Japan's Culta Secures $4.5M to Advance AI-driven Non-GMO Crop Breeding
Culta, a Japan-based agritech startup, has raised $4.5 million in a pre-Series A funding round to expand its AI-driven non-GMO crop breeding platform. The company aims to accelerate the development of climate-resilient crops by shortening breeding cycles from over 10 years to just two years. This is achieved through advanced AI analysis of large datasets, including genomics and environmental data, to quickly identify desirable plant traits. Culta has already commercialized strawberry varieties in Japan and Southeast Asia, using a vertically integrated model for breeding, production, branding, and distribution. The company also employs drone-mounted computer vision systems to enhance field data collection, significantly speeding up the identification of flowering traits. 
