What Agragene does

Agragene is a private agtech company founded in 2017 as a spinout from Omar Akbari's lab at UC San Diego and currently headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The company develops and is commercializing biological insect control solutions based on its proprietary Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT), a CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing platform that produces sterile male insects without radiation or chemicals. Its flagship product, KNOCKOUT SWD, targets Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)—the #1 pest challenge for fresh berry and cherry growers that causes over $700M in annual US crop damage—using sterile males that mate with wild females to suppress pest populations.

The company holds an exclusive worldwide license from the University of California for pgSIT across all crops and pest species, and operates with a staff of approximately 8-12 employees in St. Louis. Agragene's business model centers on selling sterile insect products (KNOCKOUT SWD, plus a registered "Border Patrol" semiochemical attract-and-kill mat) to commercial fresh berry and cherry growers, with a service model option for deployment, and a First Flight Club early-adopter program targeting lead customers ahead of broader commercialization. Distribution is enabled through a production partnership with Associates Insectary in Santa Paula, California.

Agragene has raised at least $7.2M in venture funding from Ospraie Ag Science and BioGenerator Ventures across Series A and A2 rounds (2020-2023), with an active $5M Series B raise underway as of 2025. The company is currently in USDA-permitted field trials in Oregon and California, is preparing EPA/USDA regulatory submissions, and targets commercial availability of KNOCKOUT SWD by 2027. Pipeline pests include Navel Orangeworm, Olive Fruit Fly, Mediterranean Fruit Fly, and Colorado Potato Beetle, representing a broader $20B+ addressable pest damage opportunity.

Name

Agragene

Legal name

Agragene, Inc.

Website

https://agragene.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Agragene is a private agtech company commercializing CRISPR-based sterile insect technology (pgSIT) for biological pest control, with its flagship KNOCKOUT SWD product targeting Spotted Wing Drosophila in fresh berry and cherry markets ahead of planned 2027 EPA approval.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biological Pest Control

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Exterminating and Pest Control Services (561710)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

Beneficial Insects (Predators & Parasitoids) (AFABAEAH)

Keywords

• Sterile insect technology
• Biological pest control
• CRISPR agricultural biotechnology
• Crop protection solutions
• Integrated pest management

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. KNOCKOUT SWD Sterile Insects: Sale of gene-edited sterile male insects to growers for pest control applications. Insects are shipped in boxes with food source for deployment in fields.
2. Service Model - Technician Deployment: Certified Agragene technicians place and activate products (mats/traps) for customers. Creates recurring service revenue alongside product sales.
3. KNOCKOUT Brand Product Line: Integrated pest management products sold under KNOCKOUT trademark brand for biocontrol of Spotted Wing Drosophila.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Agragene develops and sells KNOCKOUT SWD, gene-edited sterile male Spotted Wing Drosophila insects produced via its proprietary CRISPR-based Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT) platform. When released into fields and orchards, the sterile males mate with wild females to produce no offspring, naturally suppressing pest populations. The company also offers a Border Patrol semiochemical attract-and-kill product and supports a technician deployment service model for grower customers.

Product overview

Agragene operates as a single-product company with a platform technology. The core offering is KNOCKOUT™ SWD, a sterile male insect product targeting Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) for fresh berry and cherry growers. This product is powered by the proprietary Precision-Guided Sterile Insect Technology (pgSIT)™ platform, which uses CRISPR-based gene editing to produce sterile males without radiation. The company has additional products in development targeting other crop pests including Olive Fruit Fly, Navel Orangeworm, MedFly, and Colorado Potato Beetle, but these remain in earlier development stages and are not yet commercialized.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KNOCKOUT SWD: Agragene's trademarked product for integrated pest management of Spotted Wing Drosophila using sterile male insects developed through gene editing.
• KNOCKOUT
• Border Patrol
• First Flight Club

Products and services

• KNOCKOUT SWD Gene-edited sterile male Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) insects produced via pgSIT. When released into fields or orchards, the sterile males mate with wild females, producing no offspring and naturally suppressing SWD pest populations. Sold to commercial fresh berry and cherry growers as a chemical-, radiation-, and residue-free pest control product.
• Border Patrol Semiochemical attract-and-kill product using a proprietary formulation on fiber mats to attract and kill pests. Marketed under the Border Patrol trademark as part of the KNOCKOUT integrated pest management product family for biocontrol.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% sterility demonstrated
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• H.A.R.V.E.S.T. AgTechstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Global innovation incubator administered by Yield Lab Institute. Provides non-dilutive award, access to technical research partners at North Carolina Plant Science Initiative and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Enables outdoor field testing at California field sites for independent third-party validation.
• Associates InsectarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2025Partnership to scale production and delivery of KNOCKOUT SWD sterile insect technology. Associates Insectary rears sterile insects at their Santa Paula, California facility using high-volume production expertise. Strategic location near key berry-growing regions enables efficient distribution to growers.
• University of California Agriculture and Natural ResourcesstrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch partner providing field sites in California for outdoor testing of KNOCKOUT SWD technology. Enables regulatory-relevant testing in same geography where technology will be sold.
• North Carolina Plant Science InitiativeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch partner providing field sites for testing through H.A.R.V.E.S.T. AgTech program. Different growing climates strengthen validation opportunities.
• Oregon State UniversitystrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConducted USDA-permitted experimental outdoor release of KNOCKOUT SWD in cherry block at Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hood River. Professor Chris Adams led the research project.
• UC San DiegocoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology origin - pgSIT technology developed in Omar Akbari's lab at UC San Diego. Company spun out from this research. IP purchased from university in 2019. Dr. Stephanie Gamez earned her PhD working on gene drive projects in Akbari's lab.
• University of CaliforniacoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive worldwide license for pgSIT technology granted for all crops and all crop pest insect species. License obtained from UC system (originally UC San Diego, now UC Riverside).
• Associates InsectarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 partnership announced for trial runs of KNOCKOUT SWD. Associates Insectary has operated in Santa Paula, California since 1928 and is the oldest commercial insectary in the United States. Committed to advancing biological controls as sustainable pest management solutions.
• Driscoll'sstrategicOthersMajor fresh berry producer that has stated SWD is the #1 challenge impacting their production. Populations have doubled in past 5 years. Represents key customer for KNOCKOUT SWD commercial launch.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oxitec: Oxitec develops genetically engineered insects for pest control, including sterile male mosquitoes and agricultural pests. It is the closest direct peer to Agragene, sharing a gene-editing foundation for SIT-based pest management targeting crops and disease vectors.
• Suterra: Suterra is a major provider of mating disruption and insect pheromone products for fruit, nut, and vine crops. It directly competes with Agragene in the specialty crop pest control market with a complementary biocontrol technology approach.
• In2Care: In2Care develops trap-based mosquito control products using biological agents and targeted deployment stations. It is comparable to Agragene through its Border Patrol semiochemical attract-and-kill mat product and a shared emphasis on non-chemical biological control deployments.
• BioBee Biological Systems: BioBee produces and markets beneficial insects and mites for biological pest control in agriculture and greenhouses. It is comparable to Agragene as both deploy insect-based biocontrol solutions to commercial growers as an alternative to chemical pesticides.
• Provivi: Provivi uses biotechnology to develop pheromone-based pest control solutions for row crops and specialty crops. It is a direct peer to Agragene in sustainable, non-chemical agricultural pest management targeting similar grower customers.

Emerging players

• AgBiome: AgBiome discovers and develops microbial-based crop protection products using its proprietary microbiome platform. It is an emerging player in biological crop protection with partial overlap to Agragene's biocontrol mission, though focused on microbial rather than insect-based solutions.
• Vestaron: Vestaron develops peptide-based biological insecticides derived from spider venom for agricultural pest control. It is an emerging peer in the biological crop protection space with a differentiated mode of action comparable to Agragene's non-chemical approach.
• GreenLight Biosciences: GreenLight Biosciences develops RNA-based biological products for crop protection and pest control. It is an emerging biotech peer exploring novel biological alternatives to chemical pesticides, with thematic overlap to Agragene's mission of replacing conventional insecticides.

Broad incumbents

• Koppert Biological Systems: Koppert is a global leader in biological crop protection offering beneficial insects, microbial products, and natural pollinators. It is a broad incumbent operating in the same biological pest management space as Agragene but across a much wider portfolio and geographic footprint.
• FMC Corporation: FMC is a large global crop protection and agricultural sciences company with a growing portfolio of biological products alongside conventional chemistries. It is a broad incumbent serving the same specialty crop growers as Agragene but from a much larger, diversified foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Agragene_STL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@agragene7253
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agragene-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agragene