Nexus Agriscience has announced that it has acquired the hemp division of cannabis intellectual property powerhouse Biotech Institute, expanding its molecular farming platform by internalising core genetics and research capabilities.
The patent portfolio protects genetic pathways and proprietary germplasm that enable predictable expression of high-value compounds across the primary terpene classes found within the cannabis genome.
Ownership of the portfolio strengthens Nexus' intellectual property position and supports continued investment into the company's molecular farming platform.
"This acquisition expands our platform and removes critical constraints," said Shareef El-Sissi, CEO of Nexus Agriscience.
"By bringing core genetics and R&D in-house, we can move faster into new markets while maintaining the capital efficiency and scalability that define our approach."
"The cannabis plant is the most prolific natural producer of flavour and fragrance compounds and this portfolio gives us the tools to express those compounds predictably and at commercial scale."
Nexus sits at the intersection of precision agriculture, plant science and commercial-scale manufacturing and is positioned to serve a $37bn addressable market for functional ingredients.
The company plans to engineer hemp plants to produce plant-based alternatives to potentially harmful synthetic additives, such as petroleum-based chemicals, in the food supply.
Hemp offers a carbon-negative alternative to incumbent supply chains.
Dr Mark Lewis, one of the key inventors on the acquired patents, said: "Hemp is an extraordinarily powerful biosynthetic platform when engineered with precision, turning plants into factories."
"This portfolio distils years of genomic, chemical and breeding work into predictable expression of high-value compounds, accelerating the transition from fundamental science to scalable manufacturing."
Nexus's hemp-based molecular farming platform offers a capital-efficient and scalable alternative to precision fermentation for the production of complex natural compounds.
Unlike fermentation-based systems that require high capital investment and controlled bioreactor infrastructure, Nexus's approach is already proven at a hundreds-of-acres scale, allowing for faster deployment, lower capital expenditure and rapid market responsiveness.
Nexus produces 100% non-cannabinoid hemp-derived natural ingredients with vertical control from genetics through downstream processing.
The company emphasises chemical fidelity and stability and is known for bringing novel ingredients to mass market applications with its brand partners.
Its products are used today in flavouring and functional applications for cannabis CPG, with expansion underway into functional beverage, speciality natural ingredient and commodity chemical markets.
Following the close, the operations and intellectual property associated with Biotech Institute's hemp assets were integrated into Nexus, including a portfolio of issued and pending utility and plant patents, living plant materials, seed inventory and specialised technical expertise.
Gary Hiller of Biotech Institute will join Nexus' board of directors, strengthening governance and strategic oversight, while Dr Mark Lewis and Steven Haba will join Nexus to lead genetic development and operational execution.