Exclusive Access to World-Leading Root Science
Cquesta was spun out of the Salk Institute of Biological Studies’ Harnessing Plants
Initiative (HPI) and has exclusive access to its discoveries.
Salk's Harnessing
Plants Initiative
With plant biology amongst Salk’s major areas of study, the Harnessing Plants Initiative was formed in 2017.
- Objective: CO₂ Removal on a Planetary Scale is developing Salk Ideal Plants to put CO₂ in the ground and keep it there
- Assembled consortium of top root biologists and plant geneticists
- Built the most advanced root-focused discovery engine
- Sequenced 900+ genomes, identified 345+ gene candidates
- Raised $80MM+ (Bezos Earth Fund, TED Audacious, Hess Corporation)
One Product Set. Two Major Results.
Our crop-based solutions, based on plants with improved root system architecture (RSA) provide
increased profitability for farmers and gigaton scale removal in CO₂ levels at net zero cost to society
Climate Change
without adding new costs to society.
Sustainable Agriculture
Farmers need innovations that improve profitability while <br/> building long-term resilience in the field.
Why Roots Matter
Historically, crop innovation has focused on above-grounds traits. Roots – the engine of efficiency, resilience, and carbon storage, have been harder to measure and therefore have been under-developed.
Cquesta changes that.
By improving root system architecture (RSA), we unlock:
- Increased yields
- Greater stress resilience
- More efficient nutrient use
- Long-term CO₂ fixation in soil
- Improved soil health
Increased root biomass/Increased durability (depth) = Increased carbon sequestration
Cquesta’s Transformation Machine… Filling the Gap
We take gene leads and create product candidates ready for commercialization by major seed companies
Exclusive Gene Access
Cquesta holds exclusive rights to Salk HPI’s patent-protected root gene portfolio forming the core of its competitive advantage with additional partnerships forming.
Product Development Engine
A structured stage-gate pipeline advances validated traits from gene editing to multi-location field trials, delivering commercial-ready seed traits with measurable agronomic and carbon data.
We turn gene leads into product candidates ready for big ag development
● Transformation capabilities in corn, soybean, sorghum, canola, and CoverCress
● Germplasm sourced from leading seed companies accelerates development (& validates approach)
● Comprehensive genotyping and phenotyping capabilities
● Seed production and field trialing
Trait Licensing
License proprietary root-enhancing traits:
- Major seed companies
- Crop breeding companies
- Agriculural biotech firms
Results:
Recurring revenue as acreage scales.
Strategic Partnerships
Enter co-development agreements where:
- Partner funds later stage trials
- Costs and revenues are shared
Reduces capital burn and accelerates scale.
Carbon Credit Revenue
Create high-margin layer by participating in:
- Soil carbon credit markets
- Scope 3 climate programs
- Climate-linked licensing
Results:
Becomes a high-margin upside layer.
Cquesta’s Path to Market
Cquesta has access to HPI’s unparalleled set of proprietary gene leads which has jumpstarted
our product development efforts with other partnerships forming.
Business model addresses commercialization timelines, required investment
● Licensing strategy enables Cquesta to monetize product candidates in a shorter amount of time
● Allows us to focus investment on core skills and expertise
● Strategy leverages partnerships with technology providers and seed companies
Platform Expansion
Long term, Cquesta’s discovery engine can generate:
Multiple traits across crops
Stackable trait packages
Region-specific root performance traits
Each becomes an additional licensing asset.
Why This Model Works
- High-margin IP licensing
Recurring royalty revenue
Low manufacturing overhead
Asset-light compared to seed production
Strong defensible IP moat
Climate-driven demand tailwinds
Cquesta Integrates Everything from
Discovery to Field Deployment
Execution across the product development process is fundamental to success
Gene Lead Portfolio
Exclusive access to Salk breakthroughs, strategic expansion with leading research partners (e.g. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center).
Elite Varieties
Material Transfer Agreements and collaborations secured elite germplasm from many of the world’s most important crops (corn, soybean, canola, sorghum, CoverCress, and turfgrass).
Capital Efficiency
In just 2 years we have built transformation platforms for soybean, canola, sorghum, corn, and CoverCress. The incremental cost for bringing new genes or crops into our portfolio is modest.
Disciplined Process
Well defined, stage gate process to ensure efficient development of product candidates that will be compelling for potential commercialization partners.