Key Takeaways
- Corteva and Hexagon Bio have formed a multi-million-dollar joint venture focused on nature-inspired crop protection.
- The JV is Corteva’s first collaboration originating from the pharmaceutical sector and Hexagon Bio’s first in agriculture.
- The partnership combines Corteva’s crop protection expertise with Hexagon Bio’s natural-product discovery platform.
- The collaboration aims to accelerate discovery of new modes of action for agricultural use.
- The JV was established through Corteva Catalyst, the company’s investment and collaboration platform.
Corteva Partners With Hexagon Bio on Nature-Inspired Crop Protection
Corteva (NYSE: CTVA), a global agricultural technology company, and Hexagon Bio, a biotechnology company focused on natural-product discovery, have announced the formation of a multi-million-dollar joint venture to accelerate the development of new crop protection solutions inspired by nature.
The joint venture marks the first agriculture-focused collaboration for Hexagon Bio and Corteva’s first joint venture originating from the pharmaceutical industry. The partnership is designed to advance discovery pipelines across agriculture while allowing each company to continue pursuing its core markets.
“Our partnership with Hexagon Bio expands our discovery engine, taking our crop protection innovation to the next level,” said Sam Eathington, Chief Technology and Digital Officer at Corteva. “As demand for nature-inspired solutions continues to grow, this collaboration allows us to move faster and think bigger.”
Combining Discovery Platforms and Biological Expertise
The joint venture brings together Corteva’s existing nature-inspired crop protection franchises and bacterial natural-product discovery capabilities with Hexagon Bio’s proprietary discovery platform. Hexagon Bio’s technology integrates microbial genetics, artificial intelligence, chemistry, and synthetic biology to identify and characterize novel natural compounds.
According to the companies, this approach enables the discovery of new mechanisms of action that may not be apparent through traditional chemical screening or structure-based methods. The collaboration is intended to improve the efficiency and scale of molecule discovery for agricultural applications.
Corteva and Hexagon Bio Target New Modes of Action
Hexagon Bio stated that its discovery platform generates a volume of potential chemistry that exceeds what a single development pipeline can absorb. The joint venture enables the company to apply part of that discovery capacity to agriculture while continuing its work in human health.
“This partnership allows us to pursue two critical missions simultaneously: developing transformative therapies for patients and delivering new modes of action for global agriculture,” said Maureen Hillenmeyer, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Hexagon Bio.
Both companies highlighted the growing importance of nature-derived products that are enhanced through scientific development. Natural products have historically played a significant role in human and agricultural health, ranging from antibiotics and cancer therapies to fungicides and insecticides used in global food production.
Role of Corteva Catalyst
The joint venture was formed through Corteva Catalyst, Corteva’s investment and collaboration platform. Since its launch in March 2024, Corteva Catalyst has partnered with 11 companies worldwide, focusing on areas such as biologicals, gene editing, and emerging technology platforms.
Corteva stated that the JV reflects its broader strategy of expanding innovation through external partnerships while continuing to invest in new discovery approaches to support future crop protection solutions.
Industry Context
The companies noted that demand for nature-inspired crop protection products continues to grow as agriculture seeks new tools to address pest resistance, regulatory pressure, and sustainability objectives. The joint venture is positioned to contribute new discovery pathways and technologies to that evolving landscape.
