Greenlight Biosciences secures $102 million financing to expand agriculture and life sciences applications research

Boston-based GreenLight Biosciences has raised an oversubscribed $102 million round of funding from new and existing investors to rapidly expand production of its RNA products for agricultural and life sciences applications, including an expansion into new RNA-based therapies.

The round was led by Morningside Ventures, with several new and existing top-tier investors including the agriculture venture firm, S2G Ventures, Cormorant Asset Management, Continental Grain Company, Fall Line Capital, Tao Capital Partners, Baird Capital, MLS Capital Fund II, Lewis and Clark AgriFood, and Lupa Systems.

GreenLight Biosciences develops sustainable solutions to address some of the biggest issues facing the planet today, from public health crises to environmentally-friendly food production for a growing population.

The company’s RNA-based vaccines offer tremendous potential to address pandemics like COVID-19, because of shorter preclinical development times compared to traditional vaccines.

 Its pipeline of RNA-based agricultural products will help farmers create greener, cleaner crops by precisely targeting a specific pest with non-toxic biocontrols, and without harming beneficial insects or leaving residues in the soil or water.

The investment comes on the heels of a $17 million special purpose round in May 2020 to accelerate large-scale manufacturing of future COVID-19 vaccines using the company’s proprietary messenger RNA (mRNA) production technology.

The new funding will drive the expansion of GreenLight’s human health efforts into new platforms like RNA-based therapeutics.

With the company’s first biopesticide expected to launch in 2022, the new funding will also accelerate development and commercialization of GreenLight’s pipeline of safe and effective products for more sustainable crop production.

www.greenlightbiosciences.com