Ashley Beckwith has spent years of her academic and professional career focused on the intersection of biology, materials, and manufacturing to more efficiently build medical solutions. When she realized this technology could be applied to plants and plant-derived materials, which were in desperate need, she decided to change direction.
“Life on Earth is only as secure as the plant populations on Earth, and today plant populations are in danger,” Beckwith told TechCrunch. “Around 40 percent of plant species are at risk of extinction. Forest areas untouched by humans have shrunk by 12 percent. [in 2022]These plant resources are under pressure on all sides.”
Beckwith used his knowledge of biomanufacturing, the process of using microorganisms and cell cultures to produce biological molecules and materials at commercial scale, to found Foray Biosciences in February 2022. The company uses biomanufacturing to grow plant-based materials, seeds and molecules without the need for harvesting.
According to Beckwith, biomanufacturing has been around for about 100 years, but there haven't been many practical examples with plants until now. Because each plant species is so different, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to culturing cells, and biomanufacturing with plant cell cultures has been labor-intensive. Foley is trying to change that through its database approach. Foley provides predictive insights and experimental direction to help speed up the research and development process for each plant species.
“At Foley, we're developing advanced tools for plant-free production that are beginning to reduce our demands on resources and give more back,” Beckwith said.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup raised $3 million in a seed round led by ReGen Ventures, an Australian company focused on supporting technologies that can help restore the planet's resources. Engine Ventures, Understorey Ventures and Superorganism also participated in the round. The startup has raised a total of $3.875 million to date and plans to build out its team.
Beckwith said it took so long to raise this round because what the company is trying to do doesn't fit neatly into one category, but sits at the intersection of many disciplines, from manufacturing to biology to conservation. It's a “weird” feeling Beckwith is used to facing. The reason she started the company in the first place, she said, is because there wasn't a natural home for plant biomanufacturing research.
“I was in a weird interdisciplinary bubble,” Beckwith says, “and it became very clear to me as I neared the end of my PhD. For this research to move forward and progress, it had to move into its next iteration. Because the field was new, it didn't have a place in an academic environment or on the manufacturing floor. We had to make our own place.”
She said it's been a “long journey” to take the science out of the lab and start a company. The startup now works with other companies to help launch biomanufacturing by designing clients' R&D roadmaps and helping them develop commercialization strategies.
Beckwith also envisions that this research could help Foley develop a gene bank system for plant seeds, especially those that aren't easily archived, allowing new seeds to be grown from just a few cells, which could aid conservation efforts.
There are many similarities between Foley's technology and mission and the rise of cultured meat and seafood. While the science isn't exactly the same, Beckwith said they both have the same goal: to replace products and resources humans are accustomed to getting from nature with cultured products that are less harmful to the natural environment. Cultured meat is still a while away, but Beckwith is optimistic about Foley's future.
“As our population grows and our demands on natural resources increase, it's critical that we use them as efficiently as possible and sustain them over the long term,” Beckwith said. “This tool allows us to navigate the natural constraints that exist in the world and get more from less, reducing pressure on natural resources while still ensuring we have access to the goods we need to survive as a society.”