Headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, Ceres was created in 1996. Other than their operations in the United States, the company also has a presence in Brazil through their subsidiary Ceres Sementes do Brazil. The seed products of the business are produced through a combination of biotechnology, advanced plant breeding and bioinformatics. The main offerings of the company are their miscanthus, switchgrass and sorghum. These seed products are marketed under the brand name Blade.
Their sorghum products are used in generating heat and steam, and as well as electricity. In addition to the seed products offered by Ceres, Inc., they also have Persephone, their genome viewer software which is marketed to plant and biomedical researchers. The technological platform deployed by the company may unlock the future of agriculture and can supplement applications in a broader market, including fiber, fuel, food and feeds. In addition to the seeds and software marketed by the company, Ceres, Inc. also generates their revenue from the grants they receive from the government. They also collaborate with other businesses in studies related to food and fuel.
Headed by Richard Hamilton as their president and CEO, the company continues to explore the power of science and technology to continue on advancing the future of agriculture. USAID has also funded the company’s research on the trait stacks and biotech traits of rice in Asia.