Dive Brief: Crop genomics platform developer Benson Hill is becoming a publicly traded company through a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Star Peak Corp II, which is run by Illinois' Star Peak, according to a press release. The deal, which is expected to close in third-quarter 2021, will yield $625 million in capital for Benson Hill and value the company at around $1.35 billion. Benson Hill CEO Matt Crisp will take the helm of the combined entity. Through the merger, Benson Hill is hoping to better position itself to capitalize on the growing plant-based foods segment and investors' appetite for adding ESG plays to their portfolios. Using AI, data and a variety of breeding techniques, Benson Hill is able to identify seed varieties that have appealing flavor profiles, protein content and other desirable attributes.