As the world’s population approaches 10 billion by 2050, global crop production must double to meet the rising demand for food, feed, fiber, phytochemicals, and phytomedicines. At AFINGEN®, our mission is to enhance crop productivity and resource efficiency through innovative, sustainable solutions.

AFINGEN was founded by plant science and technology-transfer teams at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, CA), in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), the University of California, Davis (UCD), and the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI, Emeryville, CA) to apply cutting-edge plant synthetic biology to develop low-cost biofuels and biochemicals. This spin-off was supported through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs of three U.S. federal agencies: the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Building on the outcomes of these research programs, we have developed fast-growing, high-yield rotation crops, cover crops, and dual-purpose forage energy crops. Additionally, we are prototyping a phytomedicine-delivery system designed to advance animal health and environmental resilience. To explore our prototype developments, please visit our technology pages: APFL and Climate Bio®. For an overview of our financial history, please visit our Crunchbase page.