AgraQuest
An international expert in agricultural biotechnology and biopesticide science and business, Pam Marrone, Ph.D., is founder and former Chairman/CEO of AgraQuest Inc. which she established in Davis, CA in 1995. She recently left AgraQuest to start Marrone Organic Innovations, Inc. which is focused on finding solutions to unmet market needs, especially weed control for organic farmers.
AgraQuest researches, develops and markets environmentally friendly, natural products for farm, home and public health pest management. Marrone's interest in this area began as a child, blossomed into a Ph.D. in entomology, and took flight in 1983 when she became head of the Insect Biology group for Monsanto Agricultural Co. In 1990, Marrone became president of Entotech, a Davis-based biopesticide subsidiary of Danish company Novo Nordisk. She launched AgraQuest after Entotech was sold to Abbott Laboratories.
AgraQuest discovered Serenade, for controlling diseases of fruits and vegetables, and began selling the biofungicide in late 2000. Marrone and AgraQuest won the 2003 Presidential Green Chemistry award (small business) for the discovery and commercialization of Serenade and a 2004 Red Herring Top 100 company award. The company also has several other products either in development or on the market.
Marrone has raised more than $50 million through private equity investments to fund AgraQuest's operations. Amid the post-September 11 stock market sell-off, Marrone postponed the company's initial public offering until the window opens again for new biotech investments.
Marrone received a BS in entomology from Cornell University and her Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.
Courtesy of Hoover Institution
Related Links: www.marroneorganicinnovations.com
Last Updated: Tue, Aug 22, 2006
| Category | Title | Author/Speaker | Organization | Length | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video | Creating Need for Your Product | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 01:01 | 05/2006 |
| Video | Lessons Learned | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 01:10 | 05/2006 |
| Video | Working with AgraQuest | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 01:11 | 05/2006 |
| Video | Understanding Your Customer | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 01:31 | 05/2006 |
| Video | Negotiation: Be in a Position of Strength | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 01:49 | 05/2006 |
| Video | Overview of AgraQuest | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 02:39 | 05/2006 |
| Video | The Product Vision | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 02:59 | 05/2006 |
| Video | Navigating AgraQuest's Value Chain | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 03:00 | 05/2006 |
| Video | The Founding of AgraQuest | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 03:04 | 05/2006 |
| Podcast | The Ins and Outs of a successful Biotechnology Company | Pam Marrone | AgraQuest | 48:56 | 05/2006 |
Marrone describes the impact of AgraQuest on the global bio-pesticide market.
Marrone shares the lessons that she learned at AgraQuest. She strongly believes in a diverse, trustworthy workforce and hiring people who believe in the product.
Marrone discusses why working at AgraQuest is better than working at any other company.
Marrone reveals that the trick to making the adoption curve steeper and faster is to focus the product on an unmet need where there is little competition.
Marrone advices to always plan for disaster and to be in a position of strength while negotiating.
Marrone gives an overview of AgraQuest and talks about how the company has differentiated itself in the pesticide industry.
Marrone formed focus groups to change policies to ammend incorrect artificial testing procedures carried out by academic scientists to test the efficacy of AgraQuest's product.
Marrone faced a lot of skepticism and obstacles while developing AgraQuest's products. She overcame these barriers by demonstrating the effectiveness of her product on the fields of farmers as well as hiring hungry dogs as salespeople to push the product into the market.
Pam Marrone, founder and former Chairman/CEO of AgraQuest Inc., talks about how she turned her childhood passion and love for bugs into a lifelong commitment that led her to found AgraQuest.
Pam Marrone, founder of AgraQuest, relates the challenges and rewards she experienced in building a successful biotechnology company that specializes in ecologically friendly agricultural products.