This week, Google’s X “moonshot factory” introduced its newest graduate—Heritable Agriculture. The AI-driven startup is set to revolutionize the way crops are grown by leveraging machine learning and extensive data analysis.
As detailed in the company’s Tuesday announcement, plants are remarkable natural systems. “Plants are solar-powered, carbon-negative, self-sustaining organisms that thrive on sunlight and water,” Heritable stated.
However, modern agriculture has significant environmental consequences, contributing to roughly 25% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. It is also the largest consumer of groundwater, often leading to soil degradation and water contamination due to excessive pesticide and fertilizer use.
Transforming Agriculture with AI
Heritable Agriculture seeks to address these challenges using Google’s expertise in data analytics and artificial intelligence. While data collection is relatively straightforward, the startup’s true innovation lies in transforming vast datasets into practical, data-driven strategies that can modernize farming practices.
The initiative was spearheaded by Heritable’s founder and CEO, Brad Zamft. A physics PhD, Zamft previously served as a program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation before moving into the biotech sector. In late 2018, he joined Google X, quickly rising to lead the project that would evolve into Heritable Agriculture.
“I was given the freedom to pursue any idea, as long as it had the potential to scale into a Google-sized business,” Zamft told TechCrunch. “The challenge of optimizing plant growth resonated with me, and the concept gained traction with leadership. We successfully navigated the rigorous development process at Google X.”
AI-Driven Crop Optimization
Heritable Agriculture applies machine learning techniques to analyze plant genomes, identifying optimal genetic combinations for increased yield, reduced water consumption, and improved carbon sequestration in plant roots and soil.
The company’s models were tested on thousands of plants in a specialized growth chamber at Google X’s Bay Area headquarters. Field trials were also conducted across California, Nebraska, and Wisconsin to validate the AI-driven findings.
Although CRISPR gene-editing technology could play a role in future advancements, Heritable Agriculture is currently focused on traditional breeding techniques.
“We are not engineering gene-edited crops, nor do we have genetic modification on our immediate roadmap,” Zamft clarified. “While gene editing could eventually become part of the solution, the current priority is optimizing natural breeding processes by identifying the best genetic pairings for plant resilience and productivity.”
Commercialization and Future Plans
Heritable Agriculture is now focused on bringing its technology to market. Although Zamft did not disclose specific launch timelines or commercial partnerships, the startup has secured a seed funding round. Investors include FTW Ventures, Mythos Ventures, and SVG Ventures, along with Google, which retains an undisclosed equity stake in the company.
Google’s decision to spin off Heritable Agriculture aligns with its broader restructuring efforts. Last January, Google X underwent significant layoffs, and under the leadership of Astro Teller, the division has accelerated its strategy of spinning out promising projects into standalone companies.
As Heritable Agriculture embarks on its journey as an independent entity, it aims to bridge the gap between advanced AI analytics and sustainable farming, ushering in a new era of data-driven agriculture.