Pairwise partners with Corteva in $40M funding round for gene-editing startup
Pairwise, a pioneering startup in the field of gene-edited food production in the U.S., has secured $40 million in investor funding and formed a strategic partnership with seed giant Corteva. The collaboration aims to enhance Corteva’s gene-editing efforts to improve crop resilience in the face of extreme weather events and Climate Change over the next five years.
This partnership also marks Corteva Catalyst’s first investment, a venture platform launched earlier this year, with $25 million contributed to Pairwise’s latest funding round. Pairwise is transitioning from food production to being a Technology services provider, focusing on developing innovative crops like seedless blackberries and less bitter mustard greens. The startup’s flagship Technology platform, Fulcrum, utilizes CRISPR gene-editing tools to create and market new crop varieties.
CEO Tom Adams emphasized that Pairwise’s core competency lies in Technology, which can be applied to a wide range of agricultural challenges. The funding will enable Pairwise to expand Fulcrum and collaborate with more partners, such as Bayer, with whom they have already signed an agreement to enhance gene-edited corn. Pairwise is also in discussions with other companies to license their Technology for crop Innovation in agriculture.
In a recent development, Solis Agrosciences acquired a license to use Fulcrum for developing and selling new crop traits, granting royalties to Pairwise upon commercialization. Through partnerships with industry leaders like Corteva and Bayer, Pairwise aims to address agricultural challenges through technological Innovation and drive transformation in the sector.
Adams expressed enthusiasm about the opportunities presented by these collaborations, highlighting the importance of Technology and Innovation in solving agriculture’s complex problems. By partnering with two of the world’s largest seed companies, Pairwise is positioned at the forefront of driving change and advancing agricultural practices for a more sustainable future.
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Maria Sanchez completed her Bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in the USA. Her studies focused on plant genetics and biotechnology, with an emphasis on developing disease-resistant crop varieties. Maria has contributed to several research projects aimed at improving crop resilience to climate change and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Plant Breeding.