About
BetterSeeds is an agricultural biotechnology company on a mission to democratize crop gene editing - making modern, precise genome editing practical and affordable for seed companies of any size. Its proprietary platform combines compact, next-generation gene editors with EDGE™ (Efficient Delivery of Gene Editing), an engineered delivery system designed to help apply CRISPR across a broad range of crops that have historically been difficult to edit.
BetterSeeds commercializes this capability through a bundle business model: seed companies gain access to an integrated “toolkit” (editing + delivery + trait modules) that lets them upgrade elite varieties without building a large in-house gene-editing infrastructure. The result is a faster path to targeted, non-GMO trait improvements - such as heat and drought tolerance, pest resilience, and plant architecture optimized for mechanized harvesting - supporting higher productivity and climate resilience across global agriculture.
BetterSeeds also advances focused, high-impact crop programs through dedicated subsidiaries. AgriNetica applies BetterSeeds' CRISPR 2.0 tools to develop trait combinations addressing major peanut industry challenges, starting with hypoallergenic peanuts. AgroNetica applies CRISPR 2.0 to cacao, developing “Super-Cacao” concepts such as drought resilience, mechanization-ready architecture, reduced heavy-metal uptake, and caffeine-free cacao - aimed at strengthening sustainability and supply-chain resilience.
Funding history · 4 rounds · $15.5M total
Company Intelligence Q&A
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- What was BetterSeeds' former name?
- BetterSeeds was formerly known as CanBreed.
- When was BetterSeeds founded?
- BetterSeeds was founded in October 2017.
- What is the total funding BetterSeeds has raised to date?
- BetterSeeds has raised a total of $15.5 million across multiple funding rounds. For a full financing history, please refer to startupim.
- When did BetterSeeds complete its latest funding round and what type was it?
- BetterSeeds completed a Convertible Debt round in October 2022, with OurCrowd as a lead investor.
- What significant regulatory approval did BetterSeeds' subsidiary AgriNetica receive in December 2025?
- In December 2025, BetterSeeds' subsidiary AgriNetica received USDA approval for cultivation of its allergen-less peanut varieties in the United States, marking the first gene-edited peanut to receive such approval.
- What partnership did BetterSeeds announce in March 2025?
- In March 2025, BetterSeeds announced a collaboration with Syngenta to address tomato processing challenges.
- What product received commercialization approval from the USDA in February 2025?
- In February 2025, BetterSeeds announced that its genome editing-based ROP9 trait for drought resiliency in processing tomatoes received commercialization approval from the USDA.
- What was the significance of the USDA approval BetterSeeds received in July 2024?
- In July 2024, BetterSeeds announced USDA approval for PeaMAX, which is described as the world's first gene-edited cowpea.
- What organizational change did BetterSeeds make in June 2024?
- In June 2024, BetterSeeds welcomed a former Bayer executive as its chairman.