Heritable and Kagome Partner on AI-Driven Disease-Resistant Crops

Heritable Agriculture Inc. (“Heritable”), an AI-driven agricultural technology company on a mission to make plants programmable, and Kagome Co., Ltd. (“Kagome”) have launched a joint research and development program focused on accelerating the discovery and breeding of disease-resistant vegetable crop varieties.

Emerging from research and development efforts at Google X (Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory) and established as an independent company in 2024, Heritable integrates machine learning, multi-omics analysis, and phenotypic data through its proprietary AI platform to reduce breeding timelines and development costs across a broad range of crop species. The joint initiative follows an initial 2025 investment in Heritable by the SVG Ventures Sunrise Agri Fund, a corporate venture capital fund jointly managed by Kagome and SVG Ventures through Kagome’s U.S. subsidiary, GARBIC USA LLC.

As climate change and shifting environmental conditions escalate disease pressure on crops worldwide, the need for resilient and sustainable food production systems has become paramount. Developing vegetable varieties that combine strong disease resistance with high quality and productivity presents a major challenge for the global agricultural sector, particularly given that traditional breeding methods require significant time and resources to identify desirable genes and select promising materials.

Emphasizing the urgency of these agricultural pressures, Brad Zamft, CEO of Heritable Agriculture, noted: “Crop losses caused by diseases and pests remain one of the most significant challenges facing agriculture today. By combining Heritable’s AI capabilities with Kagome’s world-class breeding expertise, we believe we can help address longstanding challenges in vegetable production. This collaboration is an important opportunity to demonstrate the value of our technology in accelerating the development of more resilient crops.”

Beginning in 2026, the collaborative program will leverage Heritable’s proprietary AI platform alongside Kagome’s extensive vegetable genetic resources and decades of breeding expertise to investigate the genetic basis of disease resistance. By unifying diverse biological datasets—including DNA, RNA, and phenotypic traits—the AI platform enables researchers to identify candidate genes linked to valuable agricultural characteristics with unprecedented speed and efficiency.

Highlighting the shared vision behind this technological integration, Hiroyuki Ueda, Executive Officer and Head of Global Agri Research and Business Center at Kagome Co., Ltd., stated: “Guided by our corporate philosophy, ‘True to Nature, the Flavorful Way,’ Kagome is committed to advancing sustainable agriculture. Crop diseases pose a significant threat to agricultural production worldwide, and addressing these challenges will require new technological innovations. By combining Heritable’s advanced AI platform with Kagome’s breeding expertise, we aim to create innovative solutions that deliver value to growers, consumers, and the broader food system.”

The joint research effort builds upon a strong working relationship established over the past year, during which Heritable researchers toured Kagome’s research facilities and Kagome’s R&D team visited Heritable’s California headquarters to exchange knowledge on AI technologies, methodologies, and innovation processes. This continuous exchange has created a globally connected framework linking data-driven AI analysis directly with real-world breeding and cultivation practices.

Both organizations view this joint project as the first phase of a broader strategic partnership, with plans to explore additional opportunities for crop improvement and breeding innovation across a wider array of agricultural applications.

 Sources: Heritable / Kagome