Oliver Morrison

Syngenta Ventures’ managing director Michael Lee argues that agtech start-ups should abandon the pursuit of billion-dollar unicorn exits and instead focus on realistic acquisition outcomes, as most exits in the sector fall between $100m and $400m. He highlights that inflated valuations and excessive fundraising have distorted founder behavior, urging companies to keep burn rates low and seek strategic partnerships to extend runway and improve acquisition prospects. Lee identifies biological crop protection, robotics, and water management as key areas of opportunity, while noting that regulatory challenges and high costs favor larger incumbents over start-ups.

Many employees in Allegheny County will soon be eligible to receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after council this evening passed the first policy of its kind in the country.

Christine Gould, founder and CEO of GIGA Futures, urges governments to treat food security as a strategic national capability on par with AI and semiconductors, emphasizing its role in economic and geopolitical resilience. Speaking at World Agri-Tech London, Gould highlights the need for an “anti-fragile” innovation approach and the importance of helping agrifood startups overcome the scaling “valley of death” by focusing on commercial traction rather than just investment. GIGA Futures’ “four Cs” framework—capital, customer demand, capabilities, and cultural pull—is presented as key to scaling agri-innovation, with Gould advocating for diversified technology portfolios and policy support to boost food system resilience. She identifies gene editing, robotics, and the convergence of multiple innovations as pivotal for future food security strategies.

Many employees in Allegheny County will soon be eligible to receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after council this evening passed the first policy of its kind in the country.

Many employees in Allegheny County will soon be eligible to receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after council this evening passed the first policy of its kind in the country.

Many employees in Allegheny County will soon be eligible to receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after council this evening passed the first policy of its kind in the country.

Former UK Defra secretary George Eustice has warned that food prices are set to rise as climate change causes more frequent crop failures and reduces global agricultural production, necessitating greater investment from farmers. He cautioned that closer regulatory alignment with the EU on sanitary and phytosanitary rules could undermine the UK’s ability to lead in agricultural innovation, particularly gene editing. Eustice also highlighted that slow EU approval processes are prompting agtech companies to seek faster commercial opportunities outside Europe. He urged the EU to grant member states more regulatory freedom over new agricultural technologies to address these challenges.

Regulatory changes, rather than technological advancements, are now driving the adoption of gene-editing technologies in Europe, according to executives from Hudson River Biotechnology and Biographica. Their new partnership combines computational gene target discovery with genome-editing capabilities to help breeders address challenging crop traits, with a focus on disease resistance and climate resilience. Breeders are increasingly seeking external expertise to identify which genes to edit, and seed companies are embracing open innovation to expand their trait portfolios. The next wave of gene-edited crops is expected to target consumer-facing benefits such as improved nutrition and flavour.

Easing gene-editing regulations in regions like the Americas, UK, and EU are prompting increased investment in crop genetics and disease resistance, with corporate investors playing a key role in agtech innovation. Resurrect Bio, led by CEO Cian Duggan, is using gene editing to restore natural disease resistance in crops by targeting major diseases in potato, tomato, soybean, corn, and spinach. Duggan highlights a shift in investor priorities away from sectors like vertical farming toward seed technologies and traits, emphasizing the importance of combining corporate investment with grants and public funding. Partnerships between start-ups and major agribusinesses are becoming more common as large companies seek to de-risk new technologies.

Climate stress, disease threats, and input volatility are driving major agribusinesses and start-ups to collaborate, according to Rainbow Crops CEO Giacomo Bastianelli. Rainbow Crops, which combines gene editing, AI, breeding, and phenotyping, recently partnered with seed and genetics company Vylor, aiming to cut breeding timelines by up to 50%. Bastianelli sees this collaboration as a model for open innovation, especially as Europe moves toward more supportive gene-editing regulations. He notes, however, that securing adequate funding remains a challenge for scaling agricultural innovation.