Google's X, the tech giant's "moonshot factory," has spun off Heritage Agriculture, an AI-driven startup aimed at revolutionizing crop production.
The company aims to optimize plant breeding by integrating machine learning and data science, boosting yields, and improving sustainability.
Brad Zamft, a former Google X project leader with a physics background, founded Heritage Agriculture. Initially intimated within X, the start-up has been researching ways to apply AI to plant genomes. Heritable analyzes of large data sets to identify genetic combinations that can improve crop resilience, increase carbon storage, and minimize water demand.
"Agriculture is one of the planet's largest resource consumers," the company stated. The sector accounts for roughly 25% of greenhouse gas emissions and is the largest consumer of groundwater. Conventional farming operations contribute to soil erosion and water pollution, which Heritable intends to address using AI-powered insights.
The startup rigorously tested its models in controlled growth chambers at X's Bay Area headquarters and outdoor experiments in California, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. While CRISPR gene editing remains a promising technology for future users, Heritable currently relies on traditional breeding methods. "We're not developing gene-edited plants; genetic modification is not on our roadmap," Zamft confirmed.
Heritable has secured a seed funding round backed by FTW Ventures, Mythos Ventures, and SVG Ventures, with Google retaining and disclosing equity shares.
This spinout marks a broader shift in Google X's approach under Astro Teller, which prioritizes commercializing its ideas. Following company-wide layoffs in early 2023, the incubator has accelerated efforts to transform research projects into independent ventures.
Heritable Agriculture's AI-driven method has the potential to revolutionize agriculture while minimizing environmental impact.