Brightseed closes new $27M for AI-powered phytonutrient discovery

Brightseed, and developer the world's first and only AI technology for phytonutrient discovery, has closed $27 million in growth financing led by Lewis and Clark AgriFood. This new financing brings Brightseed's total funding to $52 million including $25 million in previous funding from Seed 2 Growth Ventures, Horizons Ventures, CGC Ventures, Fifty Years, Germin8 Ventures and AgFunder. David Russell of Lewis and Clark AgriFood will join Brightseed's board of directors, in addition to Elaine Leavenworth, former SVP and chief marketing and external affairs officer at Abbott. 

Brightseed has also enlisted a group of advisors, including:

"We're thrilled to work with visionary partners to accelerate innovation in food, health, and wellness," said Dr. Jim Flatt, Brightseed co-founder and CEO. "We're in an unprecedented public health crisis, and people are looking for plant-based products that will contribute to a healthier life. With millions of phytonutrients hidden in plants, it's crucial that we discover these compounds and understand how they help us. Much like mapping the human genome opened up a new era for medicine, using Forager AI to map the connections between plants and people is one of the most exciting new frontiers of science." 

Brightseed's new funding comes at a moment when the demand for plant-based health and wellness solutions is skyrocketing. Forager is actively searching for compounds that provide proven health benefits, as well as searching for new benefits in existing plant-based products and ingredients. 

"Brightseed's application of technology is transforming how we understand the resources available for our health and well-being in nature," said Dr. David Russell, operating partner at Lewis and Clark AgriFood. "These discoveries already have a major impact on how we're formulating the things we consume every day. This is a new approach that provides a much deeper understanding of the connections between plants and human biology. We're looking forward to supporting Brightseed in leading these breakthroughs." 

"Brightseed's Forager AI is leading the search for natural phytonutrients that will provide dramatic health benefits," said Elaine Leavenworth. "Given today's health crises this has even greater urgency. Brightseed has the strong support of their investors and advisors as they move forward on this path." 

Source: Brightseed