SugaROx expands its team and facility, as it looks to scale its technology and field work. Find out more about what this means for our research and product development.
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.