Amping Up AgTech

The home of the Gateway Arch might be better known as the Turnaround City. After experiencing a decline for 15 years, St. Louis has increased its rate of business creation every year since 2009. It now has 200 to 350 active tech startups and more than 50 support organizations centered on three hubs: downtown accelerator T-Rex, the 200-acre Cortex Innovation Community, and the 39 North district near the Yield Lab North America agtech accelerator. Headed by Thad Simons, the Yield Lab launched a $150 million venture fund last year. September saw two local startups nab Series C funding: Crop improvement company Benson Hill Biosystems raised $60 million in a round led by GV, and Galera Therapeutics, which develops cancer drugs, secured $70 million in equity. Insider tip: Eric Gulve, president of evergreen investor BioGenerator, is the local go-to for all things bioscience, and for a bird’s-eye view of the startup scene, there’s Ginger Imster, VP of innovation and entrepreneurship at the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. —