John Purcell

John Purcell is an AgTech executive with extensive experience in agricultural research and development. He was the CEO and President of Unfold from July 2020 to July 2022, and currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at the same company.124

Professional Background::

• Founder and President of AgTech Advisory Services LLC (July 2023 - Present)1
• Worked at Bayer as Head of Vegetables R&D and Senior Vice President (August 2018 - July 2020)1
• Spent 27 years at Monsanto Company in various technology and commercial roles (July 1989 - June 2016)1
• Completed a postdoctoral research position at the USDA (July 1987 - June 1989)1

Vertical Farming Expertise:: Purcell played a key role in launching Unfold, a company focused on providing seeds specifically for vertical agriculture. He helped establish the company with $30 million in funding from Bayer and Temasek, with a mission to develop specialized seeds for indoor farming.3 His vision includes expanding vertical farming beyond leafy greens to include fruit crops like tomatoes, berries, and peppers.3

In July 2022, he stepped down as CEO to support his family, with Sonia Lo taking over the leadership role.2 He continues to be involved with Unfold as its Chief Strategy Officer.