Heritable Agriculture: AI-Powered Crop Yield Improvement

Heritable Agriculture: A New Startup Spun Out of Google X

Google’s innovation hub, known as X, recently announced the graduation of its newest venture. Heritable Agriculture is a startup dedicated to enhancing crop cultivation through the application of data science and machine learning techniques.

The Potential of Plants and the Challenges of Agriculture

The company highlights the inherent efficiency of plants, describing them as “solar powered, carbon negative, self-assembling machines” that thrive on sunlight and water.

Despite these natural advantages, modern agricultural practices place significant stress on the Earth’s resources. Approximately 25% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to agriculture, making it a major contributor to climate change.

Leveraging AI and Machine Learning for Agricultural Improvement

Heritable Agriculture aims to address these issues by utilizing Google’s core strengths: the analysis of extensive datasets using artificial intelligence and machine learning. While data acquisition is relatively straightforward, the true challenge lies in converting this data into practical guidance for farmers.

The goal is to modernize the 12,000-year-old agricultural industry by providing actionable insights.

The Origins of Heritable and its Founder

The foundation for Heritable Agriculture was laid by Brad Zamft, the company’s founder and CEO. Dr. Zamft holds a PhD in physics and previously held positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and TL Biolabs.

He joined Google X in late 2018 and quickly assumed leadership of the project that would evolve into Heritable.

Google X’s Mandate and Heritable’s Development

Zamft explains that he was tasked with pursuing projects capable of scaling to the size of a Google-level business. The concept of optimizing plant performance resonated with leadership and progressed successfully through the rigorous evaluation process at Google X.

Analyzing Plant Genomes for Enhanced Crop Production

Heritable employs machine learning to analyze plant genomes, identifying combinations that can lead to improved crop yields.

By understanding these genetic structures, crops can be bred for traits such as increased resilience to climate change, reduced water consumption, and enhanced carbon storage in roots and soil.

Testing and Validation of Heritable’s Models

The company’s models have been rigorously tested on thousands of plants grown in a specialized environment at X’s Bay Area headquarters.

Field trials were also conducted in California, Nebraska, and Wisconsin to validate the findings in real-world conditions.

Future Plans: Gene Editing and Conventional Breeding

While acknowledging the potential of CRISPR-based gene editing, Heritable is currently concentrating on traditional breeding methods.

“We’re not developing gene-edited plants, and genetic modification is not on our roadmap,” Zamft stated, emphasizing a focus on identifying optimal breeding combinations rather than directly altering plant genetics.

Commercialization and Investment

The team is now prioritizing the commercialization of its technology. Specific timelines and partnerships remain undisclosed at this time.

Heritable has secured a seed funding round from investors including FTW Ventures, Mythos Ventures, and SVG Ventures. Google also holds an equity stake in the company.

Google X’s Shift Towards Spinoffs

Following workforce reductions at X in January of the previous year, the incubator, under Astro Teller’s direction, has adopted a more proactive approach to spinning out companies like Heritable.

Update

An edit was made on February 2nd to clarify the company’s position regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs).