Category: Blog

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.

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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/.

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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.