St. Louis Inno is publishing profiles of its 2022 Startups to Watch this week. See the entire list of honorees below.
PLASTOMICS
Headquarters: Creve Coeur
Founders: Jeffrey Staub, Sharon Berberich, Elizabeth Gallegos
What it does: Plastomics has created a new method of delivering traits into a plant that it says will increase yield and stave off pests and diseases better. It contends its approach is better than traditional methods, which it says are outdated to the current climate. The initial crops being targeted by the company are soybean and corn.
The latest: Plastomics closed a seed funding round and a $7.1 million Series A financing in 2021. As it has ramped up its R&D efforts, it has used its fresh funding to double its team. That has included boosting its scientific leadership team, adding Charles Armstrong as its vice president of research and former Monsanto executives David Fischhoff and Robb Fraley to its scientific advisory board.
Why you should watch it: Through its efforts to develop new ways of introducing biotechnology traits to plants, Plastomics’ technology could help growers meet human food and feed demand. The startup says its novel technology could help growers avoid increasing disease and insect pressures from climate change while also reducing the need to use chemical insecticides to improve yield.
What’s next: With its fresh funding and expanded staff, Plastomics expects this year that it will be able to demonstrate chloroplast transformation in corn and advance insect control traits in soybeans.
More about Plastomics
Founded: 2017
Capital raised: $9.8 million
CEO: Martha Schlicher
Employees: 15
Investors: Lewis & Clark AgriFood, Fulcrum Global Capital, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, QRM Capital, iiM, CIG Spectrum, iSelect, Missouri Technology Corporation, The Yield Lab, BioGenerator, Centennial Investors
