Category: Blog

Reflections from the 2025 European Biostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) Stakeholder Summit

Bianca Forte, 23 June 2025

• Three years after the introduction of EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) 2019/1009, the biostimulants industry came together to discuss its impact on innovation at the 2025 EBIC Stakeholder Summit in Brussels
• SugaROx business development director, Bianca Forte, attended as a panellist to share our experience on the impact of the new regulation on start-ups
• Discover her thoughts on the Summit, and learn how SugaROx has been impacted by the regulations

Earlier this month, I joined industry leaders from across Europe at the 2025 EBIC Stakeholder Summit in Brussels. As a panellist, I had the opportunity to share our experience of navigating the evolving regulatory landscape as venture builders at SugaROx.

Three years after the implementation of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) 2019/1009, the Summit made clear that the regulation is a significant milestone for industry growth, but there’s still work to do to ensure innovation isn’t stifled. Here’s what we discussed.

Level playing fields are essential for unlocking private investment

In 2016 SugaROx’s academic co-founders published their results on Trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) in Nature, demonstrating that the external application of a modified version of T6P could significantly boost wheat yields. Since natural T6P cannot be absorbed by plants, Rothamsted and Oxford received strong interest from agrochemical companies and investors, keen to explore the commercial potential of this invention.

Unfortunately, regulatory uncertainty at the time proved a major barrier to securing a licensee or investor.

Previously, companies seeking to commercialise biostimulants had two options:

register their products as plant growth regulators (PGRs), which meant navigating a costly and time-consuming EU approval process;

or register their products as foliar fertilisers at Member State level, a faster and less expensive path, but restrictive on marketing claims.

With the implementation of FPR 2019/1009 approaching, in 2020, Rothamsted and Oxford revisited the opportunity to launch a spin-out. Regulatory frameworks continued to feature prominently in investor discussions.

This time, the emerging clarity on data requirements for certification under FPR 2019/1009 gave investors the confidence that unregulated competitors wouldn’t undercut their backing. SugaROx was born in 2021.

Disproportionate requirements risk slowing innovation to market

Four years on, we’re preparing to formally enter the FPR 2019/1009 certification process, to start in 2026.

The process involves submitting a technical Data Dossier to a Notified Body, demonstrating that our product’s physico-chemical properties, field efficacy, and safety claims conform with the standards developed by CEN, under Mandate M/564.

For biostimulants produced from raw materials like ours, FPR imposes safety testing requirements normally applied for substances produced in quantities of 10 tonnes per year or more (Annex VIII and upwards).

While safety assessments are essential, the extensive testing requirements (normally reserved for higher-risk substances under REACH) add significant time and cost. A more proportionate approach would create a better balance between innovation and safety.

It was reassuring to hear at the Summit that companies within our wider industry share our concerns. As a newer EBIC member, we value the important groundwork laid by earlier members to help shape FPR 2019/1009.

The collective spirit at the Summit was clear; work must continue to refine the regulatory system. This way, new products can reach farmers fast enough to address the impacts of climate change on food production.

Incentives are crucial to restore trust in the industry

Our industry must acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: for decades, biostimulants have operated in a regulatory grey zone. As demand has grown, low-quality products have entered the market, creating inconsistent results and eroding farmer confidence.

The burden is now on all of us, as companies, to rebuild that trust by underpinning claims with robust data. In addition, financial incentives would help to quickly correct past market failings.

By encouraging farmers to trial CE-marked biostimulants, Member States can build confidence with end-users that the FPR 2019/1009 system can be trusted. Once companies with robust, science-based solutions like ours demonstrate results in the field, adoption will take off.

Do you share our vision? Join the SugaROx mission.

At SugaROx, we’re committed to advancing the science of crop stimulation.

Through our B2B model, we collaborate with go-to-market partners who deeply understand farmers’ needs and practices, testing and delivering our solutions across key agricultural markets worldwide.

If you fit that profile, contact us today or follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with our progress.

SugaROx, 24 January 2025

This week, at the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) conference, our CTO Dr Cara Griffiths and Plant Biologist Dr Maria Oszvald (photo) launched our call for UK farmers to help shape the development of our wheat biostimulant.

About YEN

The YEN initiative, established by ADAS in 2012, connects forward-thinking farmers and innovative companies with a shared goal of improving farm productivity and performance.

By participating in a national competition, farmers receive detailed performance reports for new practices they test and can benchmark their results anonymously against other participants.

Farmers also gain access to expertise through newsletters and events, and this week’s conference was the YEN flagship event for knowledge exchange.

On-Farm Trials

“YEN provides an exceptional platform for connecting cutting-edge research with practical farming so we are delighted to work with ADAS to progress our R&D to on-farm testing”, adds Cara. “The work is funded by Innovate UK under a Large R&D Partnership aimed at demonstrating the efficacy and reliability of our wheat biostimulant across the UK.”

Dr Pete Berry, Head of Crop Physiology at ADAS, adds, “In this new project, we’re working with SugaROx to independently test their product. Data from on-farm trials will ensure the wheat biostimulant can be targeted at crop varieties and environments where it delivers the greatest benefits for farmers.”

Farmers interested in hosting a trial with SugaROx and ADAS are encouraged to complete this short form.

Farmer Survey

“To inform our research and development, we are also running a national survey with UK farmers,” adds Cara. The survey includes 27 questions designed to capture farmers’ experiences with existing biostimulants and explore unmet needs.

“Surveys like these are vital to ensure new products meet farmers’ requirements,” adds Pete. “Farmers’ responses will remain confidential, but as the project is publicly funded, we will share high-level messages through publications and events.”

Farmers can share their views on crop biostimulants by completing this questionnaire.

Our Innovation

Most biostimulants available today are extracts from algae or plants or acid-based formulations. These products are mixtures of ingredients, and tend to deliver modest yield gains of 2%-5% for farmers.

“We develop single-molecule formulations with active ingredients (AI) that mimic natural plant signaling molecules”, explains Cara. “Field trials have shown that our first AI, a patented, modified version of trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), has the potential to boost wheat yields by up to 20%.”

Founded four years ago as a spin-out from Oxford University and Rothamsted Research, SugaROx is working to launch its T6P biostimulant in the coming years. “UK farmers have a pivotal role to play in helping us achieve this goal,” Cara concludes.

More information on our Large R&D Partnership is available here.

SugaROx, 27 November 2024

What an extraordinary way to cap off the year! We are proud to announce that our innovative approach to crop stimulation has been awarded the Innovation Prize at the Biostimulants World Congress in Miami. Reflecting on the event, which brought together over 1,000 industry leaders for 3.5 days of inspiring presentations and discussions, our Business Development Director, Bianca Forte, shared her key takeaways.

Technology Developments: Science-Based Products

“The event began on a high note for me, as the vision shared during the opening address by Patrick Brown, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis, resonates with our work. Patrick emphasized the transformative potential of targeting signalling pathways in plant physiology to drive the next wave of innovation in crop stimulation,” Bianca remarked.

At SugaROx, our flagship active ingredient is grounded in 25 years of pioneering science by Rothamsted Research into how plants utilize and allocate carbon. One of their discoveries is the role of trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a natural sugar present in all plants, in regulating carbon use and allocation. T6P deactivates SnRC1, an enzyme that signals a “famine state” in plants. Deactivation of the enzyme pushes more carbon into grains.

We agree with Patrick that signalling pathways offer immense potential to boost yields, and we are excited to have exclusive access to a technology invented by plant biologists from Rothamsted in collaboration with organic chemists from Oxford University to overcome technical bottlenecks in these areas.

T6P’s strong charge prevents it from being absorbed by plants when applied as a foliar spray. To overcome this, the academics from Rothamsted and Oxford developed a proprietary version of T6P absorbable by plants. Their results, published in Nature, demonstrated the technology’s potential to boost wheat yields by up to 20%.

Industry Insights: Market Trends and Challenges

Key presentations from industry leaders, including Warrick Steptoe of Kynetec and Manel Cervera of Dunham Trimmer, highlighted the rapid growth of the biostimulants market, currently expanding at a 12% CAGR. This growth is driving demand for innovative products, with distributors eager to diversify their portfolios and Tier 1 and Tier 2 agrochemical companies accelerating new developments.

However, two significant challenges could impact the sector’s trajectory:

• Regulation: In unregulated markets like the UK, products are often launched with insufficient evidence of effectiveness or mode of action. Even in regulated regions, such as the EU, it remains to be seen if frameworks like the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/1009 are robust enough to prioritize sound, science-backed innovations like ours.
• Commoditization: As new players enter the market, traditional products – such as algae and plant extracts or acid-based formulations – are increasingly commoditized. This drives prices down, threatening the viability of businesses that rely exclusively on these materials. Differentiated solutions, like our single-molecule formulations, can address this.

Do You Share Our Vision? Join Us!

At SugaROx, our mission is to become a global leader in the science of crop stimulation. We are building a multidisciplinary team of plant biologists, organic chemists, and data scientists to uncover new physiological targets and design innovative ways of delivering natural molecules inside plant cells.

Using a B2B business model, we are seeking partnerships with go-to-market channels that have a deep understanding of farmers’ practices and needs. If you fit that profile, contact our Business Development Director Bianca Forte to open a dialogue with us and follow us on LinkedIn.

SugaROx, 30 October 2024

In our latest article, we discussed how the technology developed by plant biologists from Rothamsted Research and organic chemists from Oxford University earned us the Innovation & Excellence Award 2024 for Agriculture Chemical Manufacturer of the Year. Today, we are excited to share that we have secured funding from Innovate UK to launch a Large R&D Partnership to accelerate the development and commercialization of our first product: a T6P biostimulant to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of wheat production in the UK.

Since launching SugaROx 3.5 years ago, we have developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for our T6P biostimulant and conducted wheat trials to evaluate its performance in the UK, Canada, the US, Germany and India. Our field results show that under good growing conditions, our T6P MVP has the potential to boost wheat yields by 5%-22%. Even under drought stress, we’ve seen yield benefits ranging from 4%-14%.

“Our work suggests differences in response depending on environmental conditions and wheat varieties, so as a science-based venture we felt a need to explore GxExM (genotype x environment x management) interactions”, explains Dr Cara Griffiths, our CTO and venture Co-Founder. “In the new project we will collaborate with plant scientists from Rothamsted to screen mapped wheat genotypes from pre-breeding populations for T6P response and identify markers to predict performance in commercial varieties”.

“I am delighted to collaborate with SugaROx to accelerate the development of robust biostimulants based on the technology invented through our collaboration with Prof Ben Davis from Oxford University”, says Dr Matthew Paul, Principal Scientist at Rothamsted Research and venture Co-Founder alongside Cara and Ben. “This precision approach is game-changing and is possible due to the in-depth scientific understanding available to us on the role of T6P in plants – work that started in and has been supported by BBSRC since 1999”.

“While our approach is rooted in over 25 years of cutting-edge science, its ultimate value lies in how effectively it translates to the field. That’s why agronomy—the science of crop production—plays a critical role in our product development process,” adds Cara. “The new project will also allow us to commission a number of trials on farms to explore how environmental conditions might affect MVP performance.”

ADAS, the UK’s largest independent provider of agricultural and environmental consultancy, rural development services and policy advice, will facilitate trials on commercial farms. They have many years of experience in trialling biostimulant products and have recently authored several evidence reviews of biostimulant efficacy.

“We are excited to be working with SugaROx to support the rigorous testing of their T6P biostimulant and will be running a series of 40 tramline field trials with UK farmers over the next 4 years. Combining robust trial design with the use of our bespoke Agronomics software will allow us to determine the impact of the T6P biostimulant upon wheat yield” says Dr Despina Berdeni, Soil Scientist at ADAS.

“Through an 18-month FIP Feasibility Study completed in March 2023 ADAS and us identified generic barriers for the adoption of biostimulants in the UK,” says Bianca Forte, our Business Development Director. “In our new project, ADAS will be co-ordinating in-depth surveys and consultations with a range of stakeholders including farmers, agronomists and food companies to ensure we address questions and accelerate end-user adoption”.

Do You Share Our Vision? Join Us!

To hear about opportunities to participate in our new project, UK farmers should follow us on LinkedIn. As we continue our journey to become a world-leader in the discovery of new molecules for crop stimulation and early-stage product development, we are forming partnerships with go-to-market channels to better understand the practices and needs of farmers, both in the UK and abroad. If that is you, reach out to our Business Development Director Bianca Forte to open a dialogue with us.

SugaROx, 24 September 2024

The global biostimulants market may still be considered niche compared to other markets for crop inputs such as crop protection products, but things are rapidly changing. Farmers are increasingly turning to biostimulants to boost yields and improve resilience against climate change. As a result, biostimulants are now among the fastest-growing segments in crop inputs.

Traditional biostimulants typically come from algae or plant extracts or are formulated with acids derived from organic waste. Because these products are mixtures of molecules from natural sources, manufacturers often face challenges optimizing their efficacy and ensuring consistent performance.

To address that, we’re developing single-molecule formulations with active ingredients (AIs) inspired by powerful plant molecules. While traditional biostimulants might offer a 2-5% yield boost for farmers, our wheat trials show that the first AI in our pipeline has the potential to increase yields by up to 22%!

With the availability of more effective and reliable technologies, demand for biostimulants will further accelerate. Recognizing the potential of our approach to drive industry growth, CorporateLiveWire has awarded us its Innovation & Excellence Award 2024 for Agriculture Chemical Manufacturer of the Year.

Creating and applying natural plant molecules as AIs in biostimulant formulations is no easy feat. It requires a delicate balance between plant biology, organic chemistry, and agronomy. In this article, we’ll dive into the intricacies of the first two disciplines that form the backbone of our research to explain how we develop game-changing solutions.

Joining Plant Biology & Organic Chemistry

Our process begins by identifying specific targets in plant biology that can significantly enhance crop performance. For yield improvement, we focus on bottlenecks that affect a plant’s capacity to transport nutrients into yield producing tissues, such as grains, fruits, or tubers. Once we’ve identified a bottleneck, we design novel biochemical signalling molecules that are able to relieve this bottleneck and that are compatible with existing farming practices. For our first AI, we achieve delivery through co-application with other inputs, using a foliar spray.

Bioactive plant molecules are often complex, featuring multiple functional groups and stereocenters, that determine their binding affinity to biological targets. Many of these molecules are chiral, meaning their biological activity can be specific to just one enantiomer. This complexity demands precise control over chemical reactions and meticulous optimization of synthesis steps. As we progress from lab to industrial production, ensuring selectivity and maximizing the yield of reactions is crucial.

The First Product in Our Pipeline

Our first AI is a modified version of trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a natural sugar that inhibits SnRK1, an enzyme that regulates sucrose use and allocation in plants. When SnRK1 is abundant and active, it signals a state of “famine” to the plant, slowing down growth, development, and grain filling. Conversely, when SnRK1 is inhibited, it signals a state of “feast,” directing sucrose towards growth, stress recovery, and grain filling. By inhibiting SnRK1, T6P effectively puts the plant into “feast” mode.

In its natural form, T6P is a polar molecule, making it difficult for plants to absorb it effectively. To overcome this hurdle, we use a proprietary version of T6P with a small chemical modification or “cage” that changes the molecule’s polarity, allowing for effective absorption. Once inside the plant cells, sunlight breaks down the cage, releasing biologically active T6P. Our first product targeting wheat has demonstrated that a single application during early grain filling can boost yields by up to 22%.

Do You Share Our Vision? Join Us!

This innovative approach, with the potential to revolutionize the biostimulants sector, was developed by plant biologists led by Dr. Matthew Paul from Rothamsted Research and organic chemists led by Prof. Ben Davis from Oxford University. They are the co-founders of our venture, alongside Dr. Cara Griffiths, our CTO. Their technology, based on 25 years of cutting-edge science, is protected by a robust portfolio of patents covering key agricultural markets worldwide. As their spin-out venture, SugaROx holds exclusive global rights to the portfolio.

We’re on a mission to make SugaROx a world leader in the discovery of new molecules for crop stimulation and early-stage product development. Using a B2B business model, we plan to partner with go-to-market channels that understand farmers’ practices and needs, developing solutions tailored to specific agricultural markets. If you see a fit, contact our Business Development Director Bianca Forte to start a conversation. If you’d simply like to stay updated on our progress, follow us on LinkedIn – we have more big news coming out soon.

SugaROx, 13 August 2024

In a new collaboration with Fera, we are embarking on a groundbreaking project to enhance tomato resilience to climate change and reduce the carbon footprint of food production in the UK.

Sustainability in Tomato Production

Optimal tomato growth, fruit set, and yield occur at day/night temperatures of 21°C-29.5°C and 18.5°C-21°C, respectively. However, climate change is making high temperatures more frequent, longer lasting, and intense. The summer of 2022 saw the UK’s first-ever 40°C day. These peaks of temperature pose significant challenges for tomato producers.

Innovative Research and Development

At the heart of our new project are two core capabilities: our game-changing T6P technology for crop stimulation, and Fera’s state-of-the-art digital phenotyping facility. Using the Phenospex PlantEye Technology, Fera will produce 3-D scans of plants under stress, comparing the response of plants treated with our biostimulant to untreated plants.

Commitment to Producers

To ensure our solution meets the needs of UK producers, the British Tomato Growers’ Association (BTGA) will act as Knowledge Exchange Champion in our project. Additionally, ADAS will model the economic and carbon benefits of our biostimulant across three end-user scenarios, with sites selected in collaboration with BTGA.

For more information, contact our Business Development Director, Bianca Forte, via LinkedIn.

About Our Partners

Fera Science Limited: Fera is a leading provider of scientific services, committed to innovation and delivering sustainable solutions to environmental and food safety challenges. Learn more.

BTGA: The British Tomato Growers’ Association supports British tomato growers and encourages consumers to buy British produce. Learn more.

ADAS: ADAS is an independent research and consultancy provider focused on food security and the environment, with over 400 experts across more than 60 specialisms. Learn more.

SugaROx, 1 August 2023

We are thrilled to announce that AgriBusiness Review has named us as one of the top five UK biostimulant ventures to watch in 2024. This recognition highlights our dedication to advancing crop stimulation through precision formulations, especially in a market where many products’ mechanisms of action remain poorly understood.

Our Background

Our journey is built on over 25 years of BBSRC-funded scientific research. It began in 1999 with Dr Matthew Paul, a plant biologist at Rothamsted Research, who studied trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P). His research uncovered T6P’s critical role in carbon use and allocation in plants, pinpointing its mechanism of action through the inhibition of SnRK1, a sucrose energy-regulating enzyme.

Dr Paul’s fundamental research showed how powerful modifying the levels of T6P in planta could be. However, the polarity of T6P makes the natural sugar unsuitable for up take via canopy tissues with a foliar spray – the standard application method for agrochemicals. So, in 2006 he teamed up with Prof Ben Davis, an organic chemist from Oxford University, to create a version of T6P for on-farm use.

In 2014, Dr Cara Griffiths, a plant molecular biologist and biochemist, joined their multi-disciplinary team. Her glasshouse experiments showed that the proprietary T6P could boost wheat yields by up to 20%. These groundbreaking results, published in Nature in 2016, garnered significant industry interest, prompting the team to move forward with field trials.

In 2020, Dr Griffiths partnered with Bianca Forte, a business developer. Working under the mentorship of Michael Peagram, a serial entrepreneur and seasoned investor, they secured funding from SHAKE Climate Change. We officially launched SugaROx in 2021, with Dr Griffiths as CTO and Dr Paul and Prof Davis on our Scientific Advisory Board.

Our Vision

At SugaROx, we aim to become a world leader in crop stimulation science. Using the technology from Rothamsted and Oxford, to which we hold exclusive global rights, we are developing active ingredients inspired by powerful natural plant molecules like T6P.

Creating science-backed solutions like ours involves extensive mode-of-action studies and field trials. As discussed in our recent interview with Agri-TechE, regulatory frameworks are important to support investment into the development of effective and safe biostimulants and we work with other science-based organisations to advocate for that.

Our B2B model involves partnering with companies with established distribution channels to reach key markets. Our T6P biostimulant is being evaluated by potential partners in the UK, EU, US, Brazil, and India. We look forward to new opportunities made possible by the recognition received from AgriBusiness Review.

For more information, contact our Business Development Director, Bianca Forte, via LinkedIn.

SugaROx expands team and facility as it looks to scale technology and field work

SugaROx, 30 April 2023

The recruitment of a Plant Biologist and Synthetic Organic Chemist comes at a key time for SugaROx. Enabled by recent success with its Seed Round and two grant applications, the new appointments to the R&D Team will be based in Harpenden and Oxford for access to cutting-edge research facilities.

‘The addition of Dr Soheila Bayat to our team increases our capacity to expand our wheat field trials to international markets and launch work on four additional crops’, explains Dr Cara Griffiths, SugaROx CTO. ‘After a few years developing my knowledge and skills in academia, I was looking for an opportunity to turn science to impact’, says Soheila. ‘The chance to make a real difference to farming practice is one of the key things that attracted me to this role with SugaROx’.

‘Dr Rob Jenkins will work on the refining and upscaling of the synthesis process for our active ingredient (AI) and test new AI concepts in our pipeline’, complements Cara. Since completing his PhD, Rob worked for 4 years in pharma designing key building blocks and developing and scaling up synthesis routes for active ingredients. ‘The challenge of ensuring sustainable world food production is a monumental one, and I am excited to apply my knowledge and skills to help solve that’, says Rob.

‘On the more commercial front, our new board members bring additional experience and connections to augment and complement our team’s capabilities’, says Bianca Forte, SugaROx Business Development Director. For Mark Robbins, SugaROx CEO, the combined experience in science-based and agri-tech ventures of the new board members is also invaluable for fund raising.

Paul Rous, Founder and Managing Director of Regenerate Ventures, has founded four VC funds launching, scaling, and exiting tens of companies. He is also actively involved in his family’s 4000-acre arable farm in Suffolk. ‘Biostimulants have a key role to play in helping farmers increase crop productivity and resilience, and I know from my farming activities how important that is’, says Paul. ‘SugaROx has a team with the commitment and experience to make a real difference in this space’.

Dr Andrew Muir, Fund Principal for the £100M UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund, is a chemistry alumnus from the University of Oxford. Andy started his career in research and business development in industry then pivoted into the venture capital space where he specialised in launching and scaling spin-outs from academia. ‘I am excited to work with a technology that span-out of my home university to deliver global impact on food security and climate change’, says Andy.

Rob Hill, Director of Innovation and Commercialisation at Rothamsted Research, manages the commercial activities of the Institute and its interest in SHAKE Climate Change, the UK’s research-led seed investment programme for agri-tech start-ups with a positive impact on climate change. Before joining Rothamsted four years ago, Rob worked in the private equity and venture investment sectors. ‘Having closely followed SugaROx, both as a Rothamsted spin-out and a SHAKE portfolio company, I am delighted to join the board at such an exciting stage of development’, says Rob.

SugaROx, 17 March 2023

SugaROx has been selected by Innovate UK to enter its Global Incubator Programme which includes participation in the AGTECH ACCELERATOR in Canada. The accelerator supports the growth of agri-tech start-ups built to solve global problems and was founded by Cultivator powered by Conexus (Cultivator), Emmertech, and Economic Development Regina (EDR).

Biostimulants are emerging as one of the most promising solutions to help farmers improve the productivity, resilience, and sustainability of cropping systems, and demand for these products has been growing at nearly 12% CAGR.

SugaROx is bringing a precision technology to a market dominated by products that are ‘soups of ingredients’. Whilst most biostimulants deliver 2-5% yield gains, UK field trials show that the SugaROx approach has potential to deliver yield gains of up to 22% on wheat.

‘Our secret lies in using a single active ingredient (AI) whose mode of action is well understood’, says Bianca Forte, Business Development Director at SugaROx. ‘Our AI is inspired by a natural molecule found in all plants, so our potential for growth is huge’.

Participation in the AGTECH ACCELERATOR comes at a perfect time for SugaROx. The venture has recently secured some private equity and non-dilutive funding to expand wheat trials internationally and launch work on four other crops in the UK and abroad.

‘Through the AGTECH ACCELERATOR, our goal is to connect high-growth companies from Canada and the UK with 1M acres and agricultural producers and experts across our country’, says Jordan McFarlen, Incubator Manager at Cultivator powered by Conexus. ‘Our 2022 cohort has already raised over $30M in private capital, and we expect similar successes from this new cohort’.

The AGTECH ACCELERATOR starts on Monday and is packed with interactions with experts who will help the selected ventures develop plans to engage effectively with market opportunities in Canada and beyond. If you are interested in the development and commercialisation of innovative biostimulants, reach out to Bianca Forte on LinkedIn.

---

SugaROx, 22 February 2023

SugaROx has raised £850k from Regenerate Ventures (RV) and the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) to allow investment in the scale up and registration of a cutting-edge biostimulant platform originally developed by Rothamsted Research and Oxford University. RV and UKI2S have been the stimulus in SugaROx raising £1.4M in its Seed Round.

Field trials conducted over several years show that SugaROx’s unique single molecule trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) biostimulant platform can boost wheat yields between 12-22%. Remarkable results have also been obtained under controlled conditions for barley, millet, and sorghum (featured image).

Fig. 1: Proof-of-concept work on drought-stressed sorghum.
Left: the effect of T6P application on stressed plants. Right: control.

“The investment will allow us to accelerate field testing, prepare to launch registration in major markets and obtain proof-of-concept on additional crops”, says SugaROx CEO Mark Robbins. “We are delighted to have attracted investment from UKI2S and RV. Together, they bring a track record supporting science-based ventures and invaluable expertise on agrochemicals”.

“We are excited to be joining SugaROx on their journey as we have a strong conviction in both the team and the technology”, says Paul Rous, Managing Director at RV. “A combination of strong market growth, a unique value proposition, supportive regulations and potential for high returns makes investment in biostimulants an attractive opportunity for our investors.”

Andrew Muir, Investment Director at UKI2S, believes SugaROx is a great exemplar for the fund’s thesis. “High quality, collaborative science which addresses a real global challenge and a significant market make for an excellent investment opportunity. SugaROx also has the potential to accelerate the transition to low carbon economies through reduced fertiliser inputs.”

The investment gives SugaROx a great head start – and other exciting developments are also in the pipeline. For updates, follow us at www.linkedin.com/company/sugarox-ltd/.

……………………………………………………….

About Regenerate Ventures (https://www.regenerate.ventures): Regenerate Ventures is a UK based venture capital fund investing into early-stage companies with technologies that help farmers produce food with less impact on the environment.  With 30 years’ experience, the team has raised and deployed four private equity funds and two VC funds, generating a successful investment-to-exit track record in the Seed and Series A venture space. The fund is part of Regenerate Asset Management Limited, an investment company focussed on regenerative and net zero strategies.

About Innovation & Science Seed Fund (https://ukinnovationscienceseedfund.co.uk): UKI2S is a national seed investment fund that nurtures innovative businesses emerging from the UK’s publicly-funded science and knowledge base to facilitate sustainable growth, enhance the health and security, and deliver economic gains. The team has a track record building companies that between them have attracted over £700M of later stage investment, 30 times its original investment. UKI2S is backed by UKRI, MoD, the DSIT, the UKAEA and other public bodies. It is independently managed by Future Planet Capital (Ventures) Ltd, an impact-led, global venture capital firm.