Drought stress poses a significant challenge for global maize production, with far-reaching impacts on livelihood and economy. As climate change intensifies, the frequency of unpredictable weather events is expected to rise, with the need of adaptative strategies. Endophytic microorganisms are selectively recruited by the plant to cope with a diversity of stresses and conditions, being able to enter the plant through vertical inheritance from the parental line. Our project focuses on the selection of novel bioinoculants, with an innovative approach directed towards seed-associated microbiota. The rationale behind this approach lies in the capacity of seed microbiota to be influenced and selected by parental lines, thereby shaping the performance of future generations. Using the widely-grown SY Carioca maize variety, we isolated, identified and characterized its seedborne microbiota by in vitro tests, and under greenhouse conditions as inoculants. The strains were applied as single treatment and different irrigation percentages (25%, 50% and 100%) were applied. The greenhouse results indicate that seedborne bacteria are able to promote the growth of maize seedlings, and two of them, Burkholderia ubonensis JC and Pseudomonas fluvi MB showed a high protection level of the seedlings under water-restrictive conditions. After this screening, the strain Pseudomonas fluvi MB was selected as the best candidate to proceed with a future characterization as biotreatment on to field trials. These results offer a promising path towards the development of more eco-friendly and efficient solutions to enhance maize resilience against drought stress, ultimately contributing to sustainable agriculture in an era of evolving climate challenges.