Balaji Vasudevan
Meet Balaji
Investor
Durham, USA
Balaji is a scientist, mentor, and ecosystem connector working at the frontier of food, biotech, and climate innovation. With a background in plant molecular biology and over two decades of experience, he helps founders translate science into startups—supporting everything from RNA-based crop protection to molecular farming.
Areas of activity:
Sustainable Agriculture
About:
Balaji Vasudevan, Ph.D., works at the intersection of science, startups, and sustainability. As Director of Programs at First Flight Venture Center and mentor at SPACE-F, he supports early-stage innovators in building impactful companies across agtech, synthetic biology, and climate tech.
Balaji brings deep expertise in plant biology, startup operations, and venture ecosystems. He has contributed to major innovations like Piggy Sooy™ (a plant-based animal protein platform) and served as a judge and advisor for global foodtech challenges. From grant writing to commercialization, his work helps scientific ideas grow into investable, scalable ventures.
Whether advising founders in Thailand, India, or the US, Balaji’s focus is clear: help build regenerative food systems that are good for both people and the planet.