Nexus Agriscience has acquired Biotech Institute’s hemp intellectual property (IP) portfolio to expand its molecular farming platform for natural ingredients.
The US-based group said the deal includes issued and pending utility and plant patents, living plant material, seed stocks and related technical know-how, as well as the integration of Biotech Institute’s hemp operations.
According to Nexus, the patents focus on genetic pathways and proprietary germplasm intended to deliver consistent production of high-value compounds across major terpene categories in the cannabis genome.
The company said the acquisition enhances its intellectual property base and underpins ongoing development of its molecular farming system.
Nexus targets functional ingredient, flavour and fragrance markets and has positioned itself to serve a $37bn functional ingredients sector.
It plans to engineer hemp plants to create plant-based substitutes for certain synthetic additives used in food supply chains.
Nexus added that its hemp-based approach is designed to be more capital-efficient than precision fermentation, which commonly relies on bioreactors and higher upfront investment.
As part of the transaction, Gary Hiller from Biotech Institute will join Nexus’ board, while Dr Mark Lewis and Steven Haba are set to take roles leading genetic development and operational delivery.
Nexus said its model has already been deployed across hundreds of acres and is intended to allow faster scaling with lower capital expenditure.
The company produces non-cannabinoid hemp-derived ingredients, maintaining control from genetics through downstream processing.
Its products are currently used in flavouring and functional applications for cannabis consumer packaged goods, with expansion under way into functional beverages, specialty natural ingredients and commodity chemicals.
Nexus Agriscience CEO Shareef El-Sissi said: “This acquisition expands our platform and removes critical constraints. 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.”
In a separate hemp-related development, in July 2025 Canadian hemp products company Blue Sky Hemp Ventures sold its hemp food division to Fresh Hemp Foods for an undisclosed sum.
Through the acquisition, Blue Sky aimed to concentrate on its cannabis extracts and contract manufacturing operations.
