MEDFORD, MA (April 20) --Agrivida, Inc. today announced it has named David Agneta as Vice President, Business Development. Mr. Agneta will be reporting directly to Mark Wong, Agrivida’s CEO. At Agrivida, Mr. Agneta will direct marketing and business strategies guiding the company’s growth in key markets worldwide. He brings over 30 years of experience in business development, financing and operation of businesses built around new technology concepts. “David’s vast experience and familiarity with the challenges and opportunities in the cellulosic biofuels marketplace worldwide is unparalleled, and will be critical as Agrivida seeks to further expand adoption and commercialization of our intein switch technology platform,” said Mr. Wong. “Agrivida is fortunate to have someone of his caliber and the synergies between our vigorous research and development program and a focused business development effort can be expected to yield tremendous benefits for our employees, research partners and as well as our government and venture capital investors.”
Mr. Agneta joins Agrivida from Verenium Biofuels Corporation, where he served as Vice President, Commercial Development. While there, he managed business development activities for cellulosic biofuel projects, including the development for commercial-scale energy crop plantations. Mr. Agneta also developed an integrated biomass supply program for Verenium and Vercipia Biofuels’ (a joint venture of Verenium and BP Biofuels, now wholly owned by BP Biofuels) commercial biorefineries. The program included energy crop testing, crop life-cycle cost modeling, agronomic protocols, as well as harvesting and transport logistics.
“I am gratified to have the opportunity to work with the world-class research and development team that have been assembled at Agrivida,” stated Mr. Agneta. “Translating the company’s scientific strategies into new and diverse commercial partnerships, for the benefit of the renewable fuels and chemicals industries—and, ultimately, consumers and the environment –is a welcome responsibility. I am anticipating a highly productive trajectory for Agrivida.”
Previously, Mr. Agneta served as president of a bio-composites development and manufacturing company that grew and used specialty crops such as kenaf and hemp to manufacture high-strength composite materials, Mr. Agneta also worked as vice president of corporate development for a risk management company; and as director of development for several companies in the energy sector.
Mr. Agneta holds a Masters of Business Administration from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Northeastern University. He is also a registered professional engineer.
In December, 2010 Agrivida announced an agreement with Syngenta Ventures to develop advanced crop technology to provide low-cost sugars for a variety of industrial applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Syngenta licensed to Agrivida access to crop technology and intellectual property in return for Agrivida equity. In July 2010, Agrivida announced breakthroughs in its development of sugar production from enzyme-expressing crops at the annual conference of the Biotechnology Industry Organization. The news followed recent awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA–E) to further develop its proprietary technology platforms in sorghum and switchgrass.
Agrivida, Inc., headquartered in Medford, Mass., is the commercial leader in developing improved crops for production of biofuels and bioproducts from non-food agricultural residues and dedicated biomass crops. The company has entered into research and development agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the USDA, ARPA–E, and other corporations. The company received the DOE’s 2008 “Energy Innovator Award.” With expertise in protein engineering, molecular biology, plant biotechnology, agronomy, and chemical engineering, Agrivida is leading the industry in the development of innovative, sustainable crops and processes to meet energy needs and protect the environment.
