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A new initiative in St. Louis aims to strengthen ties between Latin American agricultural technology startups and the U.S. market, offering access to world-class research facilities and expert support. The Core Facilities Access Fund, launched by Cultivar STL, awarded its first two grants earlier this year and plans to expand support for additional startups in the coming months.
The fund, backed by the pre-venture innovation arm of Breakthrough Energy Discovery, a project founded by Bill Gates, is designed to help companies advance research, validate technologies, and build industry connections using the infrastructure of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a globally recognized leader in plant science.
Cultivar STL, established two years ago through a partnership of the Danforth Center, The Yield Lab, BioSTL, and several international organizations, has the goal of reinforcing St. Louis’ reputation as a global agtech hub. Stephanie Regagnon, executive director of The Yield Lab, described the fund as “a proof point of the hard work we’ve done to build those relationships,” highlighting the city’s growing international agtech network.
“The idea behind the fund is to build a pipeline of companies by giving them access to one of our biggest assets in the region,” explained Isabel Acevedo, manager of technology-based economic development at BioSTL. She emphasized the value of the Danforth Center’s facilities as an entry point for companies seeking to establish a presence in the St. Louis agtech ecosystem.
According to Regagnon, there are natural agricultural similarities between Latin America and St. Louis, both considered major breadbasket regions with comparable cropping systems. Rosario, Argentina, for instance, is a sister city of St. Louis, reinforcing long-standing collaborative relationships that facilitate Latin American startups’ entry into U.S. markets.
The Core Facilities Access Fund allows selected startups to use the Danforth Center’s specialized infrastructure, which includes plant growth facilities, phenotyping, bioanalytical chemistry, data science, advanced bio-imaging, and plant transformation technologies. Funding awards range from $2,000 to $20,000, depending on the project’s scale and scope.
“The selected projects are a great fit for our capabilities to de-risk and validate their products,” said Katie Murphy, PhD, director of the Phenotyping Core Facility at the Danforth Center, who manages the Access Fund. “Our core facilities provide not only unique technologies, but the experts to apply them.”
Cultivar STL emphasizes variety in its selection process. Applicants must demonstrate that their validation and testing needs can be met at the Danforth Center, ensuring alignment between startups’ technological goals and the institution’s capabilities.
Two startups were the first beneficiaries of the fund. APOLO Biotech, based in Argentina, uses RNA-based technology to create a “vaccine effect” in plants, priming their immune systems to naturally resist pathogens. Regagnon noted that APOLO’s focus on crops complements the St. Louis ecosystem. The startup will leverage the Danforth Center’s phenotyping, data science, and plant health facilities.
Another selected company, Innovaciones Circulares from Costa Rica, has developed a modular, small-scale reactor to recover phosphorus fertilizer from swine farms. The startup will use the Danforth Center’s facilities for bioanalytical chemistry, phenotyping, data science, and plant growth to compare its fertilizer against conventional products.
Acevedo added that the fund seeks to create unique opportunities for each startup. “What I’m always looking for and excited about is, can I do something that’s unique for this company? Are they going to do something here they can’t do elsewhere? Can it use our expertise?”
Projects under the fund are generally short-term, lasting six to nine months, but are strategically designed to accelerate startups’ capabilities and increase their market readiness. According to Regagnon, the fund plans to expand its reach, engaging more Latin American companies in the coming years.
“At the end of the day, the more we’re engaged with companies around the world, it increases the St. Louis region’s reputation for agricultural innovation,” she said.
The initiative builds on two years of collaboration between St. Louis institutions and Latin American partners. Beyond facilitating market entry, the fund reinforces St. Louis as a hub for technology-driven agricultural solutions, creating an international pipeline for innovation.
By providing access to world-class facilities, expert guidance, and financial support, the Core Facilities Access Fund addresses a key challenge for startups: the ability to validate and scale technologies in an environment with high scientific and operational standards. For Latin American companies, this represents a unique opportunity to bridge regional knowledge with global markets.
Experts involved in Cultivar STL highlight that the fund is not only about advancing individual projects but also about building long-term relationships that strengthen the global agtech community. This approach aligns with the broader goal of making St. Louis a magnet for agricultural innovation, attracting international talent, investment, and expertise.
As APOLO Biotech and Innovaciones Circulares begin their work, the initiative sets a precedent for future collaborations. According to AFN, through carefully tailored projects, the fund demonstrates how regional resources can catalyze international innovation, ultimately contributing to sustainable and technologically advanced agricultural practices across the Americas.
