GigaCrop applies machine learning and enzyme engineering to improve or bypass sluggish Rubisco and boost photosynthesis, with the goal of increasing crop yields, drought tolerance, and farmers’ profits. The company aims to make plants use sunlight more efficiently so producers can grow more with the same water, fertilizer, and acreage. GigaCrop positions its approach as unlocking yields beyond what traditional plant breeding can deliver. Founder and CEO Chris Eiben started the business under the name Perlumi during a Berkeley Lab Cyclotron Road entrepreneurial fellowship. The company is headquartered in Berkeley, Calif. GigaCrop has raised a $4.5 million pre-seed round led by Playground Global with participation from Juniper Ventures and has received more than $2.7 million in grants from ARPA-E, the U.S. DOE, and the Grantham Foundation.

Total raised

$5M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Mar 2025