Invaio Sciences, Inc., a Flagship Pioneering company focused on unlocking the potential of the planet's interdependent natural systems to solve pressing agricultural, sustainability, and environmental challenges, today announced the appointment of Hugh Grant to its Board of Directors.

Grant brings nearly 40 years of agricultural and corporate leadership, including as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the former Monsanto Company, a global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products. During his 15 years at the helm, Monsanto tripled sales to $14 billion and its share price rose 12 times. In 2018, Grant led the $60 billion sale of Monsanto to Bayer AG. 

"We are very pleased to welcome Hugh to our Board at a time where we are actively developing and deploying Invaio's integrated solutions to help growers and food and agricultural stakeholders produce more nutritious food in a sustainable manner," said Robert Berendes, Chairman of the Board, Invaio Sciences, Inc. "Hugh's deep insights and experience will be of tremendous value to scale our company for delivering global impact."

"I'm impressed with the quality of the people and the strength of the science. It's a winning combination in my experience," said Grant. 

Grant continued, "Invaio has developed a suite of groundbreaking biological solutions and targeted delivery systems to address critical crop health issues that have plagued the agricultural industry for years. The company's potential for impact, not only for farmers, but across the entire agricultural industry is enormous, and I look forward to working with the leadership team and Board of Directors to drive Invaio to commercial success."

About Hugh Grant

Hugh Grant was chairman and chief executive officer of the former Monsanto Company. He joined Monsanto in 1981 and spent the next 37 years working on three continents in a variety of positions, including Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and President. He held the roles of Chairman and CEO from 2003 until his departure in 2018 upon the sale to Bayer.

Monsanto and Grant were recognized by numerous groups for innovation, corporate responsibility, and business leadership during his tenure. Grant has been named on Barron's list of Most Respected CEOs, the Harvard Business Review's Top 50 Best Performing CEOs, and recognized as "CEO of the Year" by Chief Executive Magazine. In 2015, employee reviews also earned Grant an honor on the Top 10 Highest-Rated CEOs list by www.Glassdoor.com. 

Grant serves as lead director of PPG Industries, Inc., and recently joined the board of Freeport McMoRan. He is also a former member of Civic Progress in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2011, he was inducted as a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Born in Larkhall, Scotland, Grant earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural zoology with Honors at Glasgow University. He also earned a post-graduate degree in agriculture at Edinburgh University and a Master of Business Administration degree at the International Management Centre in Buckingham, United Kingdom.

About Invaio

Invaio Sciences is a multi-platform technology company that unlocks the potential of the planet's interdependent systems to address pressing agricultural, nutritional, and environmental challenges. Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2018, Invaio leverages discoveries from diverse fields including human therapeutics, agriculture, environmental science, and advanced manufacturing. The company's deep understanding of the physiology of insects, plants, and trees, together with its novel integrated solutions approach, promises to refine agricultural practices and reduce the need for pesticides globally. Invaio Sciences is dedicated to developing solutions that are mindful of beneficial insects, bad for pests, and safer for us all. For more information, please visit www.invaio.com or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

About Flagship Pioneering

Flagship Pioneering conceives, creates, resources, and develops first-in-category bioplatform companies to transform human health and sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, the firm has, through its Flagship Labs unit, applied its unique hypothesis-driven innovation process to originate and foster more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in over $140 billion in aggregate value. To date, Flagship has deployed over $2.6 billion in capital toward the founding and growth of its pioneering companies alongside more than $19 billion of follow-on investments from other institutions. The current Flagship ecosystem comprises 42 transformative companies, including Axcella Health (NASDAQ: AXLA), Codiak BioSciences (NASDAQ: CDAK) Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), Evelo Biosciences (NASDAQ: EVLO), Foghorn Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FHTX), Indigo Ag, Kaleido Biosciences (NASDAQ: KLDO), Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Rubius Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RUBY), Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA), Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB), and Sigilon Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SGTX).