Our Team
Scientists.
Industrialists.
Venture builders.
SugaROx was born from science and bold ambition. Our founders – plant biologists Dr Cara Griffiths and Dr Matthew Paul (Rothamsted Research), and organic chemist Prof Ben Davis (Oxford University) – sought to use a groundbreaking invention published in 2016 to transform the biostimulants industry.
In 2020, Cara partnered with business developer Bianca Forte and serial entrepreneur Michael Peagram to raise investment, launching SugaROx in 2021. A year later, they brought seasoned industrial CEO Mark Robbins on board and began building the R&D team and partnerships needed to take the innovation from lab to field.
Executive Leadership
World-class plant biologist. Visionary behind our science. Cara has 16+ years’ experience decoding how plants grow and perform under pressure, with breakthrough results published in Nature, Plant Physiology, and Nature Biotechnology. As CTO, she leads our R&D team and contractors in translating science into game-changing biostimulants.
Industry veteran. Business growth specialist. With 35+ years leading FTSE 250 and PE-backed chemical manufacturing firms, Mark brings broad executive experience. Before joining SugaROx, he scaled a €130M speciality chemicals business across four countries. As CEO, he leads our strategy, fundraising, and manufacturing partnerships.
Venture builder. Impact catalyst. With 18+ years bridging academia and industry, Bianca has a wealth of experience connecting great science to market opportunities. At Rothamsted Research, she raised £25M+ for open innovation and new ventures. As our BDD, she builds global go-to-market partnerships for our biostimulants.
Research & Development
Experimental powerhouse. Lab-to-field translator. With 18+ years’ experience in crop physiology, Maria brings sharp insight into nutrient efficiency and grain performance. At SugaROx, she leads our in-house research on how crops respond to our biostimulants.
Molecule architect. Creativity engine. With 6+ years designing novel compounds in pharma, Rob has delivered multiple breakthroughs. At SugaROx, he creates the active ingredients at the heart of our biostimulants – and the synthetic routes to produce them.
Process optimiser. Scale-up driver. With 7+ years in contract research manufacturing, Anthony specialises in fine-tuning chemical processes to boost efficiency and scalability. At SugaROx, he advances our synthesis pathways toward commercial production.
Non-Executive Directors
As Fund Principal at the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund, Andy supports entrepreneurial teams building science-based ventures. With a background as a researcher and business developer in science-led companies, he also brings practical company experience and valuable connections to our Board.
Following a career founding and exiting businesses in the UK and frontier markets, David now aligns financial returns with environmental impact at Regenerate Asset Management. He also runs a farm in Surrey, bringing practical agricultural insight to our Board.
As Lead for Engineering Biology for Agriculture at Rothamsted Research, Freddie is at the forefront of plant molecular biology. Her research examines the mechanisms that govern plant protein synthesis and turnover – useful to determine how plants respond to and recover from stress. Freddie’s expertise and leadership help keep our research innovative and grounded in science.