An energy crisis is giving Pivot Bio a chance at redemption. CEO Chris Abbott leads the company that sells plant-nourishing microbes, and the war in Iran has created an unexpected opening. On the U.S. Gulf Coast, urea fertilizer prices have jumped 35% since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, creating chaos for farmers ahead of spring planting.

Urea, the most widely used fertilizer, is made from natural gas, and roughly 30% of global exports flow through the Strait of Hormuz. With Middle East supplies disrupted, farmers face price shocks while dealing with already low crop prices. Abbott's microscopic farmhands, grown in fermenters, don't get more expensive when fossil fuel prices spike.

This isn't Pivot Bio's first rodeo. When Russia invaded Ukraine, similar energy disruptions briefly boosted demand for alternatives to traditional fertilizers. That surge faded quickly as markets stabilized. Now Abbott hopes this crisis creates lasting momentum for microbial solutions that offer price stability when energy markets go haywire.