Corteva Agriscience

Syngenta

BASF

John Deere

Biologically protecting plants from pests

Biopesticides

Solasta Bio is a Glasgow-based agritech company specializing in the development of peptide-based bioinsecticides for crop protection. Founded in 2020 as a spin-out from the University of Glasgow, the company has created the world's first technology platform for producing neuropeptide-based Insect Control Agents (ICAs) derived from nature rather than synthetic chemistry.
These ICAs are designed to disrupt targeted physiological processes in insect pests, effectively controlling them while leaving beneficial pollinators like bees and other non-target species unharmed. Solasta Bio's solutions offer unique insect specificity, proven efficacy on par with traditional chemical insecticides, and an environmentally friendly, biodegradable approach that does not accumulate residues in nature.
Solasta Bio's platform enables the company to target a wide spectrum of pests, including those resistant to synthetic chemistries. The company aims to bring its first ICA products to market by 2027/2028, approximately half the time traditionally required for synthetic pest control products. Its technology is patent-protected, and an additional patent application is pending.
In February 2024, Solasta Bio announced the successful completion of over 20 field trials across Europe, the UK, and the US, demonstrating the efficacy and safety of its ICAs across various crops and pests, including aphids, Spotted Wing Drosophila, caterpillars, and leafhoppers.

Micropep Technologies is a global leader in micropeptide technology, developing innovative biological solutions for agriculture. Founded in 2016 as a spin-off from the LRSV plant research laboratory at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Toulouse University, Micropep has pioneered the use of micropeptides - short natural protein molecules that target and regulate plant genes and proteins - to create sustainable crop protection and stimulation tools.
The company's proprietary AI-powered discovery platform combines artificial intelligence, bioproduction, and delivery technologies to identify, produce, and formulate micropeptide solutions addressing major agronomic challenges. Micropep's technology allows for precise regulation of plant gene expression without altering DNA, offering an ecological alternative to chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Their micropeptides are designed to be more effective at lower doses, rapidly biodegradable, and safer for humans and the environment compared to conventional pesticides.
Micropep's lead product, MPD-01, is a peptide-based biofungicide that has shown promising results in field trials across various locations. In January 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified MPD-01 as a "biochemical-like" active ingredient, marking a significant step toward market entry. The company is also developing additional micropeptide candidates, including MP594 and MP478, demonstrating its commitment to building a strong product pipeline.
Key customers and partnerships
Micropep has established partnerships with leading international companies for micropeptide production, commercialization, and trials. In December 2022, Micropep announced a strategic collaboration with FMC Corporation to develop biological solutions for controlling herbicide-resistant weeds in corn and soybeans. The company has also worked with AgIdea, conducting research trials for MPD-01 in soybeans, wheat, and potatoes in South America.
Micropep's technology has shown potential applications in various crops, including potatoes, soybeans, grapes, cereals, and specialty crops. The company is targeting markets in the US, Latin America, and Europe, with plans to launch its first product in the US and Brazil by 2028 and in Europe by 2030. As Micropep continues to develop its innovative micropeptide solutions, it aims to address the growing demand for sustainable crop protection tools in the agriculture industry.

Enhancing seed and crop traits via biotechnology

Crop Biotech

<div>
 
 Pairwise Plants (Pairwise) is a food technology startup that specializes in genome editing for fruits and vegetables. Pairwise combines intellectual property, in-house technology, and CRISPR in its gene editing process to cultivate climate-resistant fruits and vegetables that are more easily accessible, with higher yield and improved taste. Pairwise has successfully achieved edits in 16 crops and three of them (corn, soy, and leafy greens) have completed field trials.
 
 
 
 
 Pairwise has its own fresh fruits and vegetables brand, Conscious Foods, which launched in 2022. Pairwise is reportedly among the early companies globally to commercialize food developed using CRISPR gene editing technology. Conscious Foods released Conscious Greens, the leafy high-nutrient salad greens, in May 2023 across select restaurants in the US through its partnership with Performance Food Group. The brand also has other products in the development stages, including seedless blackberries, and pitless cherries.
 
 
 
 
 The company also launched its Fulcrum Platform in May 2023. The platform was developed on CRISPR technology with other custom gene editing tools including RNA-encoded DNA replacement of alleles (REDRAW) and SHARC, a proprietary enzyme used with the former, allowing it to make changes to plant genetics quickly and efficiently. The platform is claimed to have made 17 precise edits in mustard greens, which was the first CRISPR food delivered in the US market. Pairwise also offers gene-edited crops developed from its Fulcrum platform including corn, soy, wheat, and canola under its collaboration with Bayer.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 The company has strategically entered into multiple partnerships to advance its crop biotechnology business. It partnered with Monsanto to enhance gene-editing technology across various crops (March 2018). To further its research in berries, the company collaborated with Plant Sciences, Inc. (PSI) twice, initially alongside the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and academic institutions (June 2019) and later to improve the shelf life and taste of berries (April 2020). Further strengthening its crop portfolio, the company entered into a five-year agreement with Bayer to develop short-stature corn for Bayer&rsquo;s Smart Corn System (August 2023).
 
 
 
 
 Taking steps toward expanding its technological influence, the company granted Tropic Biosciences access to its base editing technologies, accelerating breeding innovations in coffee and banana crops (February 2022). This was followed by a technology license awarded to Solis Agrosciences, providing them with full access to the Fulcrum Platform for bespoke R&amp;D services (June 2024).
 
 
 
 
 The company also focused on education and sustainability by partnering with Honduras-based agricultural school Zamorano (April 2023) to establish a blackberry land plot, offering students practical opportunities.
 
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Micropep Technologies developes a non-GMO new generation of bioherbicides and biostimulants. Micropep, founded in 2016 in Toulouse, focuses on bioherbicides and biostimulants. The company uses plants’ natural molecules, called “micro-peptides”, to temporarily control expression of their genes and regulate plant growth but leaving their DNA intact. The company currently works on four development programs: germination, flowering, growth, and weed control.

Pairwise is a purpose-driven food+tech company dedicated to building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables. Founded in 2017 by Drs. David Liu, Feng Zhang, J. Keith Joung, Tom Adams, and Haven Baker, Pairwise holds licenses from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital to base editing and high-fidelity enzymes, and has an expanding internal portfolio of tools and traits.  The Pairwise team is growing new types of fruits and vegetables, including leafy greens, berries, and stonefruit, with the first products expected within a few years. The Pairwise team is comprised of leaders in agriculture, CPG food, and research and development.

Solasta Bio develops environment-friendly products that meet a global need for new and effective crop protection.

Corteva Agriscience brings you the world's most recognized and premium agricultural solutions, featuring Pioneer® and Brevant™ Seeds,  award-winning Crop Protection products, Encirca, and Granular software tools and services. they provide agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability. they strive to develop sustainable and efficient global food systems that benefit everyone.

<div> Corteva (CTVA: NYSE) is an American agricultural chemical and seed company spun off from DowDuPont in June 2019. The company went public and started trading on the NYSE in June 2019. In 2022, Corteva generated revenue of USD 17.5 billion. Corteva&rsquo;s business operations consist of two segments: Seed and Crop Protection. The Seed segment produces and supplies commercial seeds like corn, soybean, and oil seeds through various brands. The crop protection segment offers products like herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides to protect crop yields from weeds, insects, and diseases, enabling optimal farming results in a wide range of brands. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31669"> July 2024 </a> , The company has received approval to spray its Garlon XRT herbicide using drones from Canada&rsquo;s Pest Management Review Agency (PMRA). North America is the company&rsquo;s largest market, with sales in the region accounting for&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ~47% of total revenue in 2022, followed by Latin America (~25%), EMEA (~ 19%), and Asia Pacific (~8%). Corteva is committed to a 65% intensity reduction target (42% absolute reduction) for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 from a 2020 baseline.&nbsp; </div>

Corteva

Corteva develops non-GMO hybrid wheat technology.. Corteva Agriscience.. product 

Sustainably solving the food shortages of the future

Smart Farming

Start-ups providing smart machinery such as agricultural robots and autonomous tractors, as well as other smart hardware devices for crop and livestock management.

Operators of marketplaces connecting farmers, suppliers, buyers, experts and advisors to streamline the farming process.

Start-ups offering software and related hardware solutions for crop operation, crop modelling, weather forecasting, soil analysis, and overall irrigation management using sensors, big data, AI and machine learning.

Startups offering software and related hardware solutions that facilitate real time data tracking and sharing on animal weight, future weight forecasts, and animal health and behavioural analysis using RFID tags, sensors, big data, AI and machine learning.

Start-ups offering drone or satellite imagery to measure and monitor fields, spray pesticides, accurately present biological parameters, control the quality of sowing, etc.

Natural Fertilizers

Contain bacteria such as Rhizobia, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, and blue-green algae that transform nitrogen into organic compounds that can be absorbed by the plant

Contain bacteria and fungi capable of breaking down insoluble phosphates to make them available to crops

Contain rhizobacteria that can act as biofertilizers, bioprotectants

Contain organic matter such as animal dung which enriches the soil with microorganisms

Fertilizers derived from animal materials such as cow manure, crushed animal bones, animal blood, shellfish, and fish meal

Fertilizers made with plant material such as compost produced from plant waste, seaweed, cottonseed meal, and soybean meal

Fertilizers developed from natural elements like greensand, rock phosphate, and nitrogen from air

Companies that develop or use biological, physical and chemical agents and techniques to provide protection and improve the quality of a seed. This includes the sale of seed coating, or seed enhancement products as methods to treat seeds.

Companies that redesign large clusters of genes and gene parts rather than modifying or engineering a single gene for improving the traits of a plant.

Companies that utilize genetic engineering tools and technologies to use existing and naturally present gene variants in a plant and the natural process of breeding such as inbreeding, and linebreeding to develop better traits for plants.

Companies that use transgenesis processes like tissue culturing to develop transgenic plants or seeds by inserting new genes into them from other plants or in certain instances other organisms like bacteria or even animals.

Companies that offer techniques such as epigenetics, RNA interference (RNAi) to temporarily block a specific gene that would trigger unwanted effect such as a disease on a plant.

Companies that develop a platform to insert, edit, or delete the DNA of a plant itself using approaches such as CRISPR-Cas 9, TALENs, and Zinc Fingers. These approaches help develop plant genes or seeds with traits such as disease-resistant, enhanced-performance, or improve yield.

Companies that use microscopic living organisms (such as viruses, bacteria or nematodes) or toxins produced by these organisms to act as pest control. This also includes companies developing technology platforms to use microorganism chemistry to develop different kinds of microbial pesticides.

Companies that develop pesticide substances produced by plants as a result of genetic manipulation. These companies use technology such as genetic engineering to derive natural substances that plants can produce to kill pests that feed on them.

Companies that use machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to develop plant-based replacements to synthetic chemical. These companies develop biochemicals that use naturally occurring substances such as pheromones, and insect attractants to trap and control pests in plants.  This also includes companies that offer plant intelligence for creating biochemicals.

Companies that use naturally occurring plant materials such as Azadirachtin, nicotinoids, natural pyrethrins, rotenoids,  and neem products in full or dilute form for pest and insect controls.

Companies that use natural enemies or predators like lady beetle, true bug, lacewings or parasitoids to protect the plants from pests.

Companies that use natural resources such as diatomaceous earth, mineral oil, water, minerals such as sulfur, potassium, or even organic acids for controlling various types of pests.

Companies that use biologically-derived substances such as microorganisms, seaweed extracts, and other organic matter that are applied to the plants or the soil to improve nutrient uptake, enhance tolerance of plant stress, and in turn improve crop growth and yield.

Technology for a regenerative future in agriculture

Regenerative Agriculture Platforms

Platforms using IoT devices and machine-learning algorithms to measure and analyze soil carbon levels

Platforms using IoT devices and machine-learning algorithms to measure and analyze other key soil parameters, such as fertility, moisture content, temperature, and nutrient concentrations

Platforms providing farm planning, landscape designing, and consultation services to create awareness of the transition to regenerative agriculture

Platforms using AI and machine learning to monitor regenerative practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, and no-till operations. Certain platforms also support farmers financially via carbon credits to adopt regenerative practices

Platforms supporting the process of promoting soil health through soil carbon removal (soil carbon sequestration) via photosynthesis or by employing live microalgae

Platforms connecting farmers, investors, resource providers, and other stakeholders related to regenerative agriculture

Moving industry forward with next-gen advancements in energy storage and transmission

Alternative Energy

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

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 BP and Corteva, an agriscience company, have plans to establish a joint venture that aims to produce biofuel feedstocks from crops for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. The partnership will engage farmers from North and South America and Europe to cultivate mustard seed, sunflower, and canola feedstocks. Their goal is to produce 1 million metric tonnes of biofuel feedstocks on an annual basis by the mid-2030s. The joint venture is expected to begin operations in 2025 once the definitive agreements are finalized.
 The initiative concurs with EU regulations, which necessitate a minimum SAF content in aviation fuel at EU airports starting in 2025, with significant increases to 20% by 2035 and 70% by 2050. The partnership will work towards creating cropping systems that satisfy EU RED III criteria and are eligible for incentives under the US Low Carbon Intensity policy.
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