The genome editing startup company Spearhead Bio has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The funding will be used to support the company’s efforts to reduce the time and cost required to develop improved maize varieties to address emerging agricultural challenges. Launched by The Danforth Technology Company (DTC) earlier this year, Spearhead Bio is focused on the development of native genome engineering tools to accelerate the development and launch of new transgenic and non-transgenic crops (see AgbioNews May 14, 2025). The company’s Transposase Assisted Homology Independent Targeted Insertion (TAHITI) technology can be used to enhance the efficiency of crop genome engineering using the plant’s natural DNA, enabling the integration of genes into both transgenic and non-transgenic crops.