AgTech Firm Leases Space for Further Collaboration & Science Advancement Research
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—June 16, 2017—TechAccel, the Kansas-City based technology and venture development company, today announced that it has completed a lease agreement for office space at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. The new lease grants TechAccel’s science team office space within the campus of the not-for-profit research institute. Details and terms were not disclosed.
“St. Louis, with its concentration of plant science startups, researchers and established industry leaders, is the optimum location for TechAccel’s expansion,” said Michael Helmstetter, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive of TechAccel. “Working with the Danforth Center is the best of all possible worlds, as our science team will have access to Danforth Center resources and the opportunity to collaborate with other researchers. It’s truly a win-win for all.”
TechAccel and the Danforth Center have previously announced a strategic relationship with the development of the Path to Commercialization grant program, which has a goal of advancing and commercializing agricultural innovations from the laboratory into the marketplace. TechAccel will initially provide up to $250,000 in grants to demonstrate proof-of-concept or commercial feasibility studies with principal investigators at or affiliated with the Danforth Center.
With its opening in 1998, the Danforth Center initiated a wave of economic development in agriculture and life science related businesses in the St. Louis region, including the Bio-Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park, the Center for Emerging Technologies and the Helix Center Biotech Incubator. St. Louis County is responsible for $17 billion in sales in agriculture, forestry and related industries, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
“We are excited to see TechAccel expanding in the St. Louis region,” said James C. Carrington, Ph.D., President of the Danforth Center. “This arrangement presents a mutually beneficial opportunity to encourage growth and nurture creative collaborations at the same time.”
TechAccel is a venture and technology development company focused in agriculture and animal health. The company invests in or acquires new technology and funds science advancement programs with research university partners to assist in commercialization.
Based in suburban Kansas City, TechAccel already has strong ties to the St. Louis agriculture ecosystem. In addition to the collaboration program with the Danforth Center, the company has invested in Benson Hill Biosystems and Agrivida Inc.TechAccel also supports the AgInnovation Showcase and InvestMidwest, among other regional programs.
About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education and outreach aim to have impact at the nexus of food security and the environment, and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
To keep up to date with Danforth Center’s current operations and areas of research, please visit, www.danforthcenter.org,featuring information on Center scientists, news and the “Roots & Shoots” blog. Follow us on Twitter at @DanforthCenter.
