VANCOUVER, BC – June 30, 2020 – Innovate BC, the government agency that helps tech ventures start, scale and stay in British Columbia, has awarded Terramera and Simon Fraser University (SFU) $300,000 through its Ignite 2020 Awards Program to fund their Computational Platform for Developing Actigate™-enabled Formulations for Agricultural Applications project. This funding will accelerate commercialization efforts and bring the project to market within three years.
Terramera and its academic partner, Dr. Martin Ester at SFU, are developing a new computational platform to design antifungal formulations and accurately predict their efficacy on important crop diseases in Canada, such as Wheat Leaf Rust. The platform will incorporate Terramera’s proprietary Actigate™ targeted performance technology, which was recently recognized by Fast Company as a 2020 World Changing Idea, to increase effectiveness and lower the amount of the active ingredient needed to kill pests. This project will predict the best Actigate and active ingredient combinations to kill fungi on specific crops by generating machine learning models built on crop and pest genomics and varied growth conditions.
“This project will help us to grow more food with less chemicals, and ensure farmers get higher yields with fewer pests,” said Dr. Steven Slater, Terramera’s VP of Strategic Initiatives. “We appreciate Innovate BC’s continued support, enabling us to partner with SFU and further our mission of ensuring an earth that thrives and provides for everyone.”
Targeted formulations will be continually tested and refined using machine vision algorithms and predictive modeling. The project will generate more effective and environmentally sensitive crop protection products for farmers in Canada and around the world.
“Despite the ongoing global uncertainty, it’s extremely encouraging to see our local tech companies and researchers continuing to change the world with homegrown innovation. Since 2016, the Ignite Program has been a catalyst to help B.C.-based research projects access funding, accelerate commercialization, and transform industries,” said Raghwa Gopal, Innovate BC President and CEO.
About Terramera
Terramera is a global AgTech leader fusing science, nature and artificial intelligence to transform how food is grown and the economics of agriculture in the next decade. With its revolutionary Actigate™ technology platform, which was recognized by Fast Company as a 2020 World Changing Idea, Terramera is committed to reducing the global synthetic pesticide load 80% by 2030 to protect plant and human health and ensure an earth that thrives and provides for everyone. The privately-held, venture-backed company was founded in 2010 and has grown to include a world-class bench of engineers, scientists, advisors and investors. Terramera is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with integrated operations in Canada, the US and India that include research labs, a greenhouse and farm, and more than 200 patents in its global IP portfolio. For more information, please visit terramera.com
Media Contact:
Laura McIntyre
Director, Communications | Terramera
604-366-8661
