.

If soil hosts nearly 60% of life on Earth, then the ability to decode and steward that living system is not just a scientific milestone—it’s a necessity for the future of farming. With Trace’s genomic intelligence now integrated into its Raman-powered platform, Miraterra is building what could become the most comprehensive soil-to-table measurement system to date. As the company scales its offerings to researchers, growers, and food companies, it’s no longer just about collecting better data—it’s about cultivating smarter, more resilient systems from the ground up.