Pairwise, a technology company specializing in gene editing to improve plant breeding in specialty and commodity crops, has closed a $40M Series C funding round led by Deerfield Management. Multiple returning investors, including Aliment Capital and Leaps by Bayer, are joined by new investor and global ag technology leader Corteva, Inc., through its Corteva Catalyst platform.
Investments from this funding round will be used to scale Pairwise's innovative product pipeline, including seedless berries and pitless cherries, as well as advance its Fulcrum Platform. Pairwise's new seedless blackberry variety, announced in June, will deliver an improved eating experience for consumers and, in concert with compact architecture and thornless traits, bring added benefits to farm workers, growers, and the environment as well.
Tom Adams, Pairwise Co-Founder and CEO said: "We started Pairwise in the early days of CRISPR to accelerate innovation across agriculture, enabling the cultivation of crops that are more adaptive to climate change, and more nutritious and convenient for consumers, all while bolstering grower economics. This new investment will enable us to expand the impact of our proprietary Fulcrum Platform as we continue to lead this transformation with our proven ability to deliver novel solutions that address the most pressing challenges in agriculture today."
Corteva Chief Technology and Digital Officer Sam Eathington said, "We view gene editing as a critical solution to drive climate resilience across agriculture and global food systems. Pairwise is an obvious choice for our investment to help accelerate innovation through gene editing in fruit, vegetables, and specialty crops. Corteva's ultimate aim is to work with Pairwise to unlock the impact of this technology to help solve climate challenges and produce the food, fiber, and fuel required to meet the needs of a growing global population."
For more information:
Pairwise
Tel: +1 (919) 321-0820
https://www.pairwise.com/
Corteva
corteva.com