August 26, 2015

Bioagtech company, Benson Hill Biosystems, has announced it has raised $7.3 million in a Series A round of financing led by Middleland Capital, and including Mercury Fund, Prelude Ventures, Prolog Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investment, Cultivation Capital, TechAccel, and existing investors, Missouri Technology Corporation and Biogenerator.

As global population reaches 9 billion by 2050, producing more food from existing acreage with limited inputs will be a key challenge to sustainable agriculture in attaining a goal of doubling output. Founded in 2012 in response to these challenges, Benson Hill is the developer of an integrated, biology-based platform that helps breeders identify and validate traits for the development of more efficient, next-generation crop varieties that will give higher yields using fewer inputs.

The funding will be used by the company to further its PSKbase computational system, to support additional field trials, and for product development activities surrounding traits that will improve crop productivity through better photosynthesis.

“We are pleased to welcome a group of investors who appreciate the current gap of innovation that truly addresses complex trait development in agriculture, and who understand that Benson Hill is on the right path to realize this opportunity,” said Matthew Crisp, president & CEO of Benson Hill Biosystems.