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.