2025 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: Pairwise and its Climate-Adapted Crops

2025 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: Pairwise and its Climate-Adapted Crops

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

• Pairwise utilizes advanced CRISPR gene editing to develop climate-resilient crops, addressing global food security.

• The company has successfully brought the first CRISPR-edited food, a less-bitter mustard green, to the US market.

• Their pipeline includes “dwarf plants” like shorter corn and blackberries, engineered to withstand extreme weather and optimize yields.

• Pairwise engages in significant partnerships with industry giants (Bayer, Corteva, Mars) and humanitarian organizations (Gates Foundation) to scale their impact.

• The acceptance of gene-edited crops is potentially higher than traditional GMOs due to precise DNA modification within the plant’s own genetic code.

• Revolutionizing Agriculture with CRISPR Gene Editing
• Cultivating Resilience: Crops for a Changing World
• The Promise and Path Ahead for Gene-Edited Foods
  • Key Indicators for Pairwise
  • Next Steps for Pairwise
• Your Role in a Resilient Food Future: Actionable Steps
• Conclusion
• FAQ

The intensifying global climate crisis presents an undeniable challenge to our most fundamental resource: food. As environmental conditions become more extreme and unpredictable, traditional agricultural methods are struggling to keep pace. Ensuring food security for a growing global population demands innovative, scalable solutions. Among the pioneering companies leading this charge is Pairwise, an organization poised to revolutionize agriculture through advanced gene editing, adapting crops to thrive in a warming world.

This critical mission defines Pairwise’s approach, emphasizing resilience and adaptability in the face of ecological upheaval. As we look ahead to 2025, Pairwise stands out as a key climate tech company whose advancements promise to safeguard our food supply and empower farmers worldwide.

Revolutionizing Agriculture with CRISPR Gene Editing

Founded in 2018, Pairwise isn’t just an agricultural startup; it’s a testament to the power of cutting-edge biotechnology. The seven-year-old company was cofounded by several luminaries in gene editing, including MIT’s Feng Zhang and Harvard’s David Liu. These scientists were instrumental in inventing and refining the breakthrough CRISPR tool, laying a robust scientific foundation for Pairwise’s mission from its Durham, North Carolina headquarters.

Pairwise employs sophisticated gene editing to precisely modify plant DNA. This allows them to efficiently introduce and fine-tune new plant traits, directly enabling crops to better withstand increasingly harsh climate conditions. This precision is crucial for ensuring that a growing global population can be fed, even as environmental challenges escalate. The ability to make targeted changes within a plant’s own genetic code offers a significant advantage for developing robust and resilient varieties.

The company has already made its mark on the market. Last year, Pairwise successfully delivered the first food to the US market developed with its precise genetic scissors: a less-bitter–tasting mustard green. This achievement underscored the commercial viability and consumer potential of CRISPR-edited produce, transitioning laboratory innovation into tangible market products.

Central to Pairwise’s technological prowess is its proprietary toolkit. This includes a unique CRISPR enzyme designed to precisely snip DNA, alongside a base editor. The base editor, a second-generation CRISPR technology originally developed by co-founder David Liu, offers the capability to alter a single DNA letter, providing unparalleled precision in genetic modification. This refined approach is fundamental to their efforts in creating climate-resilient crops.

Cultivating Resilience: Crops for a Changing World

Pairwise’s commitment to climate adaptation is evident in its diverse pipeline of innovative crops. Early initiatives include the development and field testing of shorter, sturdier varieties of corn, blackberries, and other plants. These “dwarf plants” are specifically engineered to endure extreme weather events like high winds, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

Beyond their resilience, these modified plants offer significant agricultural advantages. Pairwise posits that these dwarf varieties can be grown more densely, potentially allowing farmers to achieve higher yields with reduced inputs like fertilizer and insecticides. This increased efficiency also makes them ideal for cultivation in agricultural hoop houses—temporary, movable greenhouses that offer controlled environments. This adaptability could be transformative for farmers in poorer parts of the world, providing a crucial protective shield for their crops against heatwaves, droughts, and other severe weather patterns.

Pairwise extends its impact through strategic collaborations. They are partnered with two of the world’s largest plant biotech companies, Bayer and Corteva, to accelerate the development of climate-resilient traits in key crops. Furthermore, their work with the Gates Foundation aims to create new, high-yield varieties of yams in Nigeria, addressing critical food security needs in a climate-vulnerable region.

A compelling real-world example of their collaborative effort involves Mars. Pairwise has licensed its genetic tools to the confectionary giant to help develop cacao plants more resilient to diseases and the challenges of a shifting climate. Cacao trees, primarily grown by farmers in West Africa, are currently under immense stress from rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall, threatening both livelihoods and the global chocolate industry.

The Promise and Path Ahead for Gene-Edited Foods

The potential for Pairwise’s innovations is immense. As climate change intensifies, creating harsher conditions globally, the ability to maintain or increase crop yields is vital for sustaining farmers and feeding communities. Especially in some of the world’s hottest and poorest regions, climate-adapted crops hold the promise of preventing hunger and starvation, offering a lifeline in the face of escalating environmental challenges.

However, the journey to widespread market adoption has its considerations. To date, Pairwise has not yet delivered climate-adapted foods to the market. The tangible impact of these plants in fields and on store shelves remains to be fully demonstrated. There is, however, an optimistic belief that consumers and regulators may be more accepting of CRISPR-edited crops. This stems from the fact that CRISPR involves editing a plant’s own DNA, differentiating it from transgenic crops which introduce genes from other species—a distinction that could pave the way for smoother acceptance and regulatory pathways.

Key Indicators for Pairwise

• Industry: Food and agriculture

• Founded: 2018

• Headquarters: Durham, North Carolina, US

• Notable fact: Cofounded by scientists instrumental in inventing and improving CRISPR, including MIT professor Feng Zhang and Harvard professor David Liu.

Next Steps for Pairwise

Pairwise, having raised $155 million to date, is currently evaluating short-stature blackberries in field trials. Successful outcomes here could lead to the development of squatter fruit trees like cherry or peach. The company’s website indicates successful genetic edits in 14 crops and completed field trials for at least two additional varieties of corn and soy. While no specific timelines have been announced, Pairwise expects to introduce a variety of “climate-adapted, delicious and consumer-loved crops” in the coming years, signaling a transformative period for food production.

Your Role in a Resilient Food Future: Actionable Steps

As companies like Pairwise advance groundbreaking solutions, individuals can also contribute to a more food-secure and sustainable future:

1. Stay Informed and Advocate: Take the time to understand the science behind gene editing and its benefits for climate resilience. Share accurate information to foster informed public discourse and support for innovative food technologies.

2. Support Sustainable Innovations: Seek out and support brands and companies investing in sustainable agriculture and climate-adapted crops. Your consumer choices can help drive demand and investment in these crucial areas.

3. Encourage Progressive Policies: Engage with local and national policymakers to advocate for clear, science-based regulatory frameworks that facilitate the safe and efficient introduction of gene-edited crops. This balance is vital for both innovation and public trust.

Conclusion

Pairwise stands as a beacon of hope in the climate tech landscape, illustrating how scientific brilliance can tackle the most pressing global challenges. By meticulously applying CRISPR gene editing, the company is not merely improving crops; it is fundamentally engineering a more resilient agricultural future. Their dedication to developing high-yield, climate-adapted plants offers a powerful strategy to bolster global food security, protect farmer livelihoods, and mitigate the threat of hunger.

As 2025 draws nearer, the foundational work of companies like Pairwise becomes increasingly critical. They are laying the groundwork for a world where food production can thrive despite environmental adversities, ensuring that delicious, nutritious, and sustainable crops are available for generations to come. Their journey from laboratory breakthrough to future harvests is a testament to innovation’s role in securing our collective future.

FAQ

What is Pairwise and what is its primary mission?

Pairwise is a pioneering climate tech company founded in 2018 that leverages advanced CRISPR gene editing technology. Its primary mission is to revolutionize agriculture by developing climate-adapted crops that can better withstand extreme environmental conditions, thereby enhancing global food security and supporting farmer livelihoods.

How does Pairwise use CRISPR gene editing?

Pairwise employs a proprietary CRISPR toolkit, including a unique CRISPR enzyme and a second-generation base editor, to precisely modify plant DNA. This allows them to efficiently introduce and fine-tune specific traits within a plant’s own genetic code, such as resilience to high winds, diseases, or changing climates, without introducing genes from other species.

What crops is Pairwise developing?

Pairwise has a diverse pipeline of innovative crops. Early initiatives include shorter, sturdier varieties of corn and blackberries (“dwarf plants”) designed to withstand extreme weather. They are also working on disease-resistant cacao plants and high-yield yam varieties in partnership with organizations like Mars and the Gates Foundation.

What are some of Pairwise’s notable partnerships?

Pairwise has established strategic collaborations with major players in the agricultural and food industries, including Bayer and Corteva, to accelerate the development of climate-resilient traits. They also partner with the Gates Foundation on projects like developing new yam varieties in Nigeria, and with Mars to create more resilient cacao plants.

What are the future prospects for gene-edited foods from Pairwise?

While Pairwise has already introduced a less-bitter mustard green to the market, they are still evaluating climate-adapted crops in field trials. They anticipate introducing a variety of “climate-adapted, delicious and consumer-loved crops” in the coming years. There is optimism that consumers and regulators may be more accepting of CRISPR-edited crops due to the precision of editing a plant’s own DNA compared to traditional transgenic GMOs.