May 16, 2022

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Diets are evolving to be more fluid in nature, with consumers choosing more plant-based options such as dairy consumers increasingly opting for plant-based alternatives based on the understanding that a balanced diet – including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes – can result in a more positive health outcome.

Brightseed explains that academics, NGOs, governments, and companies all recognize the same – that sustainable health has its foundation in a synergistic approach to food, medicine, and nature. However, advancement is being hindered by a lack of scientific insight into the molecular basis of exactly how food impacts our health.

The Functional Food & Beverage 2020 Report released by the Hartman Group in 2020 found that even though consumers were interested in functional foods and beverages pre-COVID, during the pandemic 31 percent of consumers took more supplements, and 29 percent are consuming more functional food and beverage items.

And indeed, it is believed that this popularity will continue to grow after the pandemic. Portland, Oregon-based Market Research forecasts that the global functional food industry will experience growth at a CAGR of 6.7 percent between 2021 and 2027 to reach a value of nearly $268 billion – up from nearly $178 billion in 2019. 

Brightseed is the developer of Forager™, the world’s first and only AI technology for the discovery and mapping of bioactive compounds on a molecular level. Created by Lee Chae, PhD., co-founder and CTO of Brightseed and a former researcher at Stanford Carnegie Institute of Plant Biology, Forager systematically identifies natural bioactives mapping their connection to human health benefits at an unprecedented rate.

But first, what are natural bioactives? Brightseed explains that these are small health-activating molecular compounds that plants use to communicate with their environment. Examples of plant bioactives are curcumin in turmeric, caffeine in tea, and the active ingredients in aspirin and even some cancer drugs. 

To-date, Forager has mapped more than 2 million plant compounds – 20 times more than existing scientific literature. Of these, dozens are currently in various stages of validation across diverse health categories including metabolic health, digestive health, cognitive health, sugar management, maternal health, and immunity. 

To continue this work, Brightseed has closed on a $68 million Series B led by Temasek, with participation from both new and existing investors. 

“Consumers are increasingly looking for natural and accessible solutions to restore their health, but industry has been severely limited by a lack of tools and technologies to look more deeply into nature’s potential to do that,” said Sofia Elizondo, co-founder and COO, Brightseed. “Brightseed is building the opportunity space for health innovation rooted in nature, and delivering a clear path forward for clinical validation.”

Better Health From Hemp Hulls

Brightseed’s first discovery was of two bioactive compounds identified in upcycled hemp hulls – N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (NCT) and N-trans-feruloyltyramine (NFT) –  which demonstrated a significant ability to clear fat from the livers of mice and in human cells. Currently in human clinical trials, these compounds have the potential to bring lasting impact to how weight gain is approached and in the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a chronic condition that affects as much as 25 percent of the global population. 

“Forager found NFT and NCT in over 80 plant sources, and where we source plant bioactives is a crucial part of how we design the next iteration of proactive and preventative health,” said Jim Flatt, PhD., co-founder and CEO, Brightseed. “As we look to nature for a blueprint on how to evolve food-as-medicine and plant medicine, we also have to factor in the role of climate and its impact on plant biodiversity and crop health. In addition to creating the data that will inform the future of plant-based health, sustainable sourcing is a priority as Brightseed brings plant bioactive discovery to fruition for food and health industries.”

Brightseed’s partners, including Danone SA, Ocean Spray, Olam Food Ingredients, and Pharmavite, the maker of Nature Made® vitamins, have turned to Brightseed to gain a deeper understanding of plant supply chains and health benefits and the role they can play in future innovations. In addition to the contributions Brightseed offers its partners, the company leads in the discovery, validation, and commercialization of compounds that target complex, chronic, and unmet health conditions.

“We are eager to make our bioactives readily accessible for food and health industries as we move from lab to shelf, and embrace consumers along the journey of bioactive discovery,” said Elizondo.

As Brightseed’s Science Center in San Francisco will continue to be the location of its plant library, world-class technology stack, and compound discovery efforts, the company is opening a second location in the Research Triangle Park of Raleigh, North Carolina, in support of its burgeoning ingredients business. In both regions, Brightseed is partnering with Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. to customize facilities to support the company’s growing life sciences footprint and specialized ingredient production.

“Nature holds an incredibly rich and largely uncharted source of powerful, natural bioactives that create health benefits in humans, and we’re now able to access and integrate them into products for food and health industries,” said Flatt. “Discovering and mapping natural bioactives to human health benefits was just the first step for Brightseed. Now, we’re launching clinically-studied ingredients and insights to illuminate the hidden potential in nature to restore human health.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

*The content put forth by Global AgInvesting News and its parent company HighQuest Partners is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. All information or other material herein is not to be construed as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Global AgInvesting and HighQuest Partners are not a fiduciary in any manner, and the reader assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content on this site.