Participated · Series B · Mar 2017

Benson Hill develops Cloud Biology® and the CropOS™ platform, a food-innovation engine that combines data science and machine learning with biology and genetics to speed product development. CropOS makes Cloud Biology actionable, enabling precision and faster development of crop traits and ingredients. The company’s portfolio includes soybean varieties with attributes such as improved digestibility, heart-healthy omega fatty acids, and higher protein. These traits target the plant-based food, healthy oils, animal feed and aquaculture markets. Benson Hill plans to use new funding to deploy its platform technology, expand partner development across the supply chain, and scale product commercialization efforts. The company is led by CEO Matt Crisp and is based in St. Louis. Benson Hill Biosystems operates a crop design platform that leverages machine learning and big data alongside genome editing and plant biology to speed and simplify sustainable crop product development. The company emphasizes using the natural genetic diversity of plants to improve crops. Its platform, CropOS™, is a central component of its product development efforts. Benson Hill plans to use the new financing to further advance CropOS™ and expand product development capacity. The company aims to deliver a portfolio of improved crops with and for companies across the food and agriculture value chain. Benson Hill is led by CEO and co-founder Matthew Crisp and is based in St. Louis. Benson Hill Biosystems develops CropOS, a computational "cloud biology" platform that applies big data analytics and machine learning to predict and accelerate crop genetic improvements. CropOS is described as a cognitive engine whose outputs can be deployed via breeding, genome editing, and transgenics. Benson Hill says CropOS successfully identified traits to improve photosynthesis and that trait product candidates have demonstrated significant yield increases in corn hybrids across diverse environmental conditions. The company announced a $25 million Series B to further advance CropOS and to develop a portfolio of product candidates intended to increase crop yield without requiring additional inputs. Benson Hill positions its technology to unlock the global genetic potential of plants to enhance the sustainability of food, feed, fiber and fuel production. The company was founded in 2012 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Benson Hill Biosystems develops PSKbase™, a computational and systems biology–based platform to help technology developers identify strategies to increase genetic gain in crop plants. The company focuses on discovering and validating traits that boost crop productivity, using an integrated, systems-based approach. Benson Hill has assembled a pipeline of trait candidates aimed at improving photosynthesis and overall yield. It intends to use recent funding to advance PSKbase™ and support additional field trials and product development activities. The company is led by president & CEO Matthew Crisp and was founded in 2012. Benson Hill Biosystems develops ag biotech tools that analyze and use photosynthesis to boost crop productivity. The company recently signed a deal with Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC), Brazil’s largest sugarcane technology center, to address unseen yield potential in sugarcane. Benson Hill plans to use recent seed funding to expand its team and support R&D focused on photosynthesis-driven yield improvements. The seed round has grown to over $1.5 million after an additional $50,000 investment from iSelect. Co-founder Matt Crisp said the company is looking to raise $7 million more in a Series A expected to close later this year. iSelect added the investment to its platform in July and, under new SEC rules, is pursuing further ag investments and aims to deploy $500,000–$2 million by the end of 2015.

Participated · Series A · Mar 2017

Epicrop develops an epigenetic seed‑technology platform that adds epigenetic information to commercial seeds without changing DNA, using conventional breeding and molecular markers to select enhanced plants. Its platform has shown increased yields and stress tolerance in field and greenhouse trials on soybeans, tomatoes and sorghum. The company has received two Phase 1 SBIR grants and is partnering with several seed industry leaders to begin improving elite commercial varieties. Epicrop is co‑founded by Dr. Sally Mackenzie, a pioneer in agricultural epigenetics, and is led by CEO Michael Fromm. Epicrop plans to commercialize the research through seed licensing and collaborations that integrate its method into traditional breeding and seed production. TechAccel will collaborate as an investor and research partner and Epicrop and TechAccel expect to create a joint venture to pursue new target crops.