Bao Shengjie is the Founder and Chief Scientist of Singrow, a Singapore-based agritech. They've developed the world's first climate-resilient strawberries through genome sequencing, annotation, and gene adaption and application.

The big goal? Improve the quality and quantity of crops grown while minimizing the environmental impact of agriculture.

👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

I specialize in agricultural technology, specifically in the area of plant cultivation. We use innovative techniques to develop new plant varieties that can resist diseases and grow more efficiently and sustainably.

🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

My career in plant science actually started at 8. I participated in a major competition sponsored by Wahaha Mineral Water. For my experiment, I investigated which type of mineral water was most efficiently absorbed by plants and was thrilled to place second overall in the competition.

Since then, I've been exploring the world of plant science. Looking back, this was probably one of the significant moments that set me on the path to my career today.

🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

When my son polished off the entire box of the very first batch of strawberries that I cultivated in my lab at the beginning of Singrow. It was a significant moment for me.

Given his picky eating habits at that age, it made me realize that the effort I had been putting in was finally bearing fruit. Literally.

🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

The implementation of AI.

Despite being the oldest industry, agriculture has seen slower progress than other industries like healthcare and tech. With the world's population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, there is a pressing need to optimize food production and ensure sustainable agriculture practices. It's an exciting space to watch, and I'm eager to see how AI-powered tools will continue transforming agriculture in the coming years.

💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

The agriculture industry is an old and traditional industry. That also makes it an incredibly difficult industry to enter without the right amount of resources, network and a unique value.

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

I love talking about the future, what can happen 10 to 20 years later. Maybe it's because of my love for Sci-Fi, but there is so much excitement in exploring the future possibilities.

🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show?

I love Sci-Fi, so Interstellar.

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

I'll top that. Frozen yogurt, guilt-free ice cream!