Jack Wang Named 2024 NC State Entrepreneur of the Year

Jack Wang, associate professor and director of the Forest Biotechnology Group in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at NC State, was recently recognized with the John S. Risley Entrepreneur of the Year award for his work co-founding and growing TreeCo Inc., an NC State startup company revolutionizing the forestry industry through the power of genome editing. 

A molecular geneticist by training, Wang co-founded TreeCo in 2019 with renowned CRISPR researcher Rodolphe Barrangou. Their vision: Combining decades of tree genetic insights with advanced genome editing techniques to breed healthier and more sustainable forests. TreeCo’s innovative approach uniquely utilizes CRISPR technology to enable precise breeding to enhance traits such as tree growth and adaptation at an unprecedented scale and speed.

In addition to growing more-resilient trees faster, TreeCo also aims to improve genetic properties that could breed trees with the ideal wood composition  for applications ranging from pulp and paper to biofuels and novel bioproducts. Using a machine learning model his team created, Wang and colleagues have identified key genetic targets for commercially relevant traits and phenotypes — resulting in a comprehensive, valuable intellectual property catalog of insights and know-how that positions the company at the leading edge of innovation.

The startup’s technological advantage and early entry into the market have established TreeCo as a key research and development player in the forestry market. TreeCo has already secured over $50 million in investments and external funding and has shown that it can target multiple genes simultaneously in several tree species. 

This article was originally published by Amy Parker of the NC State Office of Research Commercialization.