Pairwise Plants

# High-Level Overview

Pairwise is a gene-editing technology company that uses CRISPR to develop improved crop varieties across specialty and commodity crops.[1] Founded in 2017 and based in Durham, North Carolina, the company pioneers the application of genomic technologies to create innovative plant products that address critical challenges in agriculture—including climate resilience, nutritional enhancement, and improved grower economics.[2][5]

The company serves a broad ecosystem: commercial agricultural partners, global industry leaders like Corteva, and nonprofit institutions focused on smallholder farming systems.[5] Pairwise's core offering is the Fulcrum™ Platform, a proprietary suite of gene-editing tools that enables scientists to develop new crop varieties faster and more effectively than conventional breeding alone.[1][2] Rather than simply turning traits on or off, the platform allows researchers to "tune" characteristics—adjusting them like a dimmer switch to optimize plant performance.[1][5] The company has already launched the first CRISPR food in North America and maintains multiple products in development across corn, soy, wheat, canola, leafy greens, blackberries, and other significant crops.[2]

# Origin Story

Pairwise was co-founded by Dr. Tom Adams (CEO) and other proven business leaders and inventors of early gene-editing technologies.[1] The company emerged in the early days of CRISPR with an explicit mission: to accelerate innovation across agriculture by enabling crops that are more adaptive to climate change, more nutritious, and more convenient for consumers.[1]

The founding team brought deep expertise in plant genetics and a broad suite of CRISPR tools to the venture. A key early hire was Dr. Aaron Hummel, Senior Vice President of R&D, who joined in 2018 from global plant breeding company KWS, where he had established their genome editing program.[7] This combination of agricultural innovation pedigree and cutting-edge molecular genetics expertise positioned Pairwise to translate CRISPR breakthroughs into practical agricultural products from inception.

# Core Differentiators

• Proprietary CRISPR Enzyme: The SHARC™ CRISPR enzyme sits at the core of the Fulcrum™ Platform and is used daily to develop new products in both horticultural and row crops.[6] This tool is also available for licensing to commercial, academic, and nonprofit partners.[6]

• Advanced Editing Capabilities: Beyond standard gene cutting, Pairwise's toolkit includes base editing and templated editing—enabling not just binary on/off trait control but precise "tuning" of characteristics to optimize phenotypes.[1][5]

• Proven Commercial Track Record: Pairwise has already delivered multiple products with differentiated plant genetics and launched the first CRISPR food in North America, demonstrating the ability to move from discovery to commercialization.[2]

• High-Throughput Scientific Infrastructure: The company manages complex plant-based workflows at scale, with over 78,000 plants registered in inventory and 4,728 plasmids designed using centralized data management systems.[4]

• Strategic Partnership Model: Rather than hoarding technology, Pairwise licenses its Fulcrum Platform to organizations like CIMMYT (a nonprofit international agricultural research organization) to accelerate crop development for smallholder farmers across 20 countries.[5] This approach positions the company as a trusted technology enabler across the agricultural ecosystem.

# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Pairwise operates at the intersection of three powerful trends: climate adaptation in agriculture, precision biotechnology, and food security innovation.

The timing is critical. Global agriculture faces mounting pressure from climate change, resource scarcity, and the need to feed a growing population with fewer inputs. Gene editing offers a faster alternative to conventional breeding—potentially cutting development timelines from decades to years.[1][2] Pairwise's emergence coincides with regulatory acceptance of CRISPR-edited crops in key markets (evidenced by the North American CRISPR food launch) and growing investment in agtech innovation.[1]

The company also influences the broader ecosystem by demonstrating a licensing and partnership model that makes advanced gene-editing tools accessible beyond well-capitalized commercial entities. By partnering with nonprofits like CIMMYT and industry leaders like Corteva, Pairwise is helping democratize transformative agricultural technology.[5] This positions gene editing not as a proprietary advantage locked within a single company, but as an enabling platform that can scale across global farming systems.

# Quick Take & Future Outlook

Pairwise is well-positioned to become the foundational gene-editing platform for agriculture—analogous to how cloud infrastructure companies enable broader software innovation. The company has raised $155 million in total funding (including a $40 million Series C in September 2024), backed by leading investors including Deerfield, Aliment Capital, Leaps by Bayer, Temasek, and Corteva Catalyst.[1]

The path forward likely involves deepening product commercialization across its crop portfolio while expanding the Fulcrum Platform's licensing footprint to academic and nonprofit partners. Early field trials of compact blackberry varieties—which can be planted three times as densely as traditional varieties while producing roughly twice the yield per acre—suggest the company is moving beyond proof-of-concept to real-world agricultural impact.[3]

As climate pressures intensify and regulatory frameworks for gene-edited crops mature globally, Pairwise's ability to rapidly develop climate-resilient, nutritious crop varieties will likely become increasingly valuable. The company's influence will extend beyond its own product portfolio to shape how the entire agricultural industry approaches crop innovation in the coming decade.