GRA&GREEN

About GRA&GREEN

GRA&GREEN is an agri-bio research and development firm that develops new crop varieties through advanced breeding programs. Founded in April 2017 by researchers from Nagoya University, including CEO Masaki Niwa and co-founder Nobuhiro Iwakura, the company originated from research and intellectual properties of the university. Masaki Niwa, who holds a Ph.D. in Life Science from Kyoto University, specializes in plant science.

The company's core business revolves around a proprietary gene-editing platform that accelerates crop improvement, creating new varieties in one to three years, a significant reduction from the five to ten years required for conventional methods. This platform utilizes unique technologies like the Gene App™ delivery system and 3GE™ modified gene-editing tools, which enable efficient and precise DNA modification in a wide range of commercial crops, including those previously difficult to edit. The technology improves traits such as yield, nutritional value, disease resistance, and stress tolerance without requiring an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation process.

GRA&GREEN's business model has two main pillars: providing technology services to seed and food companies for joint research and development, and creating its own original seed varieties. The company offers comprehensive services, from strategic planning to acquiring government notification data for new varieties. Additionally, it has developed grafting technology, including the "Grafting Cassette" and "Micrografting Chip," to simplify the grafting process for various plants. The firm operates a research facility at Nagoya University and an oil extraction facility for egoma (perilla), where it uses a cold-pressing technique to produce omega-3-rich oil.

As a deep-tech venture, GRA&GREEN has secured over $8.06 million in funding through multiple rounds, with its latest Series C round in June 2024 raising $4.07 million. Investors include Kyoto University Innovation Capital, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, and Mizuho Capital. Headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, the company is initially focused on the domestic market but plans to expand internationally into Asia and the Americas.