TechAccel LLC, the private technology and equity development company in agriculture and animal health, announced that its subsidiary RNAissance Ag LLC has completed an asset acquisition of RNAgri Inc., a Saint Louis-based ag biotech startup.
Terms of the asset acquisition were not disclosed.
RNAgri, formerly doing business as APSE Inc., has developed a platform for the cost-effective production of RNA for use in topical RNA-interference (RNAi) products, including biopesticides. RNAi is a technology that regulates gene expression without genetic modification.
With the asset acquisition, two of RNAgri’s associates have joined the RNAissance Ag team effective immediately. Anil Kumar, Ph.D., is a molecular biologist with expertise in genetics and plant breeding. Bert Berla, Ph.D., is a biochemical engineer with expertise in microbial improvement.
Founded in 2011, the company was and was one of 33 startups to receive a $50,000 grant from the Missouri Technology Corporation’s Innovation, Development and Entrepreneurship Advantage (IDEA) program. It was also supported by the St. Louis Biogenerator i6 Project, which was its first and largest investor. Other investors include The Yield Lab, the Helix fund, private investors and Allen Angel Capital Education Program (the student-managed angel fund of the University of Missouri at Columbia).
RNAissance Ag develops sprayable RNA pesticides, including against pests such as the Diamondback Moth. The RNAgri platform will add manufacturing capacity to the pesticide design and development efforts. RNAissance Ag will conduct multiple field trials this summer and fall on the Diamondback Moth and Fall Armyworm.
RNAissance Ag has also completed additional investments in the RNAgri technology production infrastructure, and plans to expand facilities and staffing of the operation in St. Louis as additional projects are added.
FinSMEs
22/06/2020