Corteva (NYSE: CTVA), a global leader in agricultural technology, and Hexagon Bio, a biotechnology company focused on discovering nature-derived medicines, have announced a multi-million-dollar joint venture to accelerate the development of next-generation crop protection solutions inspired by natural systems. This collaboration marks the first agriculture-focused venture for Hexagon Bio and the first foray into pharmaceutical partnerships for Corteva. The joint venture combines Corteva’s extensive expertise in nature-inspired crop protection and its bacterial natural product discovery capabilities with Hexagon Bio’s advanced platform that integrates microbial genetics, artificial intelligence, chemistry, and synthetic biology. This powerful combination aims to uncover novel natural compounds with unique mechanisms of action, enabling faster and more efficient development of innovative crop protection products. Sam Eathington, Chief Technology and Digital Officer at Corteva, said the partnership expands the company’s discovery capabilities and strengthens its commitment to sustainable, effective solutions for farmers. “As demand for nature-inspired products grows, this collaboration allows us to move faster and think bigger to deliver the next generation of crop protection tools,” he said. Maureen Hillenmeyer, CEO and co-founder of Hexagon Bio, highlighted the dual mission of the venture. “Our platform generates more high-value chemistry than one development track can handle, so this JV enables us to simultaneously advance transformative therapies for patients and deliver new modes of action for agriculture,” she said. Natural products have historically driven breakthroughs in medicine and agriculture—from penicillin and cancer-fighting taxanes to modern fungicides and insecticides that protect staple crops. The partnership leverages advances in DNA sequencing and computational biology to unlock previously hidden chemical diversity from microbial sources. The joint venture was formed through Corteva Catalyst, the company’s investment and collaboration platform launched in March 2024. Since its inception, Corteva Catalyst has partnered with 11 companies worldwide, investing in biologicals, gene editing, and other cutting-edge technologies. Corteva, Inc. is a pure-play agriculture company dedicated to addressing global food challenges through innovation in seeds, crop protection, and digital solutions. With a strong portfolio of brands and a diverse technology pipeline, Corteva aims to boost farm productivity while supporting sustainable food systems. Hexagon Bio is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery of novel payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to treat cancer. By mining microbial genomes for cytotoxic small molecules, the company is developing next-generation ADCs designed to overcome resistance and improve outcomes across a range of solid tumors and blood cancers.