With this latest funding secured, Solasta Bio is aiming to take the trials of its biopesticides out of the laboratory and into a real-world setting.

Established in May 2020 after four years of research funded by the UKRI BBSRC and the European Commission, as well as commercial support from Scottish Enterprise, Solasta Bio tackles a long-awaited need for crop protection that uses environmentally-friendly products.

It hopes to bring its first biopesticides to market in 2027, around half the time traditionally taken by synthetic pest control products.

The company has developed the world’s first technology platform for creating neuropeptide-based insect control products that are nature-inspired.

These products effectively target pests while preserving beneficial pollinators such as bees in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.

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The company was co-founded by award-winning scientist and entrepreneur Professor Shireen Davies, CEO – a world leader in insect biology and functional genomics – Professor Julian Dow, CSO, former BASF senior executive Paul Bernasconi, CTO and Professor Robert Liskamp, peptide technology.

Commenting on the project, Professor Shireen Davies, CEO of Solasta Bio, said: “The global market for insecticides has been under intense scrutiny for many years now, with growing demands on food production requiring greater levels of crop protection, counterbalanced by heightened concerns for the environment.

“Through our proprietary technology platform, we have developed a world-leading solution which represents a profound change for how insect control agents are discovered, and a step change in how we not only protect our crops worldwide, but also our ecosystem.

“This seed funding now allows us to accelerate our R&D plans and move towards Series A in 2022.”

Oliver Sexton, Investment Director, UKI2S, added: “Solasta’s platform of highly selective biopesticides will provide an alternative to environmentally damaging crop protection agents.

“UKI2S is excited by the team’s technology which has global potential and is addressing large agritech markets.”