A Growing Innovation District: 39 North Celebrates Its Five Year Anniversary

This year, the Danforth Center is proud to celebrate the five year anniversary of 39 North, our 600-acre innovation district located in the heart of agriculture in St. Louis, MO. Anchored by the Danforth Center, BRDG Park, the Helix Center Incubator, Bayer Crop Science, Benson Hill and the Yield Lab accelerator, 39 North sits at the center of it all: agriculture, bioscience, big data, geospatial technology and logistics.

Since its inception in 2017, 39 North has experienced significant growth. St. Louis is home to over 1,000 plant science PhDs and more than 700 bioscience companies, and ​​$2B in bioscience venture capital under local management. In the last five years, over $64M in infrastructure investments have been made in 39 North! 

Attracting AgTech Companies to 39 North

Startups are met with resources, capital, networking opportunities, infrastructure, and talent needed for their companies to thrive. “Investors want to invest in companies that are in close proximity to and have a good relationship with their stakeholders, and so by virtue of being in 39 North and in St. Louis, we’re able to enjoy that proximity that contributes to the success of our business,” explains Matt Crisp, CEO, Benson Hill.

The St. Louis Community College supports emerging agtech companies through workforce development. Their Center for Plant and Life Sciences technical training program is located on the BRDG Park campus, and currently boasts a 95% placement rate.

Innovating into the Future

The region is committed to further growth of the innovation district. Currently, $11M in infrastructure projects are underway. Each month, the entire 39 North community is invited to the Coffee with Colleagues event, a networking event featuring a presentation from a 39 North company and Pop-up Happy Hour events. Do you want to stay up to date with the latest happenings in the community? Join the 39 North newsletter to get monthly updates straight to your inbox.