Key sectors and startup hubs are working together to build a brighter future for the region. “What is unique about the Danforth Center is our overall mission to improve the human condition through plant science and in doing so, feed the hungry, improve the environment, and build St. Louis,” says Stephanie Regagnon, executive director of innovation partnerships. “Through research and innovation coming out of the Danforth Center, we are bringing new tools and technologies into the marketplace and into the hands of farmers and companies, while at the same time creating jobs and building economic prosperity in St. Louis.”
Besides partnering with regional institutions on such initiatives as Cultivar STL and the Taylor Geospatial Institute, the Danforth Center is also helping its scientists launch their own startups through the Danforth Technology Company. Cambridge, Massachusetts–based Invaio Sciences recently acquired Peptyde Bio, the first company spun out of Danforth’s Technology Company.