Key Takeaways
- Decibel Bio, a plant biotechnology company, has raised $12 million from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Future Ventures, Bayer, and Syngenta to develop an epigenetic platform for crops.
- The company’s technology enables real-time crop performance adjustments, improving yield, drought tolerance, and resilience without altering genetic material.
- Decibel Bio’s platform allows farmers to fine-tune gene expression in crops to adapt to environmental conditions during the growing season.
- The investment will support partnership expansion and fast-track product development for commercial applications.
Decibel Bio Secures $12M to Develop Crop Epigenetic Platform
Decibel Bio, a plant biotechnology startup, has emerged from stealth with $12 million in funding to advance its crop epigenetics platform. Investors include Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Future Ventures, Bayer, and Syngenta, signaling strong industry backing for Decibel’s approach to improving crop resilience and productivity.
“Epigenetics is the software of the plant, controlling when and where genes are expressed,” said Travis Bayer, CEO and Founder of Decibel Bio. “Reprogramming the epigenome is a new frontier beyond genomics and gene editing and opens a new world of possibilities for crop improvement.”
Unlike traditional genetic modification or gene editing, Decibel Bio’s technology allows farmers to enhance crop traits in real time, making adjustments based on weather conditions, water availability, and environmental stressors.
Decibel Bio Introduces a New Approach to Crop Resilience
With the company’s epigenetic reprogramming, farmers could:
- Boost heat resistance by enhancing genes that protect photosynthesis during extreme temperatures.
- Trigger drought-response mechanisms, helping crops conserve moisture when water is scarce.
- Strengthen stalks before storms, reducing lodging risk from heavy winds and rainfall.
- Optimize growth for higher yield under ideal conditions, all without permanent genetic alterations.
“From sudden droughts to extreme heat waves, farmers continue to face a growing number of unpredictable and urgent environmental challenges,” said Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “CRISPR and conventional crop breeding advancements simply cannot keep up with the pace of increasingly challenging growing conditions, and Decibel provides a new tool to build more stable, adaptable food systems.”
Decibel Bio’s approach preserves genetic diversity while allowing for flexible, on-demand trait activation, offering an alternative to conventional breeding and genetic modification.
Decibel Bio Expands Research and Industry Partnerships
Decibel Bio’s founding team includes experts in synthetic biology, epigenomics, plant physiology, and engineering. The company’s platform was developed at Sound Agriculture, a leader in climate-friendly agricultural solutions.
“Decoupling plant traits from the physical seed creates a massive new opportunity,” said Steve Jurvetson, Co-Founder of Future Ventures. “Decibel’s tech will let us upgrade crops in the field, something that has not been possible before.”
With the new funding, Decibel Bio will focus on:
- Scaling its epigenetic platform for commercial applications.
- Expanding partnerships with industry leaders.
- Accelerating product development to bring epigenetic solutions to market faster.
