# Benson Hill

Startup profile on Capital Atlas: https://capitalatlas.ai/startups/benson-hill

- Industry: Agribusiness
- Headquarters: St. Louis, US
- Website: www.bensonhill.com
- Total disclosed funding: $241M
- Latest round: Series D (Jul 31, 2020)
- Investors on record: 23

## About

Founded in 2012 and based in Missouri, US, Benson Hill Inc, previously known as Benson Hill Biosystems, Inc., is an agri-biotechnology company that offers a CropOS® technology platform that combines data analytics and AI with food science and plant biology to leverage genetic diversity within plants to optimize its nutrition. The company serves Athletes, breeders, farmers, ingredient and food manufacturers, retailers, active people, and consumers who prefer plant-based options. As of 2024, the company is led by its CEO, Deanie Elsner.

In 2020, Benson Hill, Inc. raised USD 159.09 million in Series D funding co-led by new investor Wheatsheaf Group Limited and returning investor GV, with participation from other new investors. In 2021, Star Peak Energy Transition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), agreed to acquire and subsequently merge with Benson Hill, Inc., valued at USD 1.35 billion with a PIPE proceed of USD 225 million, at USD 10 per share.

The company offers CropOS®, a proprietary platform designed to facilitate the accessibility and actionability of Cloud Biology. Cloud Biology® is the culmination of data, machine learning, and AI techniques with biology. CropOS® enables proprietory phenotyping, predictive breeding, and environmental modeling algorithms to create healthy food options by unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants. Benson Hill cultivates crops by influencing taste and texture along with reducing the need for additives such as UHP(ultra-high protein) soybeans and products with low anti-nutrient content for better nutrition and sustainability as well as producing high oleic soybeans.

Additionally, the company offers a data library that contains plant science data on soybean varieties along with yellow pea genome mapping, consumer taste profiles, weather, and soil data among others including 120,000 unique plant genomes across 27 species.

Benson Hill Inc plans on utilizing the Series D funding to accelerate the deployment of its platform's technology, expand partner development across the supply chain, and scale the company's product commercialization efforts. Post the public merger with Star Peak Corp II, Benson Hill plans to list on the NYSE under the new ticker symbol, BHIL. Benson Hills plans on utilizing the investment from the merger for fueling its growth within its plant-based meat business segment.

## Funding rounds

- Series D, Jul 31, 2020, $150M — CDPQ, Prolog Ventures, Mercury, GV, Prelude Ventures, Fall Line Capital, Louis Dreyfus Company B.V., iSelect Fund Management, S2G Ventures, Argonautic Ventures, Wheatsheaf Group, E-mart Inc., GS Holdings
- Series C, Aug 13, 2018, $65M — Alexandria Venture Investments, Mercury, GV, Collaborative Fund, Fall Line Capital, iSelect Fund Management, Activant Capital, Prelude Ventures, S2G Ventures, Tao Capital Partners, Lewis & Clark Ventures, Argonautic Ventures
- Series B, Mar 2, 2017, $19M — Alexandria Venture Investments, Prolog Ventures, Mercury, Missouri Technology Corporation, Fall Line Capital, Cultivation Capital, Middleland Capital, iSelect Fund Management, Prelude Ventures, S2G Ventures, Lewis & Clark Ventures, TechAccel, Argonautic Ventures
- Series A, Aug 26, 2015, $7.3M — Alexandria Venture Investments, Prolog Ventures, Mercury, Prelude Ventures, BioGenerator, Missouri Technology Corporation, Cultivation Capital, Middleland Capital, TechAccel

## Investors

- Alexandria Venture Investments (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/alexandria-venture-investments) — Series A, Series B, Series C
- Prolog Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/prolog-ventures) — Series A, Series B, Series D
- Mercury (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/mercury) — Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D
- Prelude Ventures — Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D
- BioGenerator (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/biogenerator) — Series A
- Missouri Technology Corporation — Series A, Series B
- Cultivation Capital (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/cultivation-capital) — Series A, Series B
- Middleland Capital — Series A, Series B
- TechAccel (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/techaccel) — Series A, Series B
- Fall Line Capital (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/fall-line-capital) — Series B, Series C, Series D
- iSelect Fund Management (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/iselect-fund-management) — Series B, Series C, Series D
- S2G Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/s2g-ventures) — Series B, Series C, Series D
- Lewis & Clark Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/lewis-clark-ventures) — Series B, Series C
- Argonautic Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/argonautic-ventures) — Series B, Series C, Series D
- GV (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/gv) — Series C, Series D
- Collaborative Fund (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/collaborative-fund) — Series C
- Activant Capital (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/activant-capital) — Series C
- Tao Capital Partners (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/tao-capital-partners) — Series C
- CDPQ — Series D
- Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. — Series D
- Wheatsheaf Group (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/wheatsheaf-group) — Series D
- E-mart Inc. — Series D
- GS Holdings — Series D